The World in Guangzhou: Africans and Other Foreigners in South China's Global Marketplace

Only decades ago, the population of Guangzhou was almost wholly Chinese. Today, it is a truly global city, a place where people from around the world go to make new lives, find themselves, or further their careers. A large number of these migrants are small-scale traders from Africa who deal in Chinese goods-often knockoffs or copies of high-end branded items-to send back to their home countries. In *The World in Guangzhou*, Gordon Mathews explores the question of how the city became a center of "low-end globalization" and shows what we can learn from that experience about similar transformations elsewhere in the world. Through detailed ethnographic portraits, Mathews reveals a world of globalization based on informality, reputation, and trust rather than on formal contracts. How, he asks, can such informal relationships emerge between two groups-Chinese and sub-Saharan Africans-that don't share a common language, culture, or religion? And what happens when Africans move beyond their status as temporary residents and begin to put down roots and establish families? Full of unforgettable characters, *The World in Guangzhou* presents a compelling account of globalization at ground level and offers a look into the future of urban life as transnational connections continue to remake cities around the world.