Start Date
4-30-2026 12:35 PM
End Date
4-30-2026 1:45 PM
Disciplines
History
Subjects
Transnationalism -- Africa, Transnationalism -- Cross-cultural studies
Abstract
This paper will examine the history and development of transnationalism fostered by Nigerians in Guangzhou, China, after the late 1990s. Spurred in part by the Asian Financial Crisis, Nigerian men flocked to Guangzhou’s thriving import-export economy. They established the ethnic enclave of Xiaobei, where many lived and engaged in the informal wholesale economy. Nigerians existed between the cultural boundaries of Xiaobei and Lagos, where they constantly returned. Both the export economy in Guangzhou and the resale economy in Lagos’ street markets were deeply influenced by one another through entrepreneurial migrants. This paper will provide a general overview of the many facets that contribute to Nigerians’ transnationalism in Xiaobei, from multilingual signage to interracial families, and argue the value in “low-end globalization.” Strict immigration crackdowns reduced the scale of transnationalism in Xiaobei, but even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ethnic enclave never vanished. This case of transnationalism illustrates how informal economies, adaptability, and mobility are the beating heart of global economic connections despite structural strife.
Rights
Copyright 2026 Tess L. Nestel
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Little Africa in Global China: Transnational Nigerians in Guangzhou and the Making of Xiaobei
This paper will examine the history and development of transnationalism fostered by Nigerians in Guangzhou, China, after the late 1990s. Spurred in part by the Asian Financial Crisis, Nigerian men flocked to Guangzhou’s thriving import-export economy. They established the ethnic enclave of Xiaobei, where many lived and engaged in the informal wholesale economy. Nigerians existed between the cultural boundaries of Xiaobei and Lagos, where they constantly returned. Both the export economy in Guangzhou and the resale economy in Lagos’ street markets were deeply influenced by one another through entrepreneurial migrants. This paper will provide a general overview of the many facets that contribute to Nigerians’ transnationalism in Xiaobei, from multilingual signage to interracial families, and argue the value in “low-end globalization.” Strict immigration crackdowns reduced the scale of transnationalism in Xiaobei, but even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ethnic enclave never vanished. This case of transnationalism illustrates how informal economies, adaptability, and mobility are the beating heart of global economic connections despite structural strife.