Comparative sociological research on trans-national migration, ethnicity and reconstruction of communities.

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1, Outline of the subjectsWe have carried researches on the dynamic changes of ethnic identities and reconstruction of communities, which were brought about by the movement and migration of two areas in Asia. The main regions of the study were: Eastern Asian region, specifically China and the Korean Peninsula, and the region that includes Thailand and its neighboring areas. We also conducted a study on the Asian immigrants to France and Canada, in order to compare with the two regions of interest.2, Outline of the research findings(1)The importation of foreign workers to Eastern countries has been steadily expanding, which causes a delay in the institutional correspondence. Therefore, the conditions by which foreign workers are employed have large restrictions with respect to the social system or structure of the migrated country. Moreover, upon entering the country, they have no other choices but to depend upon the arrangements of brokers in many cases.(2)The foreign workers have not … More only expanded their network into the society where they migrated, but also continued to maintain a close relationship with their hometown. When the access to their native country turned into their cultural capital in the migrated country, they may display the "authenticity" of their native culture at the migrated place, as the case of the ethnic businesses of South Korean immigrants in China shows.(3)Immigrants form their community isolated from society of the migrated place in many cases. When they are placed in the inferior environment, they tend to have a strong desire to turn over their marginalized position in the society by whipping up their ethnic feeling. The case of the Korean Chinese immigrants in South Korea trying to draw a line from the main society by expressing themselves as "Chinese" who have "Korean" roots is a typical example.(4)Some research findings also revealed the different tendencies of emigrants: the emigrants from Moon tribe in Myanmar have a strong tendency to settle down in Thai society, and the Vietnamese emigrants in Northeastern Thailand have weakened their ethnic identity as a group. This research also clearly showed that even if immigrants to Thailand are under the severe conditions, they are not necessarily crushed by the misfortune. The cities where many immigrants live are developing a polygamy-like and post-authoritarian structure, and they are expanding the space in them, where immigrants can gain new life chances. Less