Migration decisions

the “deployment” of gender to influence a family migration decision in a person’s favor (either positively or negatively)

Decisions to migrate are influenced by a variety of circumstances, including the economy, career prospects, violence, and social problems. Family members decide whether to take a vacation abroad after taking these things into account, and the decision may occasionally be based on gender. Women are renowned for being weak, making them susceptible to the harmful effects of migration. Feminists who are educated in general discourage it, especially when the labor conditions are unclear. The third element important in deciding whether to immigrate is the allocation of power within a family. Fathers are considered the heads of the family and are the sole decision makers. Such patriarchal societies are capable of limiting migration permissions to willing women (Paul, 2015, p. 272). Based on their role in the family and high bargaining power migration decisions are likely to favor men in the family. Men can withstand harsh conditions and for a migration plan whose outcome is not known. Further, migration decisions movement of the whole family sometimes ago seemed in favor of the husband rather than the wife.

However according to Migration strategies using or deploying women has been on the rise in this globalization era. A while back, women from the south were mainly housekeepers and takin care of their homes and child bearing were their core roles (Global Families, Chapter 4: 127 ). Today, things are changing and women have become the sole bread winners of the family. Increased poverty levels and scarcity of employment opportunities is among the increased women migrants. The new economics of labor migration (NELM) associates this migration to the need to diversify a unified family income and reduce poverty levels. Gender, for instance in the case of Pilipino women bargain their migration rights using their traditional “supportive roles” which is migration by ”doing” (Lecture note 1). In this case the rights are awarded based on their identity and their behaviors that determines their potential and roles they can execute.

It is evident from the recent patterns that most families have awarded women the right to migration, according to Paul, their main motive of migration is not geared by the right to represent women ”undoing” to migrate but instead by their role ”doing.” Mary’s research revealed that women used the fact that they are the primary caregivers who would remit their income back to their families and ensure they are taken care of to win favorable migration decisions from the family.

Migration experiences (either forced or ”by choice”) that affect the way people define or think about their ”family” – who is part of it, who isn’t, and why? (5 points)

Migrating is a risky venture since the experiences in the new locality are not predictable. Most migrants move to countries they know less about and only hope for the best. The experiences are also different from person to person based on their origin. Migration also can be out of diverse reasons, some are sold out as slaves or sex workers by human traffickers, their own families

Referring to a migrant story in the film ”God Grew Tired of us” which narrates the migration experiences and causes of the Sudanese men who were formerly refugees at Kakuma camp in Kenya (Gilbert & Pitt, 2016). The boys migrated out of threatened murder of Christian male children by a Muslim government and so the migration was forced by circumstance. In their case they felt love and cared for their families both in the camp and their home country despite the fact that they didn’t know their whereabouts. Their family ties were compromises and as John says upon migration he met unfriendly people unlike the ones in his home country (Lecture note 2). From the film, we find that Daniel and John struggled to settle at the beginning, they felt uncomfortable and often feared for their brothers back in the camp as well as their families. They also felt obliged to helping their families rise and gain self-reliance by improving their lives.

The boys seemed appreciative of the life they were living and they strived to ensure thet their families also had a chance to enjoy similar privileges. John puts efforts and even arranges to invite his mother and sister to the United States.

Migration experiences that change or redefine the obligations people have or feel toward their family members, either through a change in values, or a change in actual circumstances or social structure that makes it easier or harder to fulfill existing obligations or embrace new ones (5 points)

Experiences such as acquiring education, cultural disconnect and adapting to the American principles, working environment may change the feel of the migrants towards their families. In the case of the Sudanese boys, it is clear that they were decided to work and do their best in changing their society and retrieving their families.

Most of the boys had not completed education and hence some like Daniel chose to enroll in a college. He believed in getting education, he could be in a better position to change his country and exploit the resources like Gold and oil which are unexploited. He could also be in a better job bargaining power and sponsor the startup of schools back at home and change the circumstances of his people back at home. Some like John did forgo education to support his family in Uganda and to his fellow boys in Kakuma camp (Gilbert & Pitt, 2016).

In America, there is no association to specified culture and its practices and therefore there is diversity even in behaviors, dressing and lifestyles. The situations seemed unusual to the lost boys, they cautioned the ones among them who seemed to conform to the American culture. As people who were used to staying and working together, they experienced cultural disconnect, the boys felt separated from themselves, they had limited social freedom since they could not easily intermingle with the Americans. They feared forsaking their own culture in dressing or hair styles or even in other practices such as gay marriages.

The migrants also go through stressful situations mainly due to pressure from demanding friends and relatives or at work. Although the root cause of the mental problem in one of the lost boys is not mentioned these reasons could change a migrants feelings towards the family in search of inner peace. Also events such as increased bills and responsibilities also changes or limits the individual to meet the obligations as expected by the family back in home town.

Most migrants especially the ones who enter the North globe countries through crooked agencies are given promises on what to expect and the jobs to handle and according to (Karraker, 2013, p. 126) some break the promises and misuse the migrants as slaves or sex workers. Such a situation may cause hatred to family and possible suicide.

Ways in which the migration experience leads people to adapt, resist, or struggle with the ”rules“ of a new culture or the new demands of daily life (5 points)     

The Sudanese men had to adapt to some cultural changes, for instance the men in South Sudan are not allowed to cook, but they had to cook while in Kakuma camp and also after migrating to the New York. In their culture, cooking is done by women, mothers, daughters, and sisters. These people had not accompanied them to the US and therefore they had to adapt to cooking. To make the matters worse, John worked as a hotel attendant, his job was to serve burgers in Mc Donald’s, and he called it ”struggle” because in African tradition, such work ought to be done by women.

Also according to their culture a man can marry more than one wife as opposed to the United States where there polygamy is not allowed. So they knew that would limit their freedom to marry as many wives according to their culture. At times they were forced to go against their culture while they felt they needed to preserve their culture since a man without culture is equated to ”a man without land” (Gilbert & Pitt, 2016).

The principle of individualism applies in American society where people mind their business and are less friendly. Having been from a community that value family relationships the Sudanese migrants found it hard to relate with people who seemed to care less about others (Pew Research Report, 2014).

Upon landing these boys had the fear of some Myths about America and some of the cities they were visiting, for instance the Sudanese boys used to be told about the death risks in New York from frequent accidents. Other things that fascinated them were the modes of recreation like skating, Christmas celebrations were different that made them miss their families. The boys had to find ways of adapting to different eating habits and foods despite not liking it.

The strong connection with the people in the camp and feeling indented, to pay back to their people who have hope in them that have gotten an opportunity to migrate to better places was their source of everyday motivation. The situation the boys went through made them think that God had gotten ”tired of the evil things” (Gilbert & Pitt, 2016) they were doing and had decided to punish them.

The boys were used to live as a group in Kakuma, so they experienced loneliness and they wished they could reconnect with their families and friends back at home (Gilbert & Pitt, 2016). The tight schedules, left no time to for the boys to relate with others or be together with family unlike the situation in America as Daniel claims it is ”tough” situation. Most of the relations by American citizens were characterized by questions about Africa and the nature of life there. It was difficult for the boys to adapt to the life changes and situations.