Immigration experiences and occupational mobility of Chinese immigrant women in Spain and Portugal

This paper addresses the immigration experiences of Chinese immigrant women of rural origin settled in European cities, specifically in Spain and Portugal. Through multi-site fieldwork over 3 years, and the method of life stories, semi-structured interviews and longitudinal case studies, we analyse the immigration experiences of Chinese women in the family migration project and the social mobility they experience in the host countries. We found that the diversification of the economic activities of Chinese communities in Spain and Portugal has offered more opportunities for Chinese women from rural backgrounds to realise social mobility. On the one hand, unlike immigrant women from other communities who have more difficulty leaving the domestic service sector, Chinese immigrant women rely on the ethnic economy in the settlement phase and achieve labour and social mobility through self-employment and progressive integration into host societies. On the other hand, being an ‘immigrant’ and a ‘woman’ at the same time, they also face many challenges, as it determines a permanent negotiation of the roles that are typical of immigrant life.