Does ethnic identity influence migrants' settlement intentions? Evidence from three cities in Gansu Province, Northwest China

Abstract

The debate concerning the determinants of rural-urban migration in China has thus far paid little attention to migrants with different ethnic backgrounds. The present article investigates the determinants of settlement intentions using survey data for three cities in Northwest China. Under four strategies: Settling in the city (as the baseline); Returning home; Moving to other cities, and Undecided, we analyse migrants' intentions through a multi-nominal logit approach, in conjunction with in-depth interviews and participant observations. The results demonstrate a range of determinants that include human capital, migration characteristics, employment, network, and local factors. Findings indicate in particular that types of contract and job training strongly influence migrant settlement in all models. The implication of these findings is that migrants will have to learn practical skills if they plan to settle down. It may be attractive for local authorities to invest in vocational schools and to regulate the labour market and contracts if they are willing to accommodate these migrants. As expected, ethnic identity and cultural characteristics of the cities also play important roles in determining migrants' decisions to settle. Worth to notice that minority migrants tend to stay in cities where there is higher cultural homogeneity, thus lower demand for integration. They are less likely to resort to migration for a better livelihood compared to the Han majority. We advocate that the creation of more equal and inclusive socio-cultural contexts may promote minority migrants' mobility, thereby improving their livelihoods through migration.

The Labor Contract Law and the economic integration of rural migrants in urban China

“…During the LCL era, the access of rural migrants to stable labor contracts encouraged more rural migrants to hold on to jobs and to settle in their host cities (Hu et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2017). Building a network with urban residents became essential to integrate into local urban society (Yue et al., 2013).…”

Spatial pattern and determinants of migrant workers' interprovincial hukou transfer intention in China: Evidence from a National Migrant Population Dynamic Monitoring Survey in 2016

“…Among migrants who have long‐term plans to stay in a city, most tend to settle in small towns or small cities instead of large cities (Yang, Xu, Liu, Ning, & Klein, ). To examine the influences of destinations clearly, several studies have considered destination factors in the regression model or investigated regional differences of determinants by conducting comparative analyses of several representative regions and cities (Wei, ; Zhang, Druijven, & Strijker, ). Through GIS spatial analysis and statistical modelling methods, Lin and Zhu () investigated the spatial pattern and its determinants of migrants' hukou transfer intentions in China's 276 prefecture‐ and provincial‐level cities, revealing that the overall level of migrants' hukou transfer intention for cities is not high and that it varies significantly among different cities.…”

Hui family migration in Northwest China: patterns, experiences and social capital

“…The chi-square tests in (Table 2) illustrate significant differences between Han and Hui interviewees in terms of circulation, settlement intentions, hometown locations and destinations. Results showing a higher per cent of Hui interviewees as "undecided", indicates that minorities are generally hesitant, less determined and inconsistent in migration (Zhang, Druijven, and Strijker 2017). Compared to Han, it is easier for Hui interviewees to reunite with their families in the destinations because fewer per cent Hui have arrived from outside the Gansu province.…”