“I Feel Targeted Because I'm Chinese”: The Emotional Impacts of Border Crossings on Chinese Travellers

One of the chief features of the global political landscape is the nation-state border. Putatively separating distinct, sovereign territories, borders are powerful mediators of belongingness, national hierarchies and political emotions (Verstraete 2003; Villegas 2015). Encounters with border agents, queues, and security technologies are crucial sites for embodying sociocultural distinctions through state rituals (Kemper 2002). Most studies of border crossing look at experiences within single border sites, and overwhelmingly focus on migrants and refugees. Rarely are large samples of different border experiences analysed for their comparative impact on political emotions. We conduct content analysis of over 200 online travel diaries and social media posts from mainland Chinese tourists and overseas students to understand international border crossing narratives. Our findings indicate that fear, anxiety and nervousness are prevalent emotions expressed by Chinese travellers, particularly when attempting to enter developed Western countries. Anxiety is gendered, with females requiring extra preparation when interacting with customs due to worries of being perceived as sexually available to local men and as potential carriers of undeclared goods. Additionally, indignation arises in response to perceived discrimination against Chinese or Asians in general. Accounts of collective experiences of bullying and condescension by foreigners contribute to a heightened sense of national sentiment among Chinese in such circumstances.