Return Migration and Selective Citizenship: A Study of Returning Chinese Professional Migrants from the United States

This study examines one of the largest online communities of returning Chinese professional migrants and explores migrants' choices and interpretations of citizenship. It proposes the concept of "selective citizenship," showing how migrants negotiate complex citizenship requirements and choose nationality based on the international hierarchy of nation-states and on individual needs. Selecting or changing nationality is also a way for migrants to adapt to local conditions and assert their own identity and autonomy. "Selective citizenship" thus challenges the popular and idealized "dual nationality" model and reminds us of the importance of full considerations of historical and local contexts.