Introduction.
In the attempt to answer the above question, the body of this essay will be separated under three main headings covering the three parts of the question at hand.
In the first section regarding how the Chinese Southern Diaspora emerged, the definition of a diaspora will first be tackled. Following that will be the background and the history of the Chinese community in China and its trading relations and activities with Southeast Asia (SEA). The arrival of the European colonial powers in SEA (the British especially) played an undoubtedly important role in the large scale of Chinese labour migration from South China to SEA in the nineteenth century, and will also be covered under the first heading.
The next part of the essay will go into in-depth analysis of the Chinese Southern Diaspora, its particular qualities and cultural attributes. The political and cultural significance of terms like huashang, huagong, and huaqiao will be explored. Other diasporas, such as the Indian Diaspora and the Italian Diaspora to name a few, will also be looked at in an attempt for an effective comparative analysis between diasporas.
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