Chinese-Led Migrant Activism beyond Invisibility: The Irish Chinese Sichuan Earthquake Appeal Committee

Abstract

Though Chinese migrants have been living in Ireland since the middle of the twentieth century, their presence has become more conspicuous in recent years, due to new waves of migration starting in the late 1990s. Signs of a Chinese presence in Ireland abound: Chinese-run businesses, along with Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, Italian, Nigerian and Romanian shops/ventures have profoundly reshaped the landscape of big and small towns across Ireland. Increasing numbers of Chinese-born students attend Irish schools, colleges and universities, and Chinese professionals have taken up employment in the construction, IT and accountancy sectors and many of them have made Ireland their home. Despite having grown in numbers, Chinese migrants are often perceived as an invisible and distant presence, which tends to maintain strong transnational ties with the motherland.