International migration in China: a survey of emigrants from Shanghai

"Migration trends have been largely unexamined in China, due to restrictive government policies and lack of data. This article presents the results of two surveys on emigrants from Shanghai, the largest source of emigrants and the only province with official migration records since 1958. Using information from the 1990 census, passport applications, and a survey of emigrant families in one city ward, the study concludes that migration policies, structural economic and social factors, and individual characteristics and needs shape migration patterns in Shanghai."