Heritage and homemaking of Yi migrant workers in Shenzhen, China

Abstract

The pursuit of home has taken on greater significance in an age of globalisation and de-globalisation, of increasing migration, displacement, and replacement. Given the widespread phenomenon of mobility, individuals across the globe engage in various forms of homemaking practices while undergoing migratory processes. Based on a case study of Yi migrant workers in Shenzhen, China, this research presents novel perspectives on the essence of home within a migratory context, as well as the complex and interwoven functions of cultural heritage in shaping the meaning and experience of home for mobile individuals.

The Yi people are the sixth-largest ethnic minority group in China. They are mainly located in rural areas in southwest China, including the mountainous regions of Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou. After China's economic reforms in the 1980s, the Yi districts have experienced a significantly higher level of population mobility. The Pearl River Delta has become a popular destination for Yi migrants because of its manufacturing industries and densely distributed factories. Among all the cities in the Pearl River Delta, Shenzhen has undergone rapid urbanisation and economic growth over the past few decades, making it an ideal field site for urban and migration studies. The data drawn on in this project comes from the 15-month fieldwork I conducted in Shenzhen from February 2021 to April 2022, both online and on-site. Methods used in the research included participant observation at important field sites, in-depth interviews with 57 research participants, and archival research on official documents and news reports.

The central research question of this project is: what is the role of cultural heritage in the Yi migrants' ongoing search for identity and a sense of home in a metropolitan city? It focuses on their diverse cultural practices at the grass-roots level and examines the interplay between heritage and homemaking for a marginalised migrant group. It adopts the constructionist approach to heritage and conceptualises it as a distinct form of social action. More specifically, it examines five spaces where the Yi migrants perform their varied heritage practices and homemaking strategies: families, factories, restaurants, the Folk Culture Village (a tourist attraction), and social media. Consequently, heritage in this project has been narrowed down to the following five aspects: marriage and family ritual, work culture, consumption and production of food, festival and performance, and leisure and entertainment.

I argue that the Yi people are able to employ ethnic heritage as a tool for obtaining a sense of belonging and attachment in migratory processes. The effectiveness of this tool is contingent on various factors, including broader socioeconomic structures and personal characteristics. Throughout this process, home emerges as an all-encompassing concept that links the past, present, and future. Nonetheless, it may not always be a comfortable locus, as there will be tensions, conflicts, and burdens within the realm of home. The interaction between heritage and homemaking is dynamic and ongoing, presenting migrant workers with both challenges and possibilities.

This study makes contributions across three distinct dimensions, thereby enriching our understanding of the intricate relationship between ethnic heritage and homemaking within the context of a global city. Firstly, it provides valuable insights into the utilisation of heritage as a tool of facilitating homemaking within a broader scope. Secondly, it elucidates the specific role played by the Yi ethnicity in the intricate dynamics between heritage and homemaking. Lastly, it highlights the city of Shenzhen as not merely a backdrop or setting, but rather a critical cause and infrastructure for the heritage strategies and homemaking practices of Yi migrants. Show more