Meaning of family reunification as interpreted by young Chinese immigrants

This paper is a narrative analysis of young Chinese immigrants' subjective interpretation of their family reunification in Hong Kong. The major objectives of the study were to understand what family reunification actually meant to them and how it affected their subsequent adjustment. It also tried to examine the similarities and differences in the experience and interpretation of family reunification among young immigrants who had different levels of adjustment. Participants in this study included 45 immigrants, aged between 12 and 17. Research findings show that family reunification was their long-cherished wish and the main reason for their migration. It was not only their primary concern before coming to Hong Kong but also the stance from which separation with close relatives in their native place and the subsequent hardships as a new comer in the competitive host society were justified. Reunification of the family and harmonious and caring relationship among family members had been the source of comfort and support for those who had successful adjustment. However, for those who did not experience warmth and concern from family members, the disillusionment with a happy family reunification and the experience of distant or even conflictive family relationship had not only created in them a sense of alienation but also resulted in poor adjustment in the new environment.