GLOBALIZATION AND TRANSNATIONAL MIGRATION - A STUDY OF RECENT CHINESECAPITALIST MIGRATION FROM THE ASIAN-PACIFIC TO CANADA

This article utilizes the perspective of transnationalism to explain C hinese capitalist migration from the Asian Pacific to Canada in the co ntext of globalization. It is argued that transnationalism, and partic ularly the process of transmigration, provides a new and useful way of theorizing the international migration of capitalists. The focus is o n Chinese migrants who enter Canada under the auspices of the Canadian Business Immigration Program as investors and entrepreneurs. The arti cle presents two levels of analysis in theorizing this transnational m igration. At the macro level, this migration is explained in the conte xt of global capitalism and capital accumulation. Statistical data are presented illustrating the participation of Chinese from Hong Kong an d Taiwan iri the programme. These data include a trend analysis of the number of transmigrants and the amount of capital brought to Canada. At the micro level, some transnational social fields are examined util izing survey research data from interviews with 284 Chinese business m igrants who have set up a residence and a business in the city of Vanc ouver in Canada. More specifically, preliminary evidence of transnatio nal social fields is presented and includes: family and personal socia l fields, ethnic social fields and business fields.