THE LIFE OF KHMER IMMIGRANTS IN URBAN AREAS– APPROACH FROM COMMUNITY RESTRUCTURING TENDENCY OF A RESIDENTIAL GROUP IN THUAN AN CITY, BINH DƯƠNG PROVINCE

Abstract

Affected by industrialization and urbanization, the campaign of emigration from rural area to urban area becomes more and more popular. As a dynamics in economic development, attracting foreign investment, Binh Duong province has been a good destination of many movements of emigration among which there are a lot of Khmer people from Mekong delta. Based on the qualitative data in the long-term fieldwork in the community, the article focuses on organize community and social relations in their home country as well as in the new place of migrant Khmer workers. The research results show that residence as a community is based on a kinship-country system and trying to maintain cultural identity as a living strategy to cope with the difficulties of living in a foreign land. The laborers immigrated have trending to restructure their community through traditional festivities, mutual communication in ethnic minority language Khmer people shape and develop drinking and eating points, purchasing grocery, taking care of beauty just for Khmer people. These analyses suggest speeding up the role of the website of countrymen for the activities supporting for immigration of Khmer people in upcoming time.