Chinese Diaspora Newspapers in the United States

Diaspora newspapers play a vital role in connecting immigrant communities, shaping diasporic identities, preserving cultural heritage, and fostering engagement with societies of settlement. Despite their significance, these publications have been largely overlooked in Translation Studies. This chapter examines Chinese diaspora newspapers in the United States through the lens of translation and is structured around three main components. The first section provides an overview of the sociopolitical context that has influenced the development of the diaspora newspapers. The second section surveys publications ranging from historical newspapers to contemporary ones, examining their linguistic practices, operations and affiliations, and distribution scales. It also showcases the translational activities within these publications, highlighting varying degrees of translation visibility. The final section presents a case study comparing translation practices in two Chinese diaspora newspapers, Sing Tao Daily and Erie Chinese Journal . The comparative analysis shows how translation visibility varies across newspapers with different distribution scales and that translation fulfills distinct functions: facilitating engagement with U.S. society and reinforcing a sense of belonging and identity within the diaspora community.