Rural Chinese Restaurants: Current Perspectives on Family and Business Structure

Abstract

Chinese immigrants have been a presence in Canada since the mid-1800s. Early immigrants faced numerous barriers due to race, limited work skills, and a lack of English-language fluency. Chinese immigrant entrepreneurism in the restaurant industry emerged as response to these barriers. Although current Chinese immigrant restaurant owners possess higher skill levels and more English-language facility, Chinese restaurant entrepreneurship continues. The restaurants allow immigrant entrepreneurs to build relationships in the communities as well as to provide a service. This research presents a current perspective on Chinese immigrant labour in the rural restaurant industry. This study addresses the role of family and the business structure in rural Chinese restaurants in Saskatchewan. This study looked at the rural entrepreneur experience, the roles of each of the family members, and business operations, in order to gain insight into the continued prevalence of rural Chinese restaurants. Eight in-depth interviews were conducted and a partial critical realist perspective was used for analyzing the data. This study explored ethnic enclaves, blocked mobility thesis, institutional completeness, and apprenticeship theory as theoretical concepts. The rural Chinese restaurateurs interviewed did not demonstrate enclave characteristics due to a lack of an ethnic Chinese population in their communities. Respondents in this study did not specify racism as a factor blocking social mobility and described a lack of experience in other industries as the major factor for staying within the restaurant business. Although racism was not viewed as a structure by respondents, this does not negate that fact that these businesses continue to operate under an ethnic model. Most respondents had immigrated to Canada with the goal of eventually operating their own restaurants. The power of the business model of rural Chinese restaurants stems from the family unit mobilizing to work for the greater success of the business. Using the family as a resource does have liabilities of self-exploitation and the loss of quality family time together. The business becomes the driving focus of the family limiting the flexibility of the family to participate in other activities. The business model has not changed over time but the motivations for operating a rural restaurant have shifted from a lack of other opportunities to a profit-seeking endeavour.