VOLUME 2, 1993
Trlin, Andrew
"The Social Effects and Institutional Structure of Immigration in New Zealand
in the 1980s." Vol. 2 (1), p. 1-26, 1993.
From the perspective of social demography, selected changes in social roles, formal
organizations and social stratification arising from immigration in New Zealand during the
1980s are identified and explained. It is argued, however, that both immigration and its
social effects were deeply influenced by the nature and operation and its society's
institutional structure of immigration. This structure consists in its ideal form of three
main interrelated and complementary components-an immigration policy, an immigrant policy
and an ethnic relations policy-that enhance the selectivity of immigration, shape public
perceptions, set up safeguards for social interaction and provide for required adjustments
between the host and immigrant populations. An examination of New Zealand's institutional
structure in the 1980s reveals defects in all three policy areas, defects which were
directly related to migrant adjustment difficulties and to less desirable social effects
of immigration observed or experienced by New Zealanders.
Gold, Steve and Nazli Kibria
"Vietnamese Refugees and Blocked Mobility." Vol. 2 (1), p. 27-56, 1993.
Recent media reports have described Vietnamese refugees as a "model minority"-a
group whose cultural orientations have enables them to overcome disadvantages and achieve
economic success. This paper examines data from published sources and ethnographic studies
conducted by the authors in Oakland, California and Philadelphia to assess the economic
situation of Vietnamese refugees in the United States. Evidence suggests that in strong
contrast to being a "success story," the economic status of many recently
arrived Vietnamese refugees is characterized by unstable, minimum-wage employment, welfare
dependency and participation in the informal economy. The paper suggests that the group's
economic opportunities have been limited by the configuration of circumstances that have
surrounded their entry and settlement into the United States as refugees, as well as by
the demographic structure of the group.
Ip, David F.
"Reluctant Entrepreneurs: Professionally Qualified Asian Migrants in Small
Business." Vol. 2 (1), p. 1-26, 1993.
The abandonment of the White Australia Policy after World War II and the implementation of
a points system in Australia's immigration program have led to a dramatic increase in the
number of highly educated Asian migrants in the country. A study of 144 entrepreneurs
small business in the Indian and Chinese communities in Brisbane and Sydney found that,
faced with institutionalized blockages, few of these highly educated migrants could
practice what they were originally trained for. The majority of them, with their class
resources, determination and optimism, became reluctant entrepreneurs.
Lindquist, Bruce A.
"Migration Networks: A Case Study in the Philippines." Vol. 2 (1), p.
75-104, 1993.
International labor migration has been a major feature of the Philippines political
economy the past twenty years. Originally envisioned by the government as a temporary
measure to ease domestic employment pressure and stimulate industrialization, migration
has persisted in the face of declining wages and abusive recruitment practices. Dynamic
movement patterns have emerged that include a variety of destinations and occupations,
drawing both males and females from widely diverse backgrounds. Focusing upon the
experiences of a small community, this study suggests that contract labor is best
understood within the migration process, linking global economic formations and domestic
policy to internal structures in sending communities. The community experience reveals
that economic forces and government policy are necessary conditions to establish potential
migration, but actual flows are initiated and shaped by a migration system consisting of
interpersonal relationships. What becomes more visible at the community level are the
distinct phases of overseas employment, or periods of time dominated by particular types
of migration and varying potential to achieve economic gains from such. The emergence and
evolution of networks are analyzed for their role in shaping patterns of labor migration.