Volume 14, 2005

Issue N. 3

Rhacel Salazar Parreñas

"The Gender Paradox in The Transnational Families of  Filipino Migrant Women," Vol. 14 (3), pp. 243-268, 2005
 

This article examines the division of labor in the transnational families of migrant mothers from the Philippines using interviews with young adult children and guardians in 30 mother-away transnational families. It looks closely at the work of fathers, migrant mothers, eldest daughters, and extended kin to show that caring practices in the transnational families of migrant women perpetuate conventional gender norms of the family. As it specifically shows that the work of women both at home and abroad maintains transnational migrant families, this article establishes that women’s migration has not led to a more egalitarian division of labor in the family.

Jerrold W. Huguet

"International Migration and Development in Thailand," Vol. 14 (3), pp. 269-291, 2005

Migration flows from and into Thailand are shaped by the country’s strategies for economic development and other government policies. Numerous theories of international migration, as well as recent experience, imply that levels of migration to Thailand will increase and that many migrants will wish to stay for a long period or permanently. Because Thailand has not explicitly incorporated international migration into its economic and social development planning, its migration policies are often inconsistent with other development goals. The government should strive for policy coherence by conducting a careful analysis of the future demand for and impacts of international migration and by aligning its migration policies with national objectives. For this process to be effective, a public dialogue concerning international migration should be initiated.
 

Glenda Lynna Anne Tibe-Bonifacio
"Filipino Women in Australia: Practising Citizenship at Work," Vol. 14 (3), pp. 293-326, 2005

Filipino women comprise more than half of the Philippine-born population in Australia. They adopt Australian citizenship readily and have high labor force participation. In this article, I examined Filipino women’s practice of Australian citizenship in the world of work. Based on in-depth interviews with 36 Filipino women, I adopted feminist conception of citizenship which considers paid work as well as caring work in the domestic sphere. Findings from the study suggest that becoming an Australian citizenship not only provides Filipino women membership in the political community. More importantly, it empowers them to negotiate their subject position as racialized immigrant women in the labor market. Negotiating gender roles in the family, however, is a different arena.
 

John Connell
A Nation in Decline? Migration and Emigration from the Cook Islands, Vol. 14 (3), pp. 327-350, 2005

The Cook Islands is the largest of several Pacific island microstates experiencing absolute population decline, raising questions over national viability. Since its peak of 21,300 in 1971 the population has almost halved, mainly through depopulation of the twelve outer islands. The population of the main island, Rarotonga, has remained constant. Decline has been particularly rapid following economic problems and restructuring in the mid-1990s, while return migration has been slight. Skilled migrants, especially health workers, have been most prone to migration, for educational, economic and social reasons, facilitated by unimpeded entry into Australia and New Zealand. Workers increasingly join the health system with the intention of subsequent migration. Both the education and health system are short of skilled workers, and service delivery is worsening. Economic growth through tourism may slow migration, but will not prevent it, and further overall population decline seems probable.

Nick Parr and Fei Guo
Occupational Concentration and Mobility of Asian Immigrants in Australia, Vol. 14 (3), pp. 351-380, 2005

Using data from the 1996 and 2001 censuses of Australia, this study provides a detailed description of the diverse patterns of occupational concentration and mobility of selected Asian immigrant groups. The study shows that Asian-Australians include not only groups which remain relatively concentrated in “low-end” occupations, but also many others which are more likely than the Australia-born to be in “high-end” professional occupations, and that almost all the selected groups experienced some degree of upwards occupational mobility between 1996 and 2001. However, after controlling for a range of demographic and human capital characteristics, the participation of most groups in the managerial and professional occupations is shown to be below that for the Australia-born. Hence, the high occupational status of most Asian groups does not mean they are advantaged.