Abstract
New Chinese immigrants began to arrive in Zimbabwe in significant numbers in the middle of the1980s. Since then, they have made an important contribution to Zimbabwe’s local and national economic development. But up till now, their social integration into the local communities that receive them has beens fairly slow. In recent years, however, new Chinese immigrants have started forming associations and developing the Chinese-language media despite the geographic dispersion of their living and commerce. As the Chinese community in Zimbabwe has gradually matured, the immigrants have become more involved in their internally-oriented social environment, which offers them greater social support but decreases their motivation and ability to integrate into local communities. In the process of interaction with local Zimbabweans, they encounter negative stereotyping. As a result, it’s difficult for them to consider Zimbabwe as their second home and for Zimbabweans to truly accept them. To promote social integration, new Chinese immigrants have carried out a series of activities through their associations, including helping each other adapt to local behavioral patterns, fulfilling social responsibilities, and engaging locals by organizing large-scale cultural or sports activities. To date, those activities have made some progress. However, their full integration into local Zimbabwean communities has a long way to go.
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Notes
- 1.
I conducted fieldwork in Zimbabwe from November 2014 to March 2015. During this period I interviewed more than 40 new Chinese immigrants and 10 Zimbabweans.
- 2.
Tianze Tobacco Company (Private) Limited played a pivotal role in the recovery of Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry. See Longton Mukwereza (2015), “Situating TianZe’s Role in Reviving Zimbabwe’s Flue-Cured Tobacco Sector in the Wider Discourse on Zimbabwe-China Cooperation: Will the Scorecard Remain Win-Win?” China and Brazil in Africa Agriculture Project Working Paper 115, p. 8. Sinosteel Corporation’s subsidiary, Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company Limited, for example, employs more than 6000 Zimbabweans . See “Speech by Chinese Ambassador in Zimbabwe on the 60th Anniversary of the University of Zimbabwe,” May 3, 2015, http://gb.cri.cn/42071/2015/05/03/6351s4949912.htm, accessed June 9, 2015.
- 3.
Interview, Li Xinfeng, chairman of the ZCBA, Harare, February 4, 2015. About the hyperinflation, please see J. Hanlon, J. Manjengwa & T. Smart (2013), Zimbabwe Takes Back Its Land (Cape Town: Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd), p. 94.
- 4.
On January 1, 2015, I went to the Chinese graveyard located in a suburb of Harare, where more than 80 Chinese are buried. Most were from Guangdong, including Taishan, Jingmei, Huangchong in Xinhui, Jiangmen, Chishui in Kaiping, Guxiang in Zhongshan, and Nanhai and Shunde in Foshan.
- 5.
Interview, Yu Yongyuan, a businessman who has opened a little printing house, Harare, November 23, 2014.
- 6.
The buildings in Gulf Shopping Complex were painted pink, so the complex is known to Chinese as the “little pink buildings.”
- 7.
The leaders of these informal associations include Zhao Ke, the acting vice chairman of the Chinese Federation of Zimbabwe , Li Manjuan, the acting vice chairwoman and general secretary of the ZCBA, and Luo Yuesheng, the chairman of the Association of Chinese Northern Fellow Countrymen in Zimbabwe . Interview, Zhao Ke, Harare, January 25, 2015.
- 8.
“Zimbabwe Chinese Business Association was established in Harare,” October 3, 2004, http://gb.cri.cn/3821/2004/10/03/622@317203.htm, accessed May 9, 2015; see also “a brief historical retrospect of big events of Zimbabwe Chinese Business Association in the last ten years,” (internal materials), August 29, 2014.
- 9.
See “Zimbabwe Chinese Association was established”, September 18, 2007, http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2007-09/18/content_6748014.htm, accessed May 9, 2015. It was combined into the CFZ as its Bulawayo branch on March 30, 2014; “Ambassador Qi Shunkang attended the inaugural ceremony of Association of Chinese Northern Fellow Countrymen in Zimbabwe”, September 21, 2010, http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_chn/wjdt_611265/zwbd_611281/t754632.shtml, accessed May 9, 2015; “Chinese Federation of Zimbabwe was established”, April 1, 2014, http://gb.cri.cn/42071/2014/04/01/6071s4486557.htm, accessed May 9, 2015.
- 10.
Interview through Wechat, Li Manjuan, Beijing, May 14, 2015.
- 11.
The website of Zimbabwe Chinese Web is http://www.zimbbs.com/
- 12.
The public names of Zim-times Wechat Offical Account and Zimbabwe Chinese Web We chat Offical Account are Zimbabwe-times and Zimbabwe_Chinese Web respectively.
- 13.
Interview, Wang Jianhong, vice chairwoman of the Chinese Federation of Zimbabwe, Harare, March 2, 2015.
- 14.
They can watch 17 Chinese television channels in Zimbabwe, including CCTV and some popular provincial channels.
- 15.
Interview, Zhu Xuewu, manager of Zim-China Wanjin Tianrui Food Processing (Private) Limited, Chegutu, December 14, 2014.
- 16.
Interview, Liu Huilin, owner of a bakery in Chegutu, Chegutu, December 14, 2014.
- 17.
Interview, Wang Hong, owner of a retailer in Gweru, Gweru, February 24, 2015.
- 18.
Interview, Li Yubin, businessman in Harare, Harare, February 3, 2015.
- 19.
Interview, Wei Changjin, businessman in Harare, Harare, January 29, 2015.
- 20.
Interview, Mr. Gao, Harare, February 3, 2015.
- 21.
Interview, Mrs. Song, Harare, February 11, 2015.
- 22.
Interview, Fang Wei, businessman in Harare, Harare, January 29, 2015.
- 23.
Interview, Guo Yongwei, vice chairman of CFZ, Bulawayo, February 25, 2015.
- 24.
Interview, Zhu Xuewu, Chegutu, January 26, 2015.
- 25.
Interview, Brain Chamboko, member of the Zimbabwean table tennis team, Harare, January 10, 2015.
- 26.
Interview, George, driver of Wild Africa Travel Agency, Harare, December 28, 2014.
- 27.
Interview, Anderson Ngondo, driver of Wild Africa Travel Agency, Harare, January 5, 2015.
- 28.
Interview, Anderson Ngondo, Harare, January 17, 2015.
- 29.
Interview, Li Xinfeng, Harare, February 4, 2015.
- 30.
Interview, Xia Hongyan, employee of Tianze Tobacco Company (Private) Limited, Harare, February 10, 2015.
- 31.
Interview, Anderson Ngondo, Harare, January 17, 2015.
- 32.
Interview, Troe, policy office, Harare, February 27, 2015.
- 33.
Interview, Li Xinfeng, Harare, February 4, 2015.
- 34.
Interview, Yi Shutong, general manager of Anhui Tianrui Environment Technology Co., Harare, Ltd., November 24, 2014.
- 35.
“Initiative by Chinese Federation of Zimbabwe to Chinese in Zimbabwe”, Zim-times, Issue 22, January 22, 2015.
- 36.
“How far can we go if we continue offering bribes in Zimbabwe?” Zim-times, 21, January 16, 2015; “Chinese Still Need to Regulate Themselves in Zimbabwe,” Zim-times, 23, January 21, 2015; “Being Unpopular and Unacceptable, Did Chinese Really Integrate into Africa?” Zim-times, 25, January 26, 2015.
- 37.
Interview, Zhao Ke, February 15, 2015.
- 38.
Interview, Li Xinfeng, February 4, 2015.
- 39.
Interview, Wang Jianhong, March 2, 2015.
- 40.
“‘Father’s Car’—The Pride of Gweru’s Street Children,” December 11, 2014, http://www.zimbbs.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=5616&highlight=father; “Loving Mums, Love in Africa,” February 4, 2014, http://www.zimbbs.com/thread-6475-1-1.html; “2015 ‘Love Without Boundary’ Children’s Party,” February 23, 2015, http://www.zimbbs.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=7702&highlight=%B0%AE%D0%C4%CE%DE%B9%FA%BD%E7, accessed May 21, 2015. Before visiting Zimbabwe on December 1, 2015, the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, praised “Father Cheng” and “Love in Africa” mums group in his article published in Zimbabwe’s newspaper The Herald. See Xi Jinping, “Let the Sino-Zim Flower Bloom with New Splendor,” The Herald, November 30, 2015.
- 41.
Interview, Zhao Ke, Beijing, September 15, 2015.
- 42.
“Sino-Zim Friendly Soccer was played in Harare to celebrate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations,” February 23, 2015, http://gb.cri.cn/42071/2015/02/23/7211s4880002.htm, accessed May 21, 2015.
- 43.
I was one of the organizers of the game.
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Shen, X. (2017). Integration of Newcomers into Local Communities: An Analysis of New Chinese Immigrants in Zimbabwe. In: Zhou, M. (eds) Contemporary Chinese Diasporas. Palgrave, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5595-9_4
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