The Multi-Destination Contexts of Migration and Settlement Experiences of Chinese Women – A Scoping Review

Chinese women from the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong constitute a key population within the Chinese diasporas globally. While many undergo multi-destination experiences, their experiences are seldom reported in the literature, resulting in a lack of understanding of their journeys and social contexts. To address this gap, a scoping review of the literature was conducted on Chinese women who migrated more than once and lived in two or more countries in their lifetime. Frameworks recommended by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) and Levac et al. (2010) guided this review. In total, 17 articles that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Four major themes were identified: socio-political influences; subject formations; social, economic, political and health constraints; and strategies and resources for resilience. In conclusion, binary conceptualizations of gender, geopolitics, and origin-destination shed a need to make visible oppressions, integrate siloed perspectives, in pursuit of social justice. Keywords: Chinese diaspora; multi-destination experiences; scoping review; Chinese women; migration; settlement; complex migration