Chinese Investment and Business in Canada: Ethnic Entrepreneurship Reconsidered

T HE APPARENT SUCCESS of overseas Chinese in business has been the subject of intense research. In North America, what has intrigued researchers has been the concentration of some minority immigrants in certain identifiable businesses such as food services, retailing and clothing manufacturing that are traditionally associated with the ethnic enclave, especially given the fact that historically many of these immigrants had been the target of severe discrimination. ' Simply put, the question has to do with why immigrant minorities like the Chinese appear to have been able to overcome hostile social conditions and harsh economic opportunities in various host societies where they were one-time migrants or sojourners to succeed in business entrepreneurship. Thus far, the explanation tends to fall into two broad categories. The first one focuses on the primordial culture of the Chinese as a driving force for their economic success, and emphasizes the traditional ethos of industriousness, perseverance, frugality, familism and cultural affinity as conducive to business development.2 The second position stresses the