To browse Academia. Some Northern Chinese migrant women end up prostituting themselves after their arrival in Paris. If one must relate this phenomenon to their illegal status and their lack of information about the host society, this article shows nevertheless that Chinese prostitutes in Paris have developed know-how and tactics to survive in an extremely precarious situation.
Focusing on those coping strategies allows us to understand that, despite a form of resignation, prostitution is seen as the best way to bridge the gap between the reality these women face in France and the dreams they had before departure. Portal: journal of multidisciplinary international studies, SpringerBriefs in Research and Innovation Governance, Log in with Facebook Log in with Google.
Remember me on this computer. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Need an account? Click here to sign up. Key words. Furthermore the ploys these women use to attract costumers differ from the usual techniques of traditional prostitutes. They typically try to blend in with the general population and do not draw attention to themselves. Generally they work independently and do not become part of a gang or utilize a pimp.
Thus, the activities of this group of women are characterized by the fact that, as illegal immigrants, they find themselves in a double bind: they must try to be invisible and thereby avoid drawing the attention of the authorities, and yet still be visible enough to attract customers. In dealing with this Catch situation, these migrants have invented original strategies.
Rather, we highlight the decision-making processes that shape the migratory trajectories of these women and the reasons they have for turning to prostitution. Therefore we begin by examining what Chinese prostitutes in Paris think about prostitution and, in broader terms, their overall migratory goals. The fact of their illegal status is central to understanding their choices, as it entails several layers of constraint and restricts the realm of possibilities for them.
