This document is downloaded from DR‑NTU (https://dr.ntu.edu.sg) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Cultural citizenship practices in transnational social spaces : Chinese migrant academics in Japan since 1978 Jia, Yonghui 2019 Jia, Y. (2019). Cultural citizenship practices in transnational social spaces : Chinese migrant academics in Japan since 1978. Doctoral thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/92251 https://doi.org/10.32657/10220/48555 Downloaded on 29 Sep 2021 17:09:52 SGT CULTURAL CITIZENSHIP PRACTICESIN TRANSNATIONAL SOCIAL SPACES CULTURAL CITIZENSHIP PRACTICES IN TRANSNATIONAL SOCIAL SPACES: CHINESE MIGRANT ACADEMICS IN JAPAN SINCE 1978 JIA YONGHUI JIA YONGHUI SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES 2019 2019 Cultural Citizenship Practices in Transnational Social Spaces: Chinese Migrant Academics in Japan since 1978 JIA YONGHUI JIA YONGHUI School of Humanities A thesis submitted to the Nanyang Technological University in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2019 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As a girl growing up in Northern China, living in a place without winter has been a dream since my childhood. Upon arriving in tropical Singapore for my postgraduate study, I realized there was a place in the world with four seasons of summer. I owe my thanks to many teachers, who have not only helped me realize my childhood dream, but also given their best effort to cultivate a “new me” over the years. I am very grateful to my supervisor Professor Els van Dongen. She is the most ideal supervisor one could wish for. With her expertise in the research area of my dissertation, she has offered important constructive suggestions on this project. Following each enlightened conversation with her, I felt refreshed in my writing journey. She has also taught me how to move forward step by step to achieve the final goal. I thank her for her meticulous reading and commenting on the drafts. Without her considerate and unfailing help, this dissertation would not have been completed. I also feel indebted to my former supervisor Professor Chen Song-chuan. I would like to thank him for opening the door to my postgraduate life, believing in me all the way and encouraging me to explore the world “either inward or outward.” It was under his guidance that I found my way ahead. I express my gratitude to Professor Liu Hong, who provided me with the opportunity to study at this university, guided me to the attractive research field of migration studies and impressed me greatly with his idea of “centrality,” that people’s views differ based on where they are i situated. This has provided me with a better understanding of the variety in the world and the differences between people. My confirmation exercise panel members assisted me a lot in developing this dissertation. Professor Yow Cheun Hoe led me to the interesting part of how communities struggle between the market and the state. Professor Masuda Hajimu raised the most fundamental question of “so what,” which has been lingering in my mind throughout this research project. Professor He Baogang offered sparking thoughts to direct this dissertation from a citizenship perspective. Without these constructive suggestions, this dissertation would have been different from what it is today. I also owe thanks to Nanyang Technological University, especially the School of Humanities and the School of Social Sciences, without which this dissertation could not have been undertaken. I thank the nice professors and friends here: Evelyn Hu-DeHart, Gregor Benton, Scott Anthony, Miles Powell, Koh Keng We, Hallam Stevens, Goh Geok Yian, Ngoei Wen-Qing, Lisa Onaga, Jessica Hinchy, J. Patrick Williams, Fang Xiaoping, Ong Soon Keong, Yan Bo, Zhang Lili and many more. It was so wonderful studying and living with all of you. The Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University provided me with a precious fieldwork trip to Japan. I am grateful for my advisor Professor Gracia Liu-Farrer and I thank her for offering much guidance on the direction of the research project. I also benefited from her seminar that featured peer presentations, in which we exchanged ideas and information with important critical feedback. Under the guidance of advisor Professor Glenda S. Roberts, I gained valuable insights into this specific area of migration in anthropology. ii My gratitude is extended to the professors I worked with during my fieldwork in Japan. Professor Satoshi Amako, of Waseda University introduced me to the participants and commented on my topic. Professor Akira Matsuura offered me access to resources at Kansai University. Ms. Xie Chongyi and Mr. Hidenori Sakanaka sent me much useful research material. Professor Liao Chiyang showed great interest in this project and offered guidance on my fieldwork. Professor Xiong Dayun offered me the opportunity to be a guest lecturer in his class. In addition, this dissertation could not have moved forward without my interviewees in Japan. Although I cannot list their names, I express my thanks to all of them for sharing their personal expriences, feelings, and thoughts with me. I owe a lot to Professor Aihwa Ong at the University of California, Berkeley. I appreciated having the opportunity to study under her and to profit from her expertise in the special problems immigrants face, especially those related to cultural citizenship. I learned more from Professor Ong about the perspectives of anthropology. The discussions we had centered on her writings and my own research proposal. Her guidance was invaluable, helping me to see how to apply different sets of concepts to historically and anthropologically investigate comparatively common subjects. My wholehearted gratitude goes to Professor Qian Wanyue, my advisor in my undergraduate and Master’s degree studies. She has been so supportive in encouraging me to pursue, to question, and to love. I thank Professor Wang Zhenping for providing me delicate care during the research project and patient guidance on dissertation writing. Finally, my thanks go to my big family. Thanks to my parents, my parents in law, and my sunshine. My husband means more to me than I can say. Nine years of companionship is neither iii long nor short. You guide me, encourage me, and support me to be myself and move forward. Without your love, nothing could be possible; without your love, no dream could come true. As I write down these lines, it is pouring rain outside. In the past four years, the heavy rains and rainbows, the warm outdoor pool by the hill, the jogging track along the forests, and the aroma of trees and flowers in the air have charged me with energy and healed me. Thanks for the wonderful life here. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................... i TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................... v SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................ vii A LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ................................................................................................. x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 Historical trajectory of Chinese highly skilled migration ..................................................... 5 Literature review on the highly skilled Chinese migrants ................................................... 15 Cultural citizenship practices in transnational social spaces: research framework and significance ......................................................................................................................... 20 Research methods and sources ............................................................................................ 30 Chapter overview ................................................................................................................ 37 CHAPTER TWO: CHINESE MIGRANT ACADEMICS IN JAPAN IN THE AGE OF REFORM 40 Going abroad to study: policy changes in China ................................................................ 41 Inflow of migrant talent: foreigner policy shifts in Japan ................................................... 50 A diversified Chinese migrant academic community in Japan: an overview ..................... 56 The diverse migratory paths to Japan.................................................................................. 59 Going to Japan out of diverse motives ................................................................................ 65 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 77 CHAPTER THREE: ETHNIC CAPITAL: KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION AND DISSEMINATION AT JAPANESE UNIVERSITIES ...................................................................... 78 Internationalization paths of Japanese universities ............................................................. 80 An occupational niche for migrant academics at Japanese universities .............................. 87 Weaving the ethnic capital into knowledge production and dissemination ........................ 98 The ethnicity paradox of migrant academic faculty at Japanese universities ................... 110 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................