Understanding Chinese migrants’ death experiences through a PhD

 

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Life as a graduate researcher: Jin Li

Relocating from China to Australia for a PhD was a challenge for Jin Li, but the community at the University of Melbourne welcomed her warmly. She researches Chinese migrants’ experiences regarding death and dying in Australia.

Jin Li is a Chinese woman with long black hair. She wears glasses, red droplet earrings, a long-sleeved t-shirt with a dog print and a knitted red vest.

“I don’t want to limit myself to my comfort zone,” says University of Melbourne PhD candidate Jin Li.

“Talking and thinking in Chinese is my comfort zone. It’s more challenging, but also very exciting and interesting to think, write and talk in English. I’ve learned so much from my Australian colleagues.”

Jin was born and raised in China.

“Since I was very young, I’ve been interested in humans. I’m very curious about why they behave in certain ways, talk in certain ways – why people show different attitudes,” she says.

Jin researches the experiences around death and dying of Chinese migrants in Australia. She chose the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences for her PhD because she wanted to work with Professor Richard Chenhall, a medical anthropologist from the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health.

“I wrote to him and said, ‘This is my research proposal. Are you interested in this research project?’ And thankfully and fortunately he responded to me. He said, ‘Why not? Let's do this.’”

Jin receives a China Scholarship Council – University of Melbourne PhD scholarship to support her research.

“I was born in a very average family in Northwestern China. Without a scholarship, I would never have had the opportunity to study abroad,” she says.

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Helping Chinese migrants overcome barriers in Australian health services

There isn’t a lot of research on what attitudes migrant communities in Australia have towards death and dying, Jin found.

“The first generation of Chinese migrants is now quite old. It's time for them to be considering the elderly care and end of life care,” she says.

But language and cultural barriers can prevent first-generation Chinese migrants from accessing all the health services available in Australia.

“We know the Australian government provides some free translation services to them, but it's quite hard for them to book this service. They might need to wait for a long time. It's quite inconvenient,” Jin says.

They might also have their own cultural beliefs which might not be understood by some people who provide services to them. With my work, I'm trying to make this process more clear and more comfortable. Jin Li

Jin interviewed 16 Chinese migrants aged from 18 to 80 years old. She also interviewed funeral directors, palliative social workers and some religious providers. The interviews helped her get insight into migrants’ attitudes and the barriers they face.

Facing PhD challenges teaches new skills

At first, Jin found it hard to recruit people for her research.

“I tried to talk to elderly people and say, ‘Here's my research topic, are you interested in it?’ They were very shocked. They said, ‘Why do you want to talk about death?’ I got so many rejections at the very beginning,” she says.

“But as a researcher, I don't take it personally. I think the rejection is a very interesting and important response. They have an avoidance attitude to this topic.”

Jin started to approach them differently. She would first talk to migrants about their life and just spend time with them.

“And then after a while I think I got their trust. Then they could open their mind to share their real feelings and thoughts with me. That's really unforgettable for me personally, but also important to my research.”

The guidance of Jin’s supervisors is making her a better researcher.

“They won't just give me answers. They ask me some questions and let me think about it,” she says.

“That's one thing I've learned. If I have a problem or a question, I’ve learned how to think about it and try to figure it out.”

A supportive community welcomes international graduate researchers

Relocating to Australia was scary at first for Jin.

“I had never been abroad before. I had a lot of concerns, like is my English good enough to talk to people? Can I shop in Australia? Where can I buy the food? Will I die in Australia?” she says.

Her PhD supervisors and colleagues welcomed her and helped her get settled. They introduced her to the people she needed to know. They included her in research group lunches.

Graduate researchers also support each other by sharing research methods, software recommendations or useful resources.

My working environment is a very friendly and supportive environment, which makes me feel like I'm not an outsider. Jin Li

After her PhD, Jin would like to stay in academia.

“I have a passion for it. I'm not tired when I'm doing this stuff. It would be a lucky thing if I could continue doing academic work,” she says.

“I want to see more and experience more.”

Learn more about a PhD in Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

First published on 7 May 2025.

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