Doctoral Dissertation Research: Multi-Stage International Migration Patterns

密西根大学安娜堡分校的联合首席研究员在2008年对菲律宾、香港和新加坡的95名菲律宾移民家庭佣工进行了一项基于访谈的研究，揭示了许多有抱负的移民采用了多州国际移民模式。这些移民有意识地沿着目的地国家的等级制度往上爬，在这个过程中积累资本，这样他们就能最终获得进入他们首选的西方国家的入境签证。这样一个？逐步的国际移民？轨迹是这些移民增加储蓄、获得必要的工作经验以有资格在更喜欢的国家工作、建立海外联系网络、从而简化申请到理想目的地签证的过程的一种手段。这些初步发现提出了几个问题：(1)在设法进入美国和加拿大等主要目的地国家的移民中，逐步国际移民的做法有多普遍？(2)成功的逐步移民与其他类型的移民有何区别？(3)渐进式移民如何积累必要的资源，以支持他们进入首选目的地？是否有些资源比其他资源更有用？(4)个别国家的移民政策制度对形成未来逐步移民的多州轨迹有多大影响？为了回答这些问题，将在美国和加拿大的三个地点——旧金山、纽约和多伦多，对菲律宾移民进行200次调查和70次深度访谈。这项研究的发现将通过强调在阶段数量、时间范围、层次性质、意向性和动态性方面不同于传统模式的迁移模式，扩展我们对迁移模式的认识。这项研究还将揭示一种新的移民类型——逐步移民——以增加我们现有的“旅居者”和“定居者”移民的类别。更广泛的影响：本研究的发现将深入了解移民如何在目的地选择中做出选择，以及一个国家如何努力提高其在潜在移民中的地位。因此，这项研究可以为寻求鼓励高技能移民在一个国家定居，而不是继续流动的移民计划提供信息。换句话说，它可以帮助制定政策，逐步将移民转变为永久定居者。这项研究的结果将通过专业会议和同行评审的出版物在学术界广泛传播，也将通过当地菲律宾基层组织与上述研究地点的菲律宾移民社区分享。

SES-1028932Muge F. GocekAnju Mary PaulUniversity of Michigan, Ann ArborInterview-based research, conducted in 2008 by the co-principal investigator with 95 Filipino migrant domestic workers in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore, revealed that a multi-state international migration pattern was adopted by many aspiring migrants. These migrants consciously worked their way up a hierarchy of destination countries, accumulating capital in the process, so that they could eventually secure an entry visa into their preferred country in the West. Such a ?stepwise international migration? trajectory was a means for these migrants to increase their savings, gain the necessary work experience to qualify for jobs in more preferred countries, build their network of overseas contacts, and thereby ease the process of applying for visas to their desired destination. These preliminary findings raise several questions: (1) How widespread is the practice of stepwise international migration among migrants who managed to gain entry into the top destination countries such as the United States and Canada? (2) What distinguishes the successful stepwise migrant from other types of migrants? (3) How do stepwise migrants go about accumulating the necessary resources to support their entry into their preferred destination? Are some resources more useful than others? (4) How much influence do the immigration policy regimes of individual countries have in shaping the multi-state trajectories of prospective stepwise migrants? In order to answer these questions, 200 surveys and 70 in-depth interviews will be conducted with Filipino immigrants in three sites in the United States and Canada--San Francisco, New York City, and Toronto. The findings from this study will extend our knowledge of migration patterns by highlighting one that differs from more traditional patterns in its number of stages, temporal range, hierarchical nature, intentionality, and dynamic nature. This study also will shed light on a new type of migrant--the stepwise migrant--to add to our existing categories of the "sojourner" and the "settler" migrant. Broader Impacts: This study's findings will provide an insight into how migrants choose among destination options, and how a country can try to improve its standing among prospective immigrants. Thus this study can inform immigration programs that seek to encourage highly skilled immigrants to settle down in a country, rather than keep moving. In other words, it can help craft policies to turn stepwise migrants into permanent settlers. Findings from this research will be disseminated broadly within the academic community via professional conferences and peer-reviewed publications, and also will be shared with Filipino immigrant communities in the above research sites through local Filipino grassroots organizations.