Is Chinatown a ghetto, an area of exotic sensations or a business venture? What makes a European Chinese, Chinese? The diverse histories of Chinese communities in Europe are great, spanning from Teochiu speaking migrants from French Indochina to France, to Hakka and Cantonese speaking migrants from Hong Kong to Britain. This book explores how it is that such a diverse range of people tend to be regarded indiscriminately as 'Chinese'. Christiansen explains Chinese communities in Europe in terms of the interaction between the migrants, the European 'host' society and Chinese 'home' from where the migrants originated. He sees these interactions as addressing several issues, citizenship, political culture, labour market exclusion, generational shifts and the influences of colonialism and communism, all of which create opportunities for fashioning a new ethnic identity. The recent developments of each group are carefully considered along side the wide range of institutions that give shape to and contribute meaning to the Chinese as an ethnic group in Europe. Chinese identity is not a mere practical utility or a shallow business emblem, for many, China remains a unifying force and yet local and national bonds in each European state are of equal importance in giving shape to Chinese communities. Based on in-depth interviews with overseas Chinese in many European cities, Chinatown, Europe provides a complex yet enthralling investigation into many Chinese communities in Europe.