Expatriates in Shanghai foster integration into Chinese communities

Expatriates in Shanghai foster integration into Chinese communities

Expatriates in Shanghai foster integration into Chinese communities

Those who believe expats living in Shanghai don’t make the effort to integrate with the local community need to think again.

No-one believes integrating with a local Chinese community in one of the country’s largest mega-cities is easy, but expats in the Ronghua neighbourhood are luckier than most due to the activities of one amazing Frenchwoman. Coralie Debras has been a resident of Pudong’s Yanlord Garden housing complex for 14 years, and is committed to serving the local expat community by any means possible. Some 60 per cent of the complex’s 1,944 households are expatriates known to Coralie through her work within the local community and her provision of advice and help to all foreign residents.

Her aim is to foster harmony between all community members, and she’s an excellent listener with a reassuring touch certain to calm the nerves of new arrivals as well as long-stayers who’ve encountered problems. One recent issue was caused by an increase of the numbers of dogs on the estate, many of which hadn’t yet learned how to behave around each other and unfamiliar humans. According to Coralie, there were around 100 running around, leaving droppings, getting into arguments with each other and occasionally biting residents.

Coralie’s response to the numerous complaints was to persuade the neighbourhood committee to have residents understand by way of friendly conversation that their dogs needed to be properly looked after and trained by their owners. Pooper Scoopers and bags were distributed and bins for the bags were scattered around the streets, ensuring the dogs, their families and all the residents are now happy. She admits being in the middle of a neighbourhood dispute isn’t the most comfortable place, but believes solutions that make everyone happy can always be found.

After expats were allowed to participate some two years ago, Coralie became a member of the local neighbourhood committee, Party secretary for the neighbourhood Tang Jia says his foreign committee members are active in their representation of expats living on the estate, adding his job isn’t easy as it involves many concerns which need to be sorted out. Ronghua was a pioneer community as regards welcoming expatriates and is now home to one of Shanghai’s largest foreign enclaves, with residents more than happy with its clean environment and welcoming locals. Everyone helps take care of the local environment and, when problems are reported, the committee and Coralie do their best to deal with them.

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