Hi Laidlaw Network!
My name is Allyson (she/ her), but I prefer to be called Ally in most circumstances. Currently, I am a rising third-year undergraduate of Psychology and Social Anthropology at the University of St Andrews. I am very excited to undertake my undergraduate research project over the summer and delve deeper into my personal and academic interests.
Over the next few weeks, I will be investigating how the Chinese/ Hong Kong diaspora in Edinburgh use food/ spaces to navigate the process of assimilation. This blog post marks exactly one week since I began conducting research. My research will consist of a literature review of relevant existing papers, fieldwork (participant observation) at Edinburgh restaurants frequented by the diaspora and interviews with members of the diaspora. In reviewing existing research that is relevant to my focus on Chinese/ Hong Kong migrants, I am learning about the assimilation experiences of other migrant communities — from other countries in Asia and other parts of the world — to the UK and the numerous difficulties that arise from such an arduous transition. Moreover, I am already starting to reflect on my own researcher position as an international student and how I view assimilation on my own terms.
Watch this space for more updates on the progress of my project as well as reflections in the coming weeks! :) At any point in time, do reach out if you would like to connect or if you have any questions about my research.