Multi-Local Residence, Transnational Networks: Chinese ‘Astronaut’ Families in New Zealand

Abstract

This paper uses longitudinal survey data to explore the dynamics of some Hong Kong Chinese families that have settled in New Zealand during the early 1990s. It examines the changes in family structure, settlement and employment experiences as family members adjust to opportunities in both their host country and their former homeland. The data suggest that the stereotype of the ‘astronaut’ family that prevailed in the early 1990s is no longer appropriate. In the new transnational family structure, members are dispersing over several countries, rather than residing continuously in only one place. The policy implications of the research findings for settlement are discussed in the concluding section.