VOLUME 6

Issue No. 3-4  Migration, Ethnic Relations and Identity Construction

Inglis, Cristine
"Introduction: Idenity in a Changing World," Vol. 6 (3-4), p. 267-273, 1997.

Tseng, Yen-Fen
"Immigration Industry: Immigration Consulting Firms in the Process of Taiwanese Business Immigration," Vol. 6 (3-4), p. 275-294, 1997.

Today various countries actively promote business migration programs to bring in more resourceful immigrants, thereby increasing immigration channels for people with physical capital. How to match the right migrants with the right destinations has become a business niche for private agencies. In this article, the impact of the immigration industry on the immigration process has been analyzed, based on a case study of Taiwanese business immigration. Immigration consultants have facilitated recent Taiwanese business migration by increasing awareness of business migration programs, providing needed assistance and organizing the actual migration process. The involvement of immigration consultants in facilitating the migration of the wealthy class represents one of the outstanding characteristics of the so-called "new Asian migration." Data are mainly from various documentary sources and in-depth interviews with immigration consulting firms.

Salaff, Janet W.
"The Gendered Social Organization of Migration as Work," Vol. 6 (3-4), p. 295-316 1997.

Borrowing concepts from the study of work and occupations as well as gender studies, this paper considers the social organization of migration as gendered work. It explores women's and men's contribution to two aspects of family resources needed to migrate: (a) jobs and the non-market exchanges involved in obtaining work, and (b) the support of kin. The data come from a study of 30 emigrant and non-emigrant families representing three social classes in Hong Kong. We find their "migration work" varies by social class and gender. Since the working class families depend on kin to get resources to emigrate, their "migration work" involves maintaining these kin ties, mainly in the job area. The lower middle class proffer advice to kin, and they view kin as an information source on topics including migration. For the affluent middle class who negotiate independently to emigrate, their "migration work " involves linking colleagues to the family.

Inglis, Christine
"The Chinese of Papua New Guinea: From Settlers to Sojourners," Vol. 6 (3-4), p. 317-341, 1997.

The renewed interest in diaspora populations in this age of globalization has inevitably led to a re-examination of the Chinese diaspora which, especially in Southeast Asia, has achieved prominence through its association with the `Asian economic miracle.' This article examines the contemporary transformation of the Papua New Guinea part of this Chinese diaspora from a long settled, homogeneous community into a highly segmented and fragmented sojourner population. Integral to this process has been the intersection of post-colonial nationalism with the emergence of new opportunities for economic development attracting Asian and other international investors. The new sojourner Chinese population differs in significant respects from the sojourner populations associated with much nineteenth and early twentieth century Chinese migration. A particular feature which emerges from the exploration of the variant patterns of Chinese migration and settlement in Papua New Guinea is the need to re-examine the nature of "Chinese" identity and frequent assumptions about the characteristics of Chinese diaspora populations. The Papua New Guinea Chinese case highlights the diversity in the way the Chinese identities related to the concept of a `homeland' as well as the very different ways in which segments of the same diaspora group relate to each other and to Chinese elsewhere.

Laczko, Leslie S.
"Feelings of Fraternity in Canada: An Empirical Exploration of Regional Differences," Vol. 6 (3-4), p. 343-361, 1997.

How are feelings of fraternity distributed within nation-states? This paper deals with the status dimension of ethnic stratification in Canada, and specifically with the way comfort levels with a whole range of ethno-national group labels vary between Canadian regions. Previous research found that the Canadian population gives the highest status evaluations to those of British origin, with evaluations following a downward gradient through various European origins, with the lowest evaluations being reserved for "non-whites." This article presents further analyses of data from the 1991 Canadian Multiculturalism and Citizenship attitude survey (N=3,325). Detailed breakdowns of comfort levels are presented for Canada's main regions, and special attention paid to patterns evident in Canada's three largest cities, namely Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The lowest comfort levels with most group labels are displayed in Quebec, and the highest levels are displayed in British Columbia. Since the latter province was the setting of much anti-Asian agitation in earlier decades, and has been a major destination for Asian immigration to Canada in recent decades, this regional difference is an interesting aspect of the current Canadian scene. These findings are set against the backdrop of other research on regional differences in Canada.

Ip, David, Inglis, Christine and ChungTong Wu
"Concepts of Citizenship and Identity Among Recent Asian Immigrants in Australia," Vol. 6 (3-4), p. 363-384, 1997.

Theories of citizenship and, in particular, its exclusionary features in a period of globalization have particular significance for an avowedly immigrant society such as Australia with a policy commitment to multiculturalism. The nature of Australian national identity and citizenship reemerged on the political agenda in conjunction with the 1988 Bicentennial celebrations of European settlement. Debate continues as moves towards becoming a republic with an Australian head of state replacing the British monarch strengthen. As elsewhere, government is focusing attention on the need for citizenship and civics education. An important constituency in this process are the immigrants, especially those from Asia whose ancestors were the target of nationalistic exclusion critical to the formation of the Commonwealth of Australia. This article examines the views on citizenship and identity of a national sample of recent Asian immigrants to Australia. We argue that for considerable numbers an instrumental conception of citizenship underlies their approach to acquiring Australian citizenship. This `instrumental citizenship' is located within their migratory experience and the political traditions of their homelands as well as within their Australian settlement experiences. For many, legal citizenship has not led to a sense of full incorporation into Australian society as indicted by their continuing perception of themselves as `migrants'. Reasons for this are complex and involve an interplay of personal factors as well as attitudes and experiences in Australian society whose significance varies from group to group. Such a disjuncture between legal citizenship and personal identity has implications for both governmental policies and theorization about the nature of citizenship.

Lal, Barbara Ballis
"Ethnic Identity Entrepreneurs: Their Role in Transracial and Intercountry Adoptions," Vol. 6 (3-4), p. 385-413, 1997.

Three attributes characterize ethnic identity entrepreneurs. First, ethnic identity entrepreneurs appeal to an essentialized image of identity in which ethnicity `trumps' all other bases of affiliation and authenticity. Second, ethnic identity entrepreneurs invoke this essentialized identity and group membership to justify a claim to, or, monopolization of, scarce resources and entitlements by way of a process of social closure. Third, the activities of ethnic identity entrepreneurs which are often initially motivated by the desire to open up options and to facilitate choice among members, induce conformity and functions as a mechanism of social control. In this paper I emphasize a particular subset of ethnic identity entrepreneurs, namely, those who represent subordinate/minority groups and who work in bureaucracies —whether governmental or community based— and who have acquired a very extensive power by virtue of their office and their professional expertise, which enables them to construct and enforce their specific conceptions of what ethnic identity is and the cultural requirements this essentialized identity entails. Illustrative of these processes is the role of the social worker ethnic identity entrepreneur in formulating policies inhibiting both domestic transracial and transnational adoption which more and more frequently is involving moving children without parents or a permanent home from the Asian Pacific region to families in the United States or Britain.

Ganguly-Scrase, Ruchira and Roberta Julian
"The Gendering of Identity: Minority Women in Comparative Perspective," Vol. 6 (3-4), p. 415-438, 1997.

This paper explores the centrality of gender in the construction of minority identities. We adopt a comparative perspective to analyze its significance in the contexts of internal and international migration within the Asia-Pacific region. Our account of the experiences of minority women in two diverse locations— internal migration of the Rabi Das within India and international migration of Hmong refugees to Australia— reveals the gendered nature of the process of construction of ethnic identities. By highlighting the ways in which essentialist notions of gender and ethnicity have been formulated by male leaders within these communities, our analysis provides the necessary corrective to masculinist frameworks of migration and settlement.

Skrbis, Zlatko
"Homeland - Diaspora Relations: From Passive to Active Interactions," Vol. 6 (3-4), p. 439-455, 1997.

This paper examines a range of interactions which take place between diasporas and homelands, focusing particularly on nationalism and politics. In the age of globalization such interactive processes can easily be (and often are) taken for granted. Despite this taken-for-grantedness, the author argues that these processes produce less than uniform impacts and should therefore not be referred to uncritically. It is essential to understand the shifting dynamics in transnational interaction, particularly in the field of diaspora research. To elaborate on this point, the paper analyzes post-Second World War interactive processes between the Australian Croatian diaspora and the Croatian homeland. It will be shown that construction of the homeland by the members of the diaspora is an ongoing process closely related to a variety of social and political factors surrounding homeland developments. In addition, this paper explores how migrants' sentiments towards their homeland shape their social identities.

Goodman, James
"National Multiculturalism and Transnational Migrant Politics: Australian and East Timorese," Vol. 6 (3-4), p. 457-480, 1997.

As globalization accelerates, transnational pressures play an increasingly important role in political culture. Cultural linkages created by migration can be sustained and reproduced, allowing migrant groupings to maintain a role as movers for social change. Such linkages open up possibilities for mutual engagement or dialogue across the external-internal boundaries of national statehood. These issues are illustrated by the relatively small East Timorese refugee community living in Australia, which has forged a distinctive diasporic identity and has successfully invoked a transnational sphere of politics around issues of self-determination, human rights and multiculturalism. In tandem, many non-Timorese have questioned Australian commitment to these principles within Australia as well as in relation to East Timor. This process of transnational contestation leads to the emergence of cross-national communities of conscience, and points to the possibility of multicultural interaction beyond national borders.