Daniel, 14 years old, moved to São Teotónio from Wenzhou two years ago. As the only Chinese child in the area, he has never fully integrated into local life, caught between Portuguese and Chinese cultures without a sense of belonging. The absence of his parents during his childhood deepened the emotional distance between them. He found solace in gaming, connecting with friends in the virtual world who seemed to understand him better. To Daniel, São Teotónio feels like an isolated island, and his story mirrors the struggles of many Chinese expatriates during and after the COVID-19.
