ABSTRACT
Much of the "development" that we are interested in has been accompanied by, and indeed relies on, a pattern of large-scale migration throughout the country. Quickening economic activity in the 1980s made transportation easier and more affordable while simultaneously creating unequal labor demands. An examination of the movement to Guangdong reveals some distinct migration streams flowing throughout the province. Although all migrants are referred to locally as waidiren, for analytical clarity waishengren should be separated from intra-Guangdong migrants. Waishengren are said to be a small minority of this migrant labor force—with perhaps only a thousand or so resident in the county. Occupational and residential segregation, for instance, might have much to do with thie social gap. For their part, waishengren point out that their lack of Cantonese-speaking skills often can be traced to their danwei being a Putonghua or other nonlocal speech environment.
