6.Entrepreneurial migrants in Xiamen--A Case Study.doc

Entrepreneurial migrants in Xiamen: A Case Study 厦门大学 Angela Lehmann China is rapidly becoming an important destination for transnational workers of all backgrounds and origins and many are increasingly attracted to second-tier Chinese cities, particularly at a time of relative stagnation in the developed West and a lack of opportunities in the South. This paper presents a case study of entrepreneurial and artisan migrants inXiamen. Using qualitative ethnographic methods, I discuss this emerging group of foreign workers in Xiamen and describe their contribution to the production of international and cosmopolitan urban space. Finally, this paper argues that these migrants use their experience away from home to develop creative and new ideas for products. This paper examines how national identity and ideas about ‘home’ contribute to the production ofthese new transnational practices and urban spaces.