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Gendered skilled migration: American women in China

Gendered skilled migration: American women in China Skilled migration has become increasingly gendered. Situating within the context of globalization and mobility, this article examines skilled women migrants from the U.S. to China. Based on in-depth interviews conducted in the Pearl River Delta Region of China, this article aims to address these questions: What are the factors that influence skilled women migrants’ agency in migration decision-making? How is agency reflected in skilled women’s post-migration experience, including labor market and social relationships in the Chinese context? This research revealed a paradoxical dynamic in skilled migration. First, even for skilled migrants, the capacity to exercise agency in migration decisions is not equal between men and women. Being highly skilled does not guarantee gender equality in distribution of domestic work and responsibilities. Secondly, despite their high levels of education and skills, women migrants had limited options in the labor market and may become more economically dependent on their husbands after moving to China. Thirdly, although the women migrants were not all employed in professional sectors, they all took initiatives to fulfill their talent through home-schooling, and volunteering for community building events. Through these activities, the American women managed to use their existing skills or develop new skills to cope with the post-migration realities; nevertheless, their agency is ultimately constrained by the larger structural forces, including the socially constructed definitions of skills, and conventional gender norms and practices. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Asian Geographer Taylor & Francis

Gendered skilled migration: American women in China

Tan, Yining
Asian Geographer , Volume 40 (1): 17 – Jan 2, 2023
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Gendered skilled migration: American women in China

Abstract

Skilled migration has become increasingly gendered. Situating within the context of globalization and mobility, this article examines skilled women migrants from the U.S. to China. Based on in-depth interviews conducted in the Pearl River Delta Region of China, this article aims to address these questions: What are the factors that influence skilled women migrants’ agency in migration decision-making? How is agency reflected in skilled women’s post-migration experience, including...
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
© 2021 Hong Kong Geographical Association
ISSN
2158-1762
eISSN
1022-5706
DOI
10.1080/10225706.2021.1930079
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Skilled migration has become increasingly gendered. Situating within the context of globalization and mobility, this article examines skilled women migrants from the U.S. to China. Based on in-depth interviews conducted in the Pearl River Delta Region of China, this article aims to address these questions: What are the factors that influence skilled women migrants’ agency in migration decision-making? How is agency reflected in skilled women’s post-migration experience, including labor market and social relationships in the Chinese context? This research revealed a paradoxical dynamic in skilled migration. First, even for skilled migrants, the capacity to exercise agency in migration decisions is not equal between men and women. Being highly skilled does not guarantee gender equality in distribution of domestic work and responsibilities. Secondly, despite their high levels of education and skills, women migrants had limited options in the labor market and may become more economically dependent on their husbands after moving to China. Thirdly, although the women migrants were not all employed in professional sectors, they all took initiatives to fulfill their talent through home-schooling, and volunteering for community building events. Through these activities, the American women managed to use their existing skills or develop new skills to cope with the post-migration realities; nevertheless, their agency is ultimately constrained by the larger structural forces, including the socially constructed definitions of skills, and conventional gender norms and practices.

Journal

Asian Geographer – Taylor & Francis

Published: Jan 2, 2023

Keywords: Skilled migration; women migrants; gender; agency; paradox; China

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