1. Multistate Migration: The Temporal and Spatial Substitution Effect of a Lack of Capital Anju Mary Paul Division of Social Sciences (Sociology) Metropolis 2013

2. Existing Literature on Multistate Migration  Increasing number of studies over the last 20 years  Paul 2011a; Aydemir and Robinson 2008; King and Newbold 2007; Ossman 2007; Biao 2007; Siu 2005; DeVoretz and Ma 2002; Lam 1996, 1994  Largely focused on high-capital individuals  Limited study of multistate migration amongst capital-constrained individuals  Multistate labor migration = Substitution effect due to lack of capital  Temporal substitution  Spatial substitution

3. Data and Methods  Sample: 160 Filipino migrant domestic workers  All but two were women  Study sites: Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Canada and the US  Study Duration: 2008-2011  Method: In-depth, semi-structured retrospective interviews & short demographic surveys  Findings:  Canada-based interviewees: 82% were multistate migrants  Hong Kong: 50%  Singapore: 42%  US: 22%

4. Why Filipino Migrant Domestic Workers?  Why the Philippines?  > 1 million labor migrants leave the country each year  Institutionalized migration industry  Domestic workers are the single largest occupational group of labor migrants  Why Migrant Domestic Workers?  A global labor market exists  Geographical Spread of Filipino MDWs  58% go directly to the Middle East  37% go to Asia  < 2% go directly to Canada  A transnational labor market has emerged in recent years

5. A Model of Multistate Labor Migration among the Capital-Constrained  Macro-level  Increasing barriers to entry to preferred destinations  Global labor market  Transnational labor market  Meso-level  Extensive overseas migrant network  Mushrooming for-profit recruitment agencies  Micro-level  Migrants’ destination hierarchy  Ability to accumulate new capital while overseas

6. CASE I – Sherry, the Direct Migrant  Single, bachelor’s degree in computer science  Worked as a “medical secretary” in Makati City, Philippines  Most relatives living/working in the West  Enrolled in a 6-month caregiver training course  Applied for Live-in Caregiver position in Canada  Got a job in Canada through her Canadian aunt’s connections  Canadian visa application took 1.5 years  Agency charged her US$8,000  Borrowed money from Canadian uncle  Direct Migration (thanks to high migrant social capital)

7. CASE II – Ramona, the Multistate Migrant  Single, associate’s degree in computer science  Worked as a cashier in a local fastfood chain in Manila, Philippines  Wanted to go to Canada, but couldn’t afford placement fees  Friends told her: Go to Hong Kong first  Applied for domestic worker job in Hong Kong  Agency charged her US$1,700  Job and visa application took 3 months  Parents mortgaged their land to cover fees  Worked in Hong Kong for 6 years  Applied to Canada from Hong Kong  Paid US$2,500 to Canadian maid agency  Canadian visa application – 2 months  Multistate Migration (cheaper, “faster,” than Sherry’s direct migration)

8. CASE III – Wilma, the Accidental Multistate Migrant  Married with 5 boys, community organizer  Husband a miner  Relatives in Canada and Hong Kong  Canadian relatives told her they couldn’t help  Hong Kong relatives found her a DW agency, loaned her US$1,400 to go to HKG  Husband urged her to seek a job to Canada  Friend in Canada offered her a position for US$2,500  Multistate Migration (organic)

9. CASE IV – Eva, the Dynamic Multistate Migrant  College graduate, schoolteacher in the Philippines  Worked in Taiwan as a live-in caregiver for 1 year  Plan was to go from Taiwan to Canada, but too expensive  Worked in Malaysia instead  Plan was to go from Malaysia to Canada, but still too expensive  Recruitment agency offered her jobs in Cyprus, Israel, or Kuwait  Eva chose Cyprus; worked there for 4 years  Paid US$3,000 to a Canadian maid agency for a job in Canada  Multistate Migration (strategic, but took 11 years and 3 countries)

10. Factors behind Multistate Labor Migration among the Capital- Constrained  Macro-level  Increasing barriers to entry in preferred destinations  Global labor market  Transnational labor market  Meso-level  Extensive overseas migrant network  Mushrooming for-profit recruitment agencies  Micro-level  Migrants’ destination hierarchy  Ability to accumulate new capital while overseas

11. Conclusion and Next Steps  Other nationalities  Other occupations

12. Thank You Anju Mary Paul anju.paul@yale-nus.edu.sg