The new "faces" (Mianzi) of Chinese people in Spain: Reciprocity and market

The place of origin -Wenzhou port or Qingtian mountain range, both located in the province of Zhejiang- is a mark of identity among the Chinese immigrants in Spain. In this transnational immigration context, I analyze the way the presence of "ethnic" structures of reciprocity has started to stimulate migrants to merge with instrumental and consumption rationality patterns. As one of those patterns, Mianzi or face is the main source of symbolic capital and the base for the high prestige among Chinese people. In this article, I discuss some of the institutions and legitimacies that constitute the values of mianzi. Along with a wide range of meanings and practices, mianzi becomes a structure that far from experiencing a weakness because its entrance in Western modern age, adjusts to new social spaces and accounts for its relevance.