This paper proposes some new research intended to test the hypothesis of a strong link between ethnic minority status and urban migration within China, through examining in anthropological detail groups of selected migrants from both their source and target locations in Shanghai. This study may serve as a pilot for other urban areas in China. Its intention is to collect statistical data, to identify groups of minority migrants within Shanghai, and to undertake some field visits to their home counties to identify the extent of urban migration and the factors powering it.