Paradise Redefined

Vanessa L. Fong is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Amherst College, and author of Only Hope: Coming of Age under China's One-Child Policy (Stanford, 2004), winner of the 2005 Francis Hsu Book Prize from the Society for East Asian Anthropology.

"This book is engaging and easy to read. It is also a serious scholarly work, rigorous in methodology and comprehensive in analysis. Readers interested in transnational mobility and migration will not be disappointed. Paradise Redefined is not only a book about study abroad: it is also a thoughtful reflection on the diverse dilemmas and challenges presented by transnational life." - Jing Xu, Comparative Education Review "This book is informative and insightful, with its rich and original data, unique and important subject matter, and carefully crafted analysis. It makes a significant contribution to transnational studies and China studies. It is a must-read book not only for understanding China's unique singleton generation, but also for the Twenty-first Century China." - Xin Huang, Pacific Affairs "Despite the obvious methodological challenges, which she describes in her 'Introduction,' Fong followed students to the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Singapore, among others. The result is a rich and enjoyable book which leaves the reader feeling that he/she has genuinely achieved a deeper understanding of the people behind the much debated topic of China's role in the world." - Merridan Varrall, Anthropos "Fong's new book follows the experiences of young Chinese students in countries such as Ireland, Australia, the USA, Canada, Singapore, Britain, and Japan. Her exhaustive data collection amongst these students involves a combination of classic ethnographic methods with a firm quantitative twist at times, providing an excellent overview of this increasingly significant transnational flow of people from China ... Both the breadth and method of Fong's ethnography is impressive, standing testament to her experience as a researcher." - Jamie Coates, The China Journal "Fong's study of Chinese students who study abroad could not be more timely ... Fong's excellent ethnographic study looks behind the stereotypes of developed v. developing world and puts a human face on the phenomenon of global neoliberalism ... As her students report that they miss China, their families, their social connections, and their way of life, Fong proves that despite the hype to the contrary, sometimes there really is no place like home." - May-Lee Chai, Asian Affairs: An American Review