Statue square as a liminal sphere: Transforming space and place in migrant adaptation

Abstract

This article exemplifies how space and occupation can become vital components in migrant adaptation. Filipinas working as migrant domestics in Hong Kong face multiple stress factors related to displacement, lack of personal space, and feelings of being out of place. Every Sunday, tens of thousands of them gather at Statue Square in Hong Kong's Central District. Using ethnographic procedures, I explored the significance of the weekly assemblage for the Filipina workers. In this article, I present excerpts of the study findings focused on the role of space and place in the workers’ adaptation process, showing how participants recurrently use specified spaces at the square as venues for shared experiences, shared meanings, and shared identities. As a result, Statue Square becomes transformed into a territorial refuge, a provisional society, and a home away from home. Using the concepts of liminality and communitas, this article defines Statue Square as a liminal sphere that allows for multiple types of transformative experiences alleviating difficulties brought about by displacement, disempowerment, and discrimination.