Why Do Chinese Women Seek Western Men: The Case Of China's Email-Order Brides

The USF Center for Asia Pacific Studies welcomed Monica Liu (University of St. Thomas Minnesota) to share her latest research on why Chinese women seek Western men. China has undergone a striking transformation over the past four decades, growing from a poor country to the world's second-largest economy. Despite its ascendance on the world stage, a significant number of women are still desperately seeking to marry Western men and immigrate abroad. To pursue their elusive dream, these women are turning to global internet dating agencies. From 2008 to 2019, Liu conducted research at three different transnational dating agencies in China, interviewing 61 Chinese female clients, the majority of whom were middle-aged and divorced. In this talk, she addresses how emerging inequalities brought on by China’s transition from state socialism toward a global market economy shaped these women’s desires to leave their country. Ultimately, their desires to pursue marriage migration not only reveal their longing for a better life but also cast a revealing light on the pervasive gender, age, and class inequalities that continue to plague modern-day China.