Since these people's personal background, reasons for wishing to emigrate and choice of destination are quite different from those of their predecessors, they are called the "new overseas Chinese" as distinct from the "old overseas Chinese."
他們的出身背景，成為僑民的原因及僑居地點等都與前人不同，因此被稱為「新僑」，以別於早期的「老僑」。