However, many emigrants also went from Xiangshan, Chixi and Baoan prefectures.
Some features of Cantonese emigration were as follows. Firstly, similar to other ethnic groups, Cantonese from the same geographic regions tended to emigrate to the same places because of district and kinship ties. Secondly, Cantonese emigrants kept in close contact with their home villages. The reasons for maintaining ties with the home community were twofold: first, the uncertainties of emigrant life in a hostile environment meant that many could not afford to forego their homeland as a possible refuge in case of discrimination and in times of economic dislocation; second, many emigrants wanted to return to their home communities, where they could experience a substantial increase in prestige compared to their status before they emigrated and their status in the host societies.
Figure 1
The Pearl River Delta
19
18
16
15
12
13
Source, adapted from June Mei (1979), p. 466