How technology can provide overseas Chinese with a sense of comfort and community in a new country
- Apps such as Weixin and WeChat help people living abroad stay connected with relatives from afar while also building a network of local friends
- In Orange County, California, a recently arrived family are finding these apps to be go-to tools for settling into their new home
Chinese communities of all sizes can be found around the world. In the US, people of Chinese descent constitute the largest Asian group, with a population of 5.2 million as of 2021. Among this number are people who came over from China for various reasons, including academic pursuits, work opportunities and uniting families.
Moving overseas always presents an array of challenges, such as learning to live with a new language and getting used to a different culture. Even after these new arrivals have fully settled down, they can still miss the traditions of their native land from time to time.
In the past, it could take months or years to establish a new home and build a network of friends, but technology now makes it much faster and easier to accomplish both. For example, the Weixin and WeChat apps have become the go-to tools for the Chinese diaspora.
There is a misconception that “WeChat” is simply the English name for Weixin, but they are in fact two distinct yet interoperable sister apps. Users of WeChat and those of Weixin can seamlessly interact with one another across the world.
With the connectivity that these apps provide, Chinese living overseas can keep abreast of news from back home, have video calls with friends and relatives, and even send virtual lai see, or red packets of money. Group chat functions can also assist with house hunting and finding second-hand furniture. Many people use the communication apps for work as well, such as transferring large files from their mobile phones to their laptops in a more efficient way than using email.
But overall, one of the most valuable aspects of this technology may be how it helps overseas Chinese stay connected with their culture.
Los Angeles has the third-largest Chinese population out of all metropolitan areas in the US, comprising around 600,000 people. In the suburbs of Orange County, the Chen family are recent arrivals who have been using WeChat not only to stay in touch with family back in Hong Kong, but also to connect with a supportive new friend, Angelina Lau, who has lived in the US for 22 years.
Watch the video to learn about the Chen family’s experience of starting a new life overseas.
