Ya-han Chuang et Hélène Le Bail, « How marginality leads to inclusion : insights from mobilizations of Chinese female migrants in Paris », Ethnic and Racial Studies, février 2019

This article examines the collec­tive actions under­taken by two groups of Chinese female migrants in Paris : sex workers who opposed a new law on pros­ti­tu­tion, and mani­cu­rists who joined trade unions and went on strike. These women share similar geogra­phical origins and migra­tion projects ; many came to France alone, and thus have much weaker social capital than other Chinese migrants in Paris, which pushed them to choose profes­sional sectors viewed as marginal or even stig­ma­tized. Despite their preca­rious situa­tion, their marginal posi­tion has created condi­tions for collec­tive action, enabling them to develop strong sense of collec­tive belon­ging and receive support from orga­ni­za­tions outside the commu­nity. These findings show how a marginal posi­tion in an ethnic commu­nity can be a trig­ge­ring factor for migrants’ inclu­sion and poli­tical enga­ge­ment in the host society.