Occupational diversity and locational dynamics of Chinese owned enterprises in Kolkata

Locational perspective plays an important role in nurturing and shaping ethnic economies. Be it Little Italy, Little Portugal or Chinatown; ethnic economic ventures fabricate the neighbourhood spaces by creating sincere impression on existing urban landscapes. The Chinese enclaves in Kolkata are a unique case to study because of the existence of a pair of Chinese lived spaces in different portions of the city with their distinctive characters. The old Chinese lived space/enclave was established at the heart of the city bearing cosmopolitan notion of shared community domains while the newer one has been constructed at the city's periphery with restricted, fortified Hakka entrepreneurial activities. The chain of successive migration by Cantonese, Hakka and Hubeinese Chinese helped the community to build a strong co-ethnic network of occupations. Later, the changing socio-economic and political circumstances made these clustered enterprises spread across the city. The present paper deals with aspects of sectoral specialisation and spatial dynamics of ethnic Chinese economic spaces of Kolkata by applying both qualitative and quantitative methods.