Co-ethnic exploitation among Chinese within an ethnic economy

Abstract

Based on the situation of Chinese migrants in Santiago, Chile, this article shows that labor relationships between Chinese employers and Chinese workers could be exploitative. Thus, we aim to discuss the conditions under which co-ethnic exploitation among Chinese takes place in Chile. In addition, we ask why Chinese workers allow themselves to be exploited by their Chinese employers, and how employers explain the exploitation. We argue that such exploitation starts from the migration route, through which both parties mutually agree to skirt local regulations. Chinese employers hire co-ethnic workers through the use of guanxi (personal connections), which generates the conditions that keep workers under employers’ control and restrict possibilities for change.