Originating in the 1820s and used for 150 years thereafter, qiaopiis the name given in Chinese to letters written home by Chinese emigrants to accompany remittances. Their key function was to preserve family ties. Although such correspondence focused principally on the provision of economic support, theqiaopialso touched on cultural, political, educational, and gender themes. This book therefore seeks to examine theqiaopifrom two interconnected perspectives. One viewsqiaopifrom a political and institutional angle, the other from a financial and social angle. Bringing together the extensive research of a group of international scholars, this multi-authored volume sheds light on the larger significance of theqiaopifor modern China. Taking an empirical, evidence-driven approach, the contributors employ a wide range of primary sources in both Chinese and English and relate their findings to scholarship in both the Chinese-speaking world and in non-Chinese interdisciplinary fields. In so doing, this book helps to bridge the gap between Chinese- and English-speaking researchers in the field ofqiaopistudies. As one of the first books in English on theqiaopitrade and its significance, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Chinese history and Chinese migration, as well in Migration Studies and Diaspora Studies more generally. | The Qiaopi Trade And Transnational Networks In The Chinese Diaspora by Gregor Benton, Paperback | Indigo Chapters