Transnational Kinscription: A Case of Parachute Kids in the USA and Their Parents in Taiwan

Chih-Yan SUN

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

19 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study uses 'parachute kids' in the USA and their parents in Taiwan as a case study to examine how cross-border kinship networks shape child-rearing strategies. The author argues that cross-border kin ties activated by parents are central to understanding the familial and cultural belonging of their children who are sent to study abroad. Drawing on 40 interviews with parachute kids and their parents, the author uses the concept of 'transnational kinscription' to demonstrate how non-migrant parents reconfigure kinship ideologies and relations to raise the next generation across borders. This article also highlights how parachute kids' emotional responses to growing up in their relatives' households often offset or even invalidate their parents' efforts to establish multiple homes transnationally.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1431-1449
Number of pages19
JournalJournal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
Volume40
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2014

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Demography
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)

User-Defined Keywords

  • Childhood
  • Kinship
  • Migrant
  • Parachute Kids
  • Parenting
  • Transnationalism

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