Emma Belanger

All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, University of Birmingham - Chinese Studies

Emma was born in Nykøbing Sjælland, Denmark, and grew up in Denmark, Greece, and the US. Her multicultural childhood shaped her interest in foreign languages and cultures from a very young age. She began learning Mandarin and Russian in high school and college, spending her junior year abroad in Yaroslavl, Russia and Beijing, China. She graduated magna cum laude from Hamilton College with a BA in Chinese and Russian Studies. While teaching English at an immigration services non-profit in Philadelphia, Emma became particularly interested in the question of cultural preservation within immigrant communities. She received a Fulbright Award to research the Russian immigrant community in Harbin, China. But, unable to go to China, she tweaked her research project to take place in the UK instead. Her new project will explore the history and development of Chinese immigrant communities in Birmingham and the broader UK. She hopes to get to know members of these communities and hear their stories during her research. Emma knows that she will feel at home in the UK, as she is a huge Premier League fan, and is looking forward to exploring the beautiful city of Birmingham.