Exploring the Determinants of Food Choice in Chinese Mainlanders and Chinese Immigrants: A Systematic Review

Determinants of food choice in Chinese populations have not been systematically synthesised using a cultural lens. This study reviewed qualitative studies exploring food choice determinants of both Chinese mainlanders and Chinese immigrants living in Western countries. Ovid Medline, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure database (CNKI) were searched from database inception to 1 April 2021. Studies were included if they involved qualitative research methods, were written in English or Chinese, investigated the factors influencing food choices, and targeted Chinese mainlanders or Chinese immigrants living in Western countries. Twenty-five studies (24 in English, 1 in Chinese) were included, involving 2048 participants. Four themes were identified; (1) the principles of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), (2) perceptions of a healthy diet in Chinese culture (e.g., regular eating, eating in moderation, and emphasis on food freshness), (3) the desire to maintain harmony in families/communities, and (4) physical/social environmental factors all significantly influenced Chinese people’s food choices. It is important to acknowledge these factors when developing culturally appropriate nutrition programs for promoting health in Chinese mainlanders and Chinese immigrants.

The Role of Family in the Construction of Traditions among Second-Generation Chinese Immigrants in Hungary

Previous research conducted in Hungary has shown that second generation Chinese immigrants construct a complex, multicultural identity which contains elements from the cultural environment created by the host society, the migrant diaspora, the family of the migrant and the country of origin as well. This paper presents the findings of an interview-based research project conducted in Hungary with the involvement of 20 second-generation Chinese immigrants and seeks to examine the complexity of their cultural identity, focussing especially the role of the family in the construction of traditions. According to our findings we argue that in the family setting, there is constant negotiation between generations regarding norms and traditions, which reveal different priorities. In this article I show that those areas where the most negotiations occur also overlap with the fields of increased parental interest and control, namely: education, dating/marriage, and language. I also discuss how holidays celebrated by the family show a high degree of flexibility and mixed solutions, involving cultural elements from both the host society and the country of origin.

Chinese Immigrant Academic Librarians' Experiences and Perceptions of Career Advancement in New Zealand

<p>For many professionals, career advancement is an important goal and part of their professional life. Nevertheless, due to the ever-competitive nature of the workplaces, the prosperity of advancement is limited as the availability of resources and positions are always scarce in any given organization including the library field. Many international studies suggest that job advancement prosperity is generally even more limited for Chinese immigrants as a minority group that work and live in Western countries such as New Zealand, where the host country’s culture, value, and language are very different from those of their own country. This study has been set out to explore Chinese immigrant academic librarians’ experiences and perceptions of career advancement in New Zealand, which is an area that has yet to be studied in this country.</p>

Chinese Immigrant Academic Librarians' Experiences and Perceptions of Career Advancement in New Zealand

<p>For many professionals, career advancement is an important goal and part of their professional life. Nevertheless, due to the ever-competitive nature of the workplaces, the prosperity of advancement is limited as the availability of resources and positions are always scarce in any given organization including the library field. Many international studies suggest that job advancement prosperity is generally even more limited for Chinese immigrants as a minority group that work and live in Western countries such as New Zealand, where the host country’s culture, value, and language are very different from those of their own country. This study has been set out to explore Chinese immigrant academic librarians’ experiences and perceptions of career advancement in New Zealand, which is an area that has yet to be studied in this country.</p>

Health Problems and the Use of Medications and Traditional Therapies among Chinese Immigrants Living in Spain

In this study, we investigate the health problems and the use of medications and traditional therapies among Chinese immigrants in the Southern region of Spain. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and including 133 immigrants and 7 stakeholders was conducted in 2017. Transcription, literal reading, and theoretical categorization were performed, and a narrative content analysis was carried out. The most common health problems were musculoskeletal (28.6%) and allergies (25.6%) related to work activity and unhealthy lifestyles. Key informants also reported gastric problems, stress, and changes in eating habits, mostly related to their work activity. For these problems, a large number of traditional remedies (herbs, diet therapy, acupuncture, vitamins, etc.) were used, usually combined with pharmaceutical drugs used for colds, flu, general malaise (29%), pain and fever (23%), and allergy drugs (9.2%). Chinese immigrants reported health conditions associated with their working conditions and life habits in Spain, using Traditional Chinese Medicine instead of pharmacological drugs. Understanding these health problems and promoting awareness towards traditional therapies in the healthcare system may help to design public policies and Health Promotion strategies targeting this group.

Activity Engagement Patterns Among Older Chinese Immigrants

Activity engagement is a major component of well-being in later life. However, very few studies have focused on older immigrants who are often at risk for social isolation and psychological distress. We aim to map the pattern of activity engagement and examine its variations in relation to immigration-related factors and social aspects of neighborhoods in a representative sample of older Chinese immigrants. We used data from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE), a population-based epidemiological study of US Chinese older adults that were conducted between 2011 and 2013 (N=3,157). Latent class analysis and multinominal regression analysis were conducted to identify activity engagement patterns and examine the associated factors. Four patterns of activity engagement were identified: restricted (15%), diverse (31%), informal social (32%), and community-based social (21%). Acculturation and family-oriented immigration differentiated the restricted from the diverse class membership. Positive attributes of social environment measured by social network size, positive social support, neighborhood cohesion, and sense of community were associated with the probabilities of class membership relative to the restricted class. Findings point to the importance of positive attributes of social environment in enhancing engagement with life among older Chinese immigrants. Efforts are needed to assist the vulnerable restricted group and recent older immigrants while meeting the demands of older immigrants who are less educated and less acculturated. Creating a supportive environment is important to provide information, access, and resources needed for activity engagement in the marginalized minority aging populations

Is Living in an Ethnic Enclave Associated With Better Cognitive Health of Older Immigrants? Results From PINE

This study addressed three questions: 1) Is living in Chinatown associated with better cognition among Chinese older immigrants? 2) Is the association moderated by education, acculturation level, and social engagement? 3) Does the association vary by preferred language (Mandarin, Cantonese, Taishanese), an important indicator of heterogeneity among Chinese immigrants? Data were derived from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (N = 3,055). Results showed that Chinese older immigrants who lived in Chinatown had significantly poorer cognition than those who didn’t, and such a difference was largely due to educational differences between the two groups. Higher education or acculturation buffered the influence of Chinatown residence on cognitive health, but only among those who speak Mandarin. The findings indicate that living in an ethnic enclave may have a negative impact on cognitive function of Chinese older immigrants. The findings also reveal the sources of heterogeneity within the population.

Valuing Education: The role of soft power in Chinese engagement with Tonga

<p>The bilateral relationship between China and Tonga has existed for almost fifteen years, expanding from an initially limited scope to encompass trade, education, tourism, culture and defence. While China has rapidly expanded its official relationship with Tonga, this expansion has created tensions within Tongan society generated by fears of Chinese immigrants taking jobs and businesses. These tensions boiled over in 2006, as Tongans rioted in the capital Nuku’alofa against Chinese shopkeepers over perceived unfair competition. The aftermath of the Nuku’alofa riots has seen an increasing awareness from China of the need to educate Tongans to its presence in their country, and its goals on the world stage. This new awareness has resulted in China adopting a number of approaches to educate Tongans as part of its expanding engagement. Education has become a central plank of this new-found education campaign, with China introducing several programmes to expose Tongan students to its culture and values, including scholarships for tertiary students to study within China. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the correlation between China’s increasing political and economic engagement with Tonga, and the increasing use of education programmes such as scholarships to educate Tongans about China and its culture and values. To accomplish this, the political and economic ties between China and Tonga will be analysed, as will the soft power initiatives that China has undertaken. These will then be analysed to test whether or not the increase in soft power initiatives is due to the expansion of political and economic ties between the two countries. This will allow the use of soft power by China in Tonga to be compared to the trends evident in other South Pacific states, to determine whether Tonga is a unique case or whether China is undertaking these policies across the region.</p>

Valuing Education: The role of soft power in Chinese engagement with Tonga

<p>The bilateral relationship between China and Tonga has existed for almost fifteen years, expanding from an initially limited scope to encompass trade, education, tourism, culture and defence. While China has rapidly expanded its official relationship with Tonga, this expansion has created tensions within Tongan society generated by fears of Chinese immigrants taking jobs and businesses. These tensions boiled over in 2006, as Tongans rioted in the capital Nuku’alofa against Chinese shopkeepers over perceived unfair competition. The aftermath of the Nuku’alofa riots has seen an increasing awareness from China of the need to educate Tongans to its presence in their country, and its goals on the world stage. This new awareness has resulted in China adopting a number of approaches to educate Tongans as part of its expanding engagement. Education has become a central plank of this new-found education campaign, with China introducing several programmes to expose Tongan students to its culture and values, including scholarships for tertiary students to study within China. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the correlation between China’s increasing political and economic engagement with Tonga, and the increasing use of education programmes such as scholarships to educate Tongans about China and its culture and values. To accomplish this, the political and economic ties between China and Tonga will be analysed, as will the soft power initiatives that China has undertaken. These will then be analysed to test whether or not the increase in soft power initiatives is due to the expansion of political and economic ties between the two countries. This will allow the use of soft power by China in Tonga to be compared to the trends evident in other South Pacific states, to determine whether Tonga is a unique case or whether China is undertaking these policies across the region.</p>