There are various reasons as to why populations chose to migrate; these can range from
the quest for fertile land and resources, escape from war and persecution, the pursuit of
wealth and even the opportunity to start a new life. These are all voluntary choices for
migrating; however, not all migration results from such choices.
With the extraordinary economic growth both globally and locally, the process of
population mobility in China has attracted more and more attention from Chinese and
international scholars (Iredale et al, 2001, 2003; Starr, 2004; Yan, 1998; Tian, 1986; Hu,
1984; Sun, 1987). A large amount of literature concludes that the phenomenon of
migration in China is influenced by the following category of factors: (1) Institutional; (2)
Economic; and (3) Geographic.
Though there has been extensive research conducted on the population movement
phenomenon in China, most of this has been concentrated on general population and interprovincial
mobility rather than on movements within ethnic groups. Surprisingly, very
little research has been conducted on the migration of ethnic groups within minority
regions and therefore, this study aims at focusing on the mobility of various ethnic groups
in Xinjiang, China from 1949 to 2004.