Migration Studies Commons^™

A Comparative Analysis Of Mixed Race Marriage In Fiji And The United States, Rachel Kung

Honors Theses

In Fiji it is imperative to belong to group, particularly a racial/ethnic group because of a history of ethnic pluralism under British colonialism. Making connections and forming relationships is all determined by one’s racial/ethnic group. Due to this, belonging to two groups, especially if those two distinct races do not get along, such as indigenous Fijians and Indo‐Fijians, it becomes increasingly difficult to create a system of social networks. Fijians also tend to define ethnicity in terms of behavior rather than simply looking at one’s biology. If one cannot speak the native language of that particular race, he or she …

Democracy And Citzenship: A Counterintuitive Relationship Examined Through Ancient Athens And The Contemporary Crisis, Shivangi Mehta

Honors Theses

Ancient Athens is often valued for being the birthplace of democracy, a form of government that is often believed to be “by the people, for the people.” With democracy came the emergence of citizenship. In ancient Athens, citizenship was created to outline the political community by defining who belonged to the community and who was excluded from it. Through time, as countries have been claiming they are becoming more democratic, more restrictions have been imposed. These restrictions have created boundaries, thus excluding individuals from citizenship status causing them to lose their rights and abilities, specifically in areas such as political …

German And The European Migrant Crisis: An Exploration Of German National Identity, Sarah Pollack

Honors Theses

Since 2014, conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East have brought large inflows of asylum-seekers streaming into Europe. Germany has not only accepted the greatest number of these asylum-seekers, but it has additionally pushed for other European Union member states to accept more asylum-seekers as well, thereby earning an international reputation as a leading proponent of human rights in the European Union. While images of German citizens crowding train stations in Munich and other cities to welcome refugees have dominated news cycles, there is an increasing anti-immigration sentiment in Germany, which at its most extreme has manifested itself in …

The Smiling, The Sick, The Suffereing: Snapshots Of Syrian Displacement, Karlee Anna Bergendorff

Honors Theses

Photographic images of Syrian refugees - smiling, sick, or suffering - on the news and in the ads of human rights organizations have been employed to mobilize governments, armies, or businesses. These images are effective in mobilizing various forms of support or intervention because they have a strong emotional impact on the mass public. The emotionally driven connection between spectator and refugee, however, raises some troubling questions about whose interests the images serve, and how they are used for various efforts. Is it possible to depict the suffering of Syrian refugees without violating their dignity, agency, and autonomy? I argue …

Submission For The Standing Committee On Human Resources, Skills And Social Development And The Status Of Persons With Disabilities’ Review Of The Temporary Foreign Workers Program, Jenna Hennebry, Janet Mclaughlin

International Migration Research Centre

Key Recommendations to Reduce Migrant Worker Vulnerability and Secure Meaningful access to Rights and Protections

Immigration, Visa and Work Restrictions

• Provide opportunities for permanent residency for all TFWs who want it, regardless of sector or skill level.
• Under Federal-Provincial Immigration Agreements, expand the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in sectors such as carework and agriculture.
• Provide open work permits or at very least sector-specific work permits for all TFWs.
• Provide family visas to allow family members to unite with TFWs while in Canada.
• Provide job security and protections for TFWs. Specifically, all TFWs must have eligibility for renewed employment based on …

(Un)Locking The Door? Forces Behind Responses To Refugee Crises In Germany And Denmark, Corinna Goodman

International Affairs Senior Theses

This paper answers the question of why countries react to refugee crises the way they do and what factors contribute to that response. Germany and Denmark, countries that are similar in many ways, have shown different approaches to refugees and reactions to the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Germany made international headlines last year when it opened its borders and Chancellor Angela Merkel called on other EU-countries to do the same. Denmark, on the other hand, while having developed an extensive and internationally recognized refugee resettlement program, has attracted international attention with a new asylum law that can be seen as a …

Issue 08: New Policies, New Students, New Direction? Trends In International Student Enrollment In Ontario’S Changing Policy Landscape, Keegan Williams, Gabriel Williams, Amy Arbuckle, Margaret Walton-Roberts, Jenna Hennebry

International Migration Research Centre

International students bring immense benefits to Ontario’s postsecondary system and labour market through the financial boon they bring to universities and colleges, their cultural diversity, the positive economic impacts they can have on Canadian society after graduation, and the skills they develop and contribute. However, many international students may find it difficult to transition to permanent residence after graduation, or find the career they seek immediately upon completion of their studies. In addition, little is known about the number of international students transitioning to the labour market, their socioeconomic outcomes, or their success in doing so. The present analysis sought …

Analysis Of The Cdf Early Learning Community Trust Process Phase I, Sherrill W. Hayes

Sherrill W. Hayes

No. 73: Informal Entrepreneurship And Cross-Border Trade In Maputo, Mozambique, Inês Raimundo, Abel Chikanda

Southern African Migration Programme

Cross-border trading is an essential part of Mozambique’s informal economy, with the traders playing a key role in supplying commodities that are in scarce supply nationwide. This report presents the results of a SAMP survey of informal entrepreneurs connected to cross-border trade between Johannesburg and Maputo. The study sought to enhance the evidence base on the links between migration and informal entrepreneurship in Southern African cities and to examine the implications for municipal, national and regional policy. In Mozambique, cross-border trading is primarily done by women with men mainly involved in the sale of the products brought back from South …

No. 72: Food Remittances: Migration And Food Security In Africa, Jonathan Crush, Mary Caesar

Southern African Migration Programme

By drawing attention to the importance of food remittances for urban and rural food security and identifying the current knowledge gaps, this report contributes to the study of the relationship between migration and food security and creates a platform for the design of a new research agenda. Across Africa, there is considerable evidence of a massive informal trade in food, including staples, fresh and processed products. While most cross-border trade in foodstuffs is a result of commercial transactions by small-scale traders who buy in one country and sell in another, an unknown proportion is actually food remittances on their way …

No. 71: International Migrants In Johannesburg’S Informal Economy, Sally Pederby

Southern African Migration Programme

This report provides a rich view of the activities of migrant entrepreneurs in the informal economy of Johannesburg. It is hoped that the information will facilitate understanding of the informal sector and its potential, and not just in the context of migrant entrepreneurs. The informal economy plays a significant role in the entrepreneurial landscape of the City of Johannesburg and is patronized by most of the city’s residents. The research presented here challenges commonly held opinions about migrant entrepreneurs in the City of Johannesburg and shows that they do not dominate the informal economy, which remains largely in the hands …

The Human Black Market, Gaye Gwion

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy Senior Capstone Projects

The human black market is the exportation of humans against their will for the purpose of forced labor. The number of people being trafficked is growing by the years and there are no laws to prevent human trafficking. Most of the servants come from third world countries and end up in the United States and Canada.

The United States is the top country of destination for human trafficking. The laws that are currently present are not aiding in the prevention of human trafficking, but instead they focus on specific parts of human trafficking that are not as extreme as the …

Indirect Pathways Into Practice: Philippine Internationally Educated Nurses And Their Entry Into Ontario’S Nursing Profession, Lualhati Marcelino

International Migration Research Centre

• Social connectedness to social support systems and communities highly affect the transitioning success of Philippine Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs). These networks are especially critical during the first year upon arrival.
• The fragmented, indirect pathways to professional practice, (including barriers to foreign credential recognition, lengthy and costly examination, licensing and retraining result in direct devaluation of IENs and the possibility of permanent (de)skilling.
• Female IENs endured more financial and emotional hardship, compared to their male counterparts, with regard to family obligations and deeper financial burden. While many of the male IENs experienced the same challenges as women, the latter experienced longer …

Two Cultures: One Identity, Brisly Carrera

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy Senior Capstone Projects

Mexicans travel to America in order to pursue better opportunities but in order to do so they need to assimilate themselves into the American culture.They assimilate themselves to the American culture but do not leave behind their hispanic culture, they simply blend the two due to their new life in America. This is sometimes difficult for people to balance: whether to live a more American life or stay true to their roots.

I agree with my findings for the reason that I can connect to these people, I am someone who lives between two cultures but try to blend them …

Unaccompanied Children Migration, Ronald Alvarado

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy Senior Capstone Projects

The way people view immigration has changed over the past few years. Children fleeing to the United States without their parents has been a huge issue lately. Unaccompanied children are kids younger than 18 who are sent alone, in this case to the United States. These kids migrate because of the extreme violence that occurs in their home countries.

Statistics prove that children in their home countries are exposed to much violence. Most are coming from the northern triangle of Central America. I believe they should have more rights here in the United States, and be treated just the same …

Ilhan, Nura, Radwa, Ziagull And Children, Ilhan, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Ilhan, his wife Nura, and their children resided near Kabul, in a region where both the Taliban and ISIS were active. As Shias, Ilhan’s family faced numerous menaces, including threats from ISIS that they would be beheaded if they did not display ISIS flags. Ilhan’s sister Radwa, who is deaf and mute, was forced to marry a regional leader. In addition to being threatened on religious grounds, Ilhan’s family was also threatened by an elder of their town. Out of desperation, Ilhan’s family sold their house appliances, escaped Afghanistan, and arrived at the …

Moving On? Dispersal Policy, Onward Migration And Integration Of Refugees In The Uk, Emma Stewart, Marnie Shaffer

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Since 2000, the UK has operated compulsory dispersal, a policy designed to ‘spread the burden’ of housing asylum seekers who require accommodation across the UK and to discourage long-term settlement in London and the South East. To enhance understanding of refugee integration in the UK, this research focuses on the onward migration decisions of those who were dispersed and later granted refugee or humanitarian protection status. To date, much of the dispersal literature has critiqued the policy and focused on the negative outcomes for individuals removed from their networks. This project fills a knowledge gap surrounding the onward migration decisions …

Migration Governance And Migration Rights In The Southern African Development Community (Sadc): Attempts At Harmonization In A Disharmonious Region, Belinda Dodson, Jonathan Crush

Southern African Migration Programme

This paper examines prospects for enhanced regional migration governance and protection of migrants’ rights in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Migration in this region is substantial in scale and diverse in nature, incorporating economic, political and mixed migration flows. In addition to movements between countries within the region, migrants also come from across the African continent and even further afield. At its foundation in 1992, SADC as an institution initially embraced a vision of intra-regional free movement, but this has not become a reality. If anything, there has been a hardening of anti-migrant attitudes, not least in the principal …

Making Sense Of Naturalization: What Citizenship Means To Naturalizing Immigrants In Canada And The Usa, Sofya Aptekar

Publications and Research

Immigrant naturalization is both a barometer of inclusiveness and immigrant incorporation and a mechanism of social reproduction of the nation. This article reports on an interview-based study in suburban Toronto and New Jersey that investigated how immigrants explain their decisions to acquire citizenship. It analyzes respondents’ under- standings of naturalization in light of different theories of citizenship and different dimensions of the concept. The study contributes to the literature by showing how many American immigrants interviewed while going through the naturalization process resisted framing naturalization as identity-changing, situating it instead as a common-sense move following permanent settlement and belonging. In …

Their Story Is Our Story:The American Dream And The Construction Of Transnationalidentities In The Literary Production Of Puerto Rican And Dominican Writers In The Usa, Tamara Maravalli

Honors Theses

Puerto Rican and Dominican writers in the United States express the human cost of displacement of migrants and immigrants to a new socio-cultural environment where they face discrimination, racism, labor exploitation or governmental abandonment. Many of these writers explore cultural identity of their communities and are questioning the viability of the “American Dream.” The American Dream is connected to the prevailing, mainstream social expectation of assimilation, but these communities come to the United States when the dynamics of globalization facilitates maintaining close ties with the countries of origin, facilitating the construction of transnational identities. Chapter One concentrates on Puerto Rican …