Book Talk: Negotiating Identities, Language and Migration in Global London

Join Dr Cangbai Wang at esea contemporary for a talk on his latest publication, 'Negotiating Identities, Language and Migration in Global London: Bridging Borders, Creating Spaces'.

Published by Multilingual Matters, the book delves into the transnational practices of migrant groups in Global London, revealing the intricate relationships between migrants and the city amid globalisation. It introduces a comparative analysis by bringing together case studies from diverse migrant communities and employs 'languaging' as a central concept to develop an interdisciplinary framework. This approach facilitates discussions across disciplines, addressing crucial themes that intersect migration, urban spaces, and language.

The publication advocates for 'language-based' or 'language-sensitive' research. It draws on the plurilingual repertoires and translanguaging practices of migrant communities for data collection and ethnographic fieldwork, offering fresh insights into the complex issues of diasporic identities, belonging, and place-making. These findings have broad implications for migration studies in post-Brexit Britain and beyond.

Cangbai Wang is a Reader in Chinese Studies and the founder and Co-Director of HOMELandS (Hub On Migration, Exile, Languages and Spaces) at the University of Westminster, a Research Centre that brings together colleagues across the University and beyond to engage with interdisciplinary research into migration and diaspora in the UK and the global context. His research interests fall in the areas of transnational migration, Chinese diaspora and migration-related museum and cultural heritage studies.

Following Dr Wang's presentation, Xiaowen Zhu, Director of ESEA Contemporary, will moderate a Q&A session with the audience.

About Dr Cangbai Wang

Cangbai Wang is a Reader in Chinese Studies and the founder and Co-Director of HOMELandS (Hub On Migration, Exile, Languages and Spaces) at the University of Westminster, a Research Centre that brings together colleagues across the University and beyond to engage with interdisciplinary research into migration and diaspora in the UK and the global context. His research interests fall in the areas of transnational migration, Chinese diaspora and migration-related museum and cultural heritage studies. He has published widely in peer-reviewed international journals including Asia Pacific Viewpoint, International Journal of Heritage Studies, Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, China Information and Modern China. He is the author of Museum Representations of Chinese Diasporas: Migration Histories and the Cultural Heritage of the Homeland (Routledge 2021), and (Multilingual Matters, 2024, co-edited with Terry Lamb). He is the co-editor of Routledge Research on Museum and Heritage in Asia, and currently leading an AHRC-funded research project titled Global Diasporic Chinese Museums Network Initiative.

About esea contemporary

esea contemporary is the UK’s only non-profit art centre specialising in presenting and platforming artists and art practices that identify with and are informed by East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) cultural backgrounds.

esea contemporary is situated in an award-winning building in the heart of Manchester, home to one of the largest East Asian populations in the UK. Since its inauguration as a community-oriented visual arts festival in 1986, esea contemporary – previously named Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art – has continuously evolved to establish itself as a dynamic and engaging space for cross-cultural exchanges in the British art scene, as well as in a global context.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

esea contemporary, 13 Thomas Street, Manchester, United Kingdom