Research Catalog

Title

The world in Guangzhou : Africans and other foreigners in south China's global marketplace / Gordon Mathews with Linessa Dan Lin and Yang Yang.

Author

Mathews, Gordon

Publication

• Chicago : The University of Chicago Press, 2017.
• ©2017

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Lin, Linessa Dan
• Yang, Yang, 1987 March 17-

Description

viii, 252 pages : illustrations, maps; 23 cm

Summary

"Only decades ago, the population of Guangzhou was almost wholly Chinese. Today, it is a truly global city, a place where people from around the world go to make new lives, find themselves, or further their careers. A large number of these migrants are small-scale traders from Africa who deal in Chinese goods--often knockoffs or copies of high-end branded items--to send back to their home countries. In The World in Guangzhou, Gordon Mathews explores the question of how the city became a center of "low-end globalization" and shows what we can learn from that experience about similar transformations elsewhere in the world. Through detailed ethnographic portraits, Mathews reveals a world of globalization based on informality, reputation, and trust rather than on formal contracts. How, he asks, can such informal relationships emerge between two groups--Chinese and sub-Saharan Africans--that don't share a common language, culture, or religion? And what happens when Africans move beyond their status as temporary residents and begin to put down roots and establish families?"--Publisher's description.

Subjects

• Business enterprises
• Africans
• Guangzhou (China) > Ethnic relations
• China > Guangzhou
• Ethnic relations
• Business enterprises > China > Guangzhou
• Africans > China > Guangzhou

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

1. Introduction. What this book is about ; Impressions of Guangzhou ; A brief history of foreigners in Guangzhou ; Foreign places in Guangzhou ; How this book's research was done -- 2. Foreigners in Guangzhou. "The Chinese dream" : stories of eight foreigners ; Rich foreigner, poor foreigner ; Race and money ; Foreign communities : Japanese and Nigerians ; The power of rumor ; Foreigners' attitudes toward China and Chinese -- 3. African-Chinese relations. African traders in Guangzhou : an overview ; Business deception and cheating ; Quarrels between Africans and Chinese ; Chinese views of Africans ; African views of Chinese -- 4. Low-end globalization. Low-end globalization/high-end globalization ; How low-end globalization works : sourcing, money, copies, and customs ; Accounts of low-end globalization ; Low-end globalization's circuits -- 5. Legal-illegal in Guangzhou. Two paths, legal and illegal ; Visa and passport worries, jail and deportation ; Police ; Accounts of overstayers and friends -- 6. Logistics agents, middlemen, and cultural brokers. Logistics agents ; Middleman ; Cultural brokers ; Accounts of logistics agents, middlemen, and cultural brokers -- 7. Religion in a foreign world. "I believe in God but Chinese believe in gold" ; Islam in comparison to Christianity ; Christian churches ; Accounts of religious seekers ; Religion : implications -- 8. Romance, love, marriage, and families : a Chinese Barack Obama? "African Chinese" ; The travails of Chinese-African romantic relationships ; Children ; Accounts of marriages -- Conclusion: The larger significance of Africans in China.

Call Number

Sc E 19-469

ISBN

• 9780226506074
• 022650607X
• 9780226506104
• 022650610X
• 9780226506241 (canceled/invalid)

LCCN

• 2017018769
• 40027672131

OCLC

975397625

Author

Mathews, Gordon, author.

Title

The world in Guangzhou : Africans and other foreigners in south China's global marketplace / Gordon Mathews with Linessa Dan Lin and Yang Yang.

Publisher

Chicago : The University of Chicago Press, 2017.

Copyright Date

©2017

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Added Author

Lin, Linessa Dan, author.

Yang, Yang, 1987 March 17- author.

Other Standard Identifier

40027672131

Research Call Number

Sc E 19-469