This data collection is comprised of different types of data relating to British and German expat life in Asia in longitudinal perspective. It contains: (1) transcripts of interviews (N=28) with British and German expats in a select number of sites of study throughout Asia; (2) results from a survey (N=53) of British and German expats in Asia, containing basic details on age, gender, occupation and nationality, as well as wider details on expat life (3) databases relating to the membership of ethnic associations in Asia, including historical data.Asia has consistently received its share of European arrivals since the seventeenth century; given the region’s economic growth, it continues to witness an increase in their number. For these migrants, thrust into an alien cultural environment, ethnic associationalism and social networking are among the most common responses to life in the new home. Yet despite its long history, the persistence of ethnic associations and networks among migrants in the Far East has received little attention. This project offers the first sustained reading of present-day expatriate social networks and associational forms in Asia within the wider context of their historical antecedents, moving beyond the traditional focus on Anglophone cultures in the former British Empire in Asia by comparing contemporary migrant community life of British and German expats. The principal project objectives are: (1) to provide a close analysis of the emergence and development of contemporary ethnic associations among migrants from Britain and Germany (2) to offer a knowledge-shaping reading of cultural organisations and diplomatic missions that operate within the wider circles of expatriate community life (3) to interact with current expatriate groups, the stakeholders of the organisations to be studied in this research, as well as policy makers.

Research commenced with a desk-based collection of disparate evidence relating to the activities of British and German ethnic organisations and the mining of extant association membership records, including roll books, invitation lists for events, membership data gathered from social media sites such as Facebook, and newspaper reports. This included historical as well as contemporary data. The overall aim was to capture details on members’ socio-economic and gender background. Population for survey and oral history components of the project: British and German expats in Asia, totaling 89. A survey questionnaire was then sent out to associations and other relevant contact points, such as bigger companies with an expat workforce and culture organisations. This survey also enabled facilitation of fieldwork by providing one route to identifying potential interviewees. This was then followed by fieldwork in the sites of study that included interviews with British and German expats on current expat life.