Exploring the perception of ethnic migrants in Kolkata, India: A comparative study using sentiment analysis

ABSTRACT

The challenges faced by ethnic migrants in urban areas highlight the importance of gaining a comprehensive understanding of their perception. This research investigates the adaptive capacities of ethnic migrants, extending the analysis beyond the first generation to explain how these communities navigate challenges in the post-COVID era. The study examines the dynamics of ethnic migration, exploring intercultural interactions and the evolving experiences of successive migrant generations using sentiment analysis techniques. The study analyzes textual data from in-depth semi-structured interviews to understand their experiences in city and sentiments about the host community. Sentiment analysis, often known as opinion mining, is used in this research to determine the emotional undertone of the third and fourth-generation Chinese and Anglo-Indian residents living in Kolkata, India. The study contributes to evidence-based strategies by identifying positive and negative sentiments associated with ethnic migrants. Results show that the frequency and polarity of the words used during the interviews significantly explain their association with the host community and their sense of belongingness. The findings of this research are significant in indicating the vitality of these communities in the city.

KEYWORDS:

• Sentiment analysis
• Chinese
• Anglo-Indian
• ethnic community
• natural language processing (NLP)

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the work facilities and support of Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work has received funding from The Prime Minister’s Research Fellow (PMRF) program run by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

Notes on contributors

Purbita Samanta

Purbita Samanta is an architect and urban planner. She is a gold medalist in bachelor’s degree in Architecture. She obtained a master’s degree in City Planning from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Architecture and Regional Planning in the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. In 2022, Purbita received the Prime Minister Research Fellowship from the Government of India, acknowledging her commitment to advancing urban research. Her research focuses on understanding the vitality of non-native ethnic communities in India, aiming to promote inclusivity in urban settings. With a keen focus on cultural heritage, social integration, and urban dynamics, Purbita seeks to address the unique challenges and opportunities faced by these communities.

Subrata Chattopadhyay

Subrata Chattopadhyay is a distinguished figure in the realms of architecture and urban planning with notable contributions to international projects in collaboration with esteemed institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Indiana University. He is currently serving as a professor of Department of Architecture and Regional Planning at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and advises the Centre of Excellence in Urban Planning and Design. Apart from his past endeavors as convenor and juror, he is currently associated with India’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs as nodal coordinator for providing incubation support to emerging technologies in the housing sector in India. Subrata’s research interests include identification of smartness quotient of traditional Indian cities, spatio-temporal study on peri-urban dynamics, modelling energy-efficient interventions in affordable housing, to name a few. His works are published in journals such as Sustainable Cities and Society, Science of the Total Environment, etc.