Parachute kids and transnational families: The negotiation of migratory strategies among second-generation returnee fathers in Hong Kong

Existing scholarly literature on transnational split families has pointed to fragmented parental relationships borne by immigrant children as they negotiate developmental transitions away from the presence of their parent/s during their formative years abroad. Research has concentrated on how separation has immediate and direct material and emotional consequences for the maintenance of family relations. This often results in transitional split families being defined as problematic and a neglect of the consequences of transnational separation on later parts of the life course. In this paper, we argue for the need to understand the impact of transnational family separation on family relations from a life course perspective. Drawing on qualitative data on second generation returnee fathers in Hong Kong who were once “parachute kids”, we explore how they narrate their family relations as they articulate their migratory plans for their children ahead. Our findings show experiences of transnational separation during formative years work alongside life transitions to produce diverse patterns of family relations and migratory trajectories. Copyright © 2019 Chinese Studies Association of Australia 16th Biennial Conference.