Workplace hardships of 'new immigrant women' from Mainland China - interpretations of personal work situation

Abstract

This study focuses on the current employment condition of ‘New Immigrant Women’ from Mainland China residing in Hong Kong. ‘New Immigrant’ has been a social constructed label subjected to structural changes of the society, and migration background and other social characteristics of recent immigrants from Mainland China. Comprising exclusivity, this label may possibly be adversely influential to the social life of ‘New Immigrant’. As shown from several local studies, ‘New Immigrant Women’ have been facing difficulties in employment. This paper thus, by employing the method of in-depth interviews on gaining experiences from ‘New Immigrant Women’ and community services worker working on employment assistance services for ‘New Immigrant’, tried to reveal the current condition and experiences of ‘New Immigrant Women’ in workplace and labour market and their personal opinions. In addition, relevant secondary data was also applied to further analyze the general and specific situations of the inhabitants of ‘New Immigrant Women’. On the whole, it was found that ‘New Immigrant Women’ were not unanimously facing difficult condition in employment. For those ‘New Immigrant Women’ who were weaker or assumed to be weaker in particular abilities or skills were undeniably having more difficulties. However, although some of them only work in elementary occupations, they still reflected satisfaction with their current employment condition. It might be because their job satisfactions were basically determined by other factors such as minimal effect to their families. Besides, a more subtle form of prejudices and discriminations were found to exist and were found to influence employment of ‘New Immigrant Women’.