Kristel Acacio

"Managing Labor Migration: Philippine State Policy and International Migration Flows, 1969-2000," Vol. 17 (2), pp. 103-132, 2008

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of the state in international labor migration. Recent conceptualizations of the state have concentrated on receiving states, placing their actions within the framework of control – the process of stemming the entry of immigrants whose supply currently outstrips demand. This study focuses instead on the role of the sending state and the attempt to manage outflows of labor migrants through policy. Using the case study of the Philippines, I analyze the impact of policy interventions on the annual number of processed overseas contract workers (OCWs) using time series regression techniques. Results show that state policy does have a statistically significant effect on the rate of OCWs processed each year, net of per-capita GDP and unemployment. However, not all of the major state policies identified yield statistically significant or expected results. The policies that impact migration are those formulated to (1) coordinate the activities of the private recruitment sector under state supervision, and (2) reorganize the state bureaucracy that processes OCWs. These results push us to examine more closely the role of the Philippine state in contemporary labor migration and to consider the effect of different types of state intervention aimed at managing migration flows.

Kessarawan Nilvarangkul, Terence V. McCann, Somporn Rungreangkulkij and Jaranya Wongprom

"Health-Related Quality of Life of Laotian Migrant Workers in Thailand," Vol. 17 (2), pp. 133-156, 2008

The aim of this paper is to explore how migrant workers from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic conceptualized their health-related quality of life while they worked and lived in Thailand. Seventy workers took part in the study. Data collected from participant observation and in-depth interviews were examined using content analysis. The findings showed that nearly all the workers perceived health-related quality of life as a state of general well-being expressed in the vernacular as u suk sabai. Living, social and employment conditions exerted variable effects on their perceptions of health-related quality of life.

Yoshimi Chitose

"'Compulsory Schooling of Immigrant Children in Japan: A Comparison Across Children's Nationalities," Vol. 17 (2), pp. 157-188, 2008

Using the 2000 Population Census of Japan, I assessed the factors that explain differences in enrollment in compulsory schooling between immigrant and Japanese children. I also examined the determinants of schooling by children’s nationality. The results indicated that differences in enrollment rates by children’s nationality were driven by human, social and regional capital. In particular, the absence of a Japanese member in a child’s household and the low educational status of the mother put immigrant children at the risk of non-enrollment. Nationality-specific analysis revealed that determinants of schooling differed by children’s nationality. Overall, the impact of mother’s educational and work status was substantial. For Brazilian children, current place of residence was also found as an important factor that determines schooling.

Stephen J. Sills and Natassaja Chowthi

"Becoming an OFW: Renegotiations in Self-Concept Among Filipino Factory Workers in Taiwan," Vol. 17 (2), pp. 189-220, 2008

This study focuses on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan and probes into how their migration experiences shape self construction. Data for the study came from surveys, key informant interviews, Twenty Statement Tests (TST), and observations in field studies conducted in Taiwan in 2003 and 2007. Analysis of self-concept statements on the TST showed that among women OFWs the self became more individualized and less embedded in the social roles in Taiwan than when they were in the Philippines. In contrast, the few male workers in the study registered a slight increase in their social roles. In general, OFWs found little opportunity to become integrated into Taiwanese society. In the face of exclusion in the host society, we argue that OFWs exercised social creativity, reinforcing their national identity as Filipinos and embracing the role as “modern-day heroes” of the Philippines.

RESEARCH NOTE

Liangni Liu and Jun Lu

"Looking at the Other: Chinese and Maori Youth Perspectives," Vol. 17 (2), pp. 221-230, 2008

The arrival of many new Chinese migrants since the early 1990s seems to have created a tension between Chinese and Maori in New Zealand. This study explores how young Maori and Chinese migrants perceive each other in the Auckland region, a site of intercultural interaction. In-depth interviews were carried out among eleven new Chinese migrants and the same number of Maori youth, i.e., those in the ages 20 to 36. Findings suggest that Chinese migrants generally perceive Maori negatively and seem reluctant to interact with them, while Maori have slightly positive views towards Chinese and are willing to interact with them. Media reports and lack of personal contact between the two groups may have shaped these perceptions. Closer interaction between the two groups is expected to promote better understanding of each other.