Factors Countervailing Immigrant Phobia: A Paradoxically Successful Case of Chinese Migration

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to reveal the hidden ingredients that can make migration successful in a European society prone, to immigrant phobia. The case of the Chinese migration to Romania was studied as an apparently paradoxical one: with all the factors that normally trigger immigrant phobia in place, the coexistence of the dominant and migrant group is peaceful. The study was conducted as a quantitative research meant to test the hypothesis that the positive attitude of Romanians towards Chinese migrants is influenced by their early and exclusive contact with the Chinese imported goods, during the Communist dictatorship of Ceausescu. In turn, the hypothesis was derived by using theories, secondary data and the author’s previous knowledge. Data on both independent and dependent variables were collected by a poll financed with the author’s own funds and done by a specialized institute, and then analyzed using SPSS to test the degree of correlation and signification. The results proved relevant and they are further discussed in a socio-psychological analytical frame, leading to the conclusion that previous contacts with trade as a vector of a culture soften the interaction with migrants linked to that culture.