VOLUME 3, 1994

Issue No. 4

Guest Philip, Chamratrithirong Aphichat, Archavanitkul Kritaya, Piriyathamwong Nittaya and Kerry Richter
"International Migration in Thailand." Vol. 3 (4), p. 531-545, 1994.
Internal migration of the population of Thailand involves a number of distinct forms of movement. Three forms are identified in this research: single-move, seasonal and repeat. The first can be treated as long-term migration while the latter two are more temporary. All forms are characterized by different geographical flows and different selectivity patterns. Long-term migration is highly selective of young adults, females and the more highly educated. It is most likely to occur between urban areas or from rural to urban areas. Temporary migration mainly involves movement back and forth between urban and rural places and is most likely to be engaged in by those with a medium level of education. The census, the traditional source of migration data, tends to underestimate the levels of migration and overestimate the selectivity of migration. The need for detailed migration data to be sued for formulating population redistribution policies is seen in the results of the research.

Iredale, Robyn
"Patterns of Spouse/Fiance Sponsorship to Australia." Vol. 3 (4), p. 547-566, 1994.
In the late 1980s, repeat spouse/fiance sponsorship emerged as an issue of concern in the Australian community, especially because of the growing incidence of domestic violence. This article is based on research conducted in 1992 for the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. The aim was to investigate both repeat and serial sponsorship (i.e., where domestic violence was present) for all groups of women, through the majority are from Asia. Interviews with women who had been sponsored, community and health workers, refuge workers and others revealed that repeat sponsorship was a common phenomenon. Further, repeat sponsors demonstrated a high level of perpetration of various forms of domestic violence. In July 1994, the Minister for Immigration announced changes in government policy.

De Jong, Gordon F. and Marilou C. Legazpi Blair
"Changing Occupational Characteristics of U.S. Immigrants." Vol. 3 (4), p. 567-588, 1994.
Although the proportion of legal immigrants to the United States reporting an occupation remained nearly stable from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s, there was a decline in the proportion of immigrant workers admitted with professional and technical occupations - a trend that the 1990 Immigration Act seeks to address in this decade. Using 1972 and 1986 United States Immigration and Naturalization Service public use data, this analysis shows that a major explanation for the decline is the recomposition of immigrant worker streams; notably large increases in admissions from Mexico and Central America, South America and the Caribbean vs. Asian workers; and increases in immediate family numerically exempt and sixth preference new arrivals and older workers. Contrary to expectations, immigrants admitted with family preference visas recorded an increase in professional and technical workers, even though the proportion of highly skilled immigrant workers in this admission category is still quite low.

Tyner, James A.
"The Social Construction of Gendered Migration from the Philippines." Vol. 3 (4), p. 589-617, 1994.
Despite a considerable amount of research conducted on Asian labor migration, decidedly little attention has focused on the vulnerability and exploitation of women overseas contract workers. This article examines how the social construction of gender influences the migration of Filipina overseas workers and contributes to the increased vulnerability and exploitation of women migrants. In particular, direct and indirect socialization processes, as well as gendered and racial stereotypes, are manifest within the labor recruitment process, helping to channel women migrants into the domestic services and entertainment sectors of this migration flow.

Mori, Hiromi
"Migrant Workers and Labor Market Segmentation in Japan." Vol. 3 (4), p. 619-638, 1994.
Segmentation of the migrant work force in Japan is determined largely by institutional factors put in place by the 1990 Immigration Law Reform. In contrast to conventional discussions which compare migrant workers with native workers, this discussion focuses on the segmentation of the labor market among migrant workers themselves. These workers form an ethnically diverse mass in the Japanese labor market today. They are diverse not only in the time of arrival and other characteristics but also in terms of treatment under Japan's immigration control practice. This discussion describes the nature of labor market segmentation among migrant workers and examines the reasons for differentiated working conditions.