<P>Originating in the 1820s and used for 150 years thereafter, <I>qiaopi</I> is the name given in Chinese to letters written home by Chinese emigrants to accompany remittances. Their key function was to preserve family ties. Although such correspondence focused principally on the provision of economic support, the <I>qiaopi</I> also touched on cultural, political, educational, and gender themes. </P>
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<P>This book therefore seeks to examine the <I>qiaopi</I> from two interconnected perspectives. One views <I>qiaopi</I> from a political and institutional angle, the other from a financial and social angle. Bringing together the extensive research of a group of international scholars, this multi-authored volume sheds light on the larger significance of the <I>qiaopi</I> for modern China. Taking an empirical, evidence-driven approach, the contributors employ a wide range of primary sources in both Chinese and English and relate their findings to scholarship in both the Chinese-speaking world and in non-Chinese interdisciplinary fields. In so doing, this book helps to bridge the gap between Chinese- and English-speaking researchers in the field of <I>qiaopi</I> studies.</P>
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<P>As one of the first books in English on the <I>qiaopi</I> trade and its significance, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Chinese history and Chinese migration, as well in Migration Studies and Diaspora Studies more generally.</P>