ROOTS TOURISM OF CHINESE AMERICANS

Abstract

This study explored how second-generation Chinese Americans, born and raised in the United States, redefined the concept of homeland through visiting China as tourists. Narratives from 35 interviewees revealed that their imagined personal connection to ancestral land was often contested in the actual encounter. The differences in language, class, family structure, and gender roles overpowered a sense of affinity. At the same time, Hong Kong, where they could speak English and blend with local people, emerged as a surrogate home where their desire for homecoming was fulfilled.