Lost and Found : The Development of Identity Among Chinese Immigrants to Sweden

Abstract: Although previous researches have covered various kinds of identity studies, the identity issues particularly among the Chinese immigrants to Sweden remain poorly understood. Therefore, this thesis contributes to the vast amount of research by focusing on how and why the Chinese immigrants’ identities have developed after immigration. Based on nationalism and national identity theories in modern Chinese history, four assumptions are brought up to test their identity development patterns. By using narrative analysis, the Chinese immigrants are grouped into four categories and this study aims to find out whether the four categories correspond to the four assumptions. The results suggest that while some of the identity development patterns fit into some assumptions, others remain under defined or they represent new phenomena that are open for future research.