Generation Migrants Research Articles

Irish migration and return: continuities and changes over time

The return of first generation migrants to the Republic of Ireland (RoI) is well documented since the 1980s, based on studies that adopt both structural and more humanistic approaches but continuities and changes over time in the reasons for leaving and returning are underexplored as themes per se. This paper focuses on the latter dimensions, using information relating to forty-two returnees’ reasons for migration and return (and repeat migration in some instances) discussed with reference to the wider literature. All of the sample interviewees migrated from the RoI, spent at least one year resident outside the island of Ireland and returned to live in the RoI for at least one year. Although a relatively small sample, their migration histories cover an extended period of time from 1947 to 2010 that offers scope for comparison with published sources. The evidence illustrates both changes and enduring continuities in the reasons for leaving and returning and associations with transnational ties which merit further attention.

Structural assimilation in young first-, second- and third-generation migrants in Flanders

ABSTRACTAssimilation theory assumes that differences between migrants and non-migrants disappear over generations. We report on a Flemish survey study conducted with young first- (G1), second- (G2) and third- (G3) generation migrants (n = 1,587). The results showed that G1 and G2 had lower chances of being in educational tracks preparing for higher education than non-migrants. Further, G1 and G3 migrants with a background in the oldest fifteen members of the European Union (EU15) and G1 and G2 adolescents of non-EU15 migrants ran a higher risk of being delayed in their educational trajectories. All three generations of non-EU15 migrants had lower expectations of finding a job than non-migrants. Whereas socio-economic status could explain almost all of the differences for EU15 migrants, it could not for non-EU15 migrants. This leads to the hypothesis that visible differences and distinctive names lead to assumptions about ethnic, cultural and religious affiliations that are associated with discrimination.

Spanish and Italian in the second generation of Spanish-speaking migrants in Italy

A partir d’un corpus de 30 entrevistes sociolinguistiques semi-estructurades en llengua espanyola a joves migrants de diverses procedencies llatinoamericanes (sobretot peruans i equatorians), aquest treball es proposa d’analitzar: 1) les principals linies de tendencia relatives als usos i a les actituds linguistiques, amb especial atencio a la percepcio del contacte; 2) alguns exemples de la penetracio de l’italia en l’espanyol, sobretot d’ambit morfosintactic i lexic. Des d’una perspectiva discursiva, els fenomens propis del contacte linguistic (per ex. manlleus i canvi de codi) es tractaran com a estrategia que el parlant fa servir en una determinada situacio comunicativa per afirmar la propia identitat plural.

Location Choices of Chinese Multinationals in Europe: The Role of Overseas Communities

abstractOverseas Chinese communities are an important determinant in the location choice of greenfield investments made by mainland Chinese multinational enterprises across European regions. Conceptually embedded in a relational approach, this effect is shown through an empirical analysis of an exhaustive set of investment projects across NUTS-1 regions in twenty-six European countries for the period 2003–2010. When controlling for endogeneity bias and the embeddedness of existing Chinese economic activity, we find that the importance of overseas communities in the location choices of Chinese firms is based on increased access to strategic information. Our results confirm that the relationship between the size of an overseas Chinese community and the probability of Chinese investment is stronger for communities hosting newer generations of Chinese migrants; in addition, they partially corroborate that this relationship is stronger when the education level of the community’s Chinese migrants is higher. Our findings are particularly robust in the context of knowledge-intensive sectors and high value-added functions.

Negotiating belonging beyond rootedness: unsettling the sedentary bias in the Dutch culturalist discourse

ABSTRACTIn the era of late or “liquid modernity”, we can observe the re-emergence of solid categories in the form of nationalistic sentiments and cultural contrasts. The growing culturalist discourse in most European societies is an example of the reification of cultural difference. Within this discourse, it is posited that the most “natural” link for migrants is to their countries of origin. This discourse suggests that generations of migrants living inside the nation are constructed as not belonging to it. This “sedentary bias” produces dichotomies of rootedness in the places of origin and uprootedness in countries where generations of migrants presently live. When normalized, this positioning limits differentiated, multi-layered, and multi-sited possibilities of belonging. By comparing two sets of empirical data on diverse women in the Netherlands, this article shows how the inclusion of interpretations and negotiations of everyday interactions can enable alternative forms of positioning and belonging.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus differs in Dutch and first generation migrant populations in Amsterdam, the Netherlands: a cross-sectional study.

BackgroundIn the last decade hepatitis E virus (HEV) is increasingly recognized as a cause of acute viral hepatitis in developed countries. HEV is transmitted via the fecal-oral route. In countries like the Netherlands, HEV infection is suspected to be a zoonosis but HEV may also be introduced by migrants. We studied the seroprevalence of HEV among different migrants, mainly Moroccans and Turks, and compared this to that of the native Dutch population in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.MethodsData were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of the adult Amsterdam population performed in 2004; the Amsterdam Health Monitor. A total of 1199 plasma samples were tested for IgG-and IgM antibodies to HEV using the Wantai kit according to instructions of the manufacturer. Basic demographic data (gender, age, country of birth, and age at immigration) were used in the analyses. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) serology data were available from a previous study.ResultsThe total weighted anti-HEV IgG seroprevalence in the overall Amsterdam population was 26.7 %, based on 1199 samples. In the study population (not-weighted) this HEV seroprevalence was 157/426 (36.9 %) for the Dutch participants and it was 161/257 (62.6 %) for Moroccans, 99/296 (33.4 %) for Turks and 42/220 (19.1 %) for other ethnicities. HEV seroprevalence increased significantly with age. First-generation Moroccan migrants (44.0 %) had a significantly higher weighted HEV seroprevalence than the Dutch participants (29.7 %). In the first generation Turks (20.3 %) and first generation migrants from other countries (16.7 %) this weighted seroprevalence was lower, but this was only significant for the ‘other ethnicities’. The median age of migration was significantly higher in the Moroccan and Turkish migrants who were HEV IgG positive versus HEV IgG negative. However, when stratifying for age at time of study, median migration age was only significantly different for HEV sero-status for younger Turks and younger ‘other ethnicities’. HEV IgM antibodies were found in 0.6 % (n = 7) of participants and none were positive for HEV RNA, showing that there were no acute infections. Despite the common route of fecal-oral transmission for both viruses, there was no relation between HEV and HAV seropositivity.ConclusionWithin the multi-ethnical capital city of Amsterdam the HEV seroprevalence in first generation migrant populations differed from each other and from the autochthonous Dutch population. The relation between being HEV seropositive and a higher median age of migration suggests that younger migrants got more often infected in their country of origin than in the Netherlands.

Reservation wages of first- and second-generation migrants

ABSTRACTWe analyse the reservation wages of first- and second-generation migrants, based on rich survey data of the unemployed in Germany. Our results confirm the hypothesis that reservation wages increase over migrant generations and over time, suggesting that the mobility benefit of immigration may be limited in time.

“These Guys Came Out Looking Like Movie Actors”

This article analyzes the dress and consumption practices of the first generation of Filipino male migrants to the United States who arrived from 1906 until the end of World War II. It argues that Filipino migrant men used dress and consumption practices to fashion new identities that rejected their working selves as a lower-class marginal group. The contrast between the utilitarian clothes worn during working hours and the formal suit accentuated the sartorial transformation from lower-class agricultural laborer or Alaskan cannery worker to fashionable dandy and temporarily erased the stigma of manual labor. Two groups of well-dressed Filipino men behaved in contradictory ways: as binge consumers and as anti-consumers. Collectively, Filipino consumption practices that included dress challenged the parameters of social exclusion.

Diabetes among migrants in Denmark: Incidence, mortality, and prevalence based on a longitudinal register study of the entire Danish population

ObjectiveStudies of diabetes in migrant populations have shown a higher prevalence compared to their respective countries of origin and to people natively born in the host country, but there is little population-based data on diabetes incidence and mortality in migrant populations. The aim of the current study was (1) to describe the incidence rates and prevalence of diabetes among first generation migrants in Denmark compared to the Danish background population, and (2) to compare standardised mortality rates (SMRs) for individuals with and without diabetes according to country of origin. Research design and methodsInformation was obtained from linkage of the National Diabetes Register with mortality statistics and information from the Central Personal Register on country of origin. Age- and sex-specific estimates of prevalence, incidence rates, mortality rates and SMRs relative to the part of the population without diabetes were calculated based on follow up of the entire Danish population. ResultsCompared with native born Danes, the incidence of diabetes was about 2.5 times higher among migrants from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and these migrant groups also showed significantly higher prevalence. The standardised mortality rates (SMR) were higher particularly above 50years of age among most migrant groups compared with native born Danes, and with a higher annual increase. ConclusionsThe highest diabetes incidence rates and prevalence estimates were observed among migrants from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and the annual increase in SMRs was higher in these groups compared to native born Danes.

Rural-to-urban Migration and Rising Evaluation Standards for Subjective Social Status in Contemporary China

People’s evaluation standards in rating social status may evolve when exterior living circumstances change, and studying whether and how migration process changes individuals’ evaluation standards in rating social status can shed new light on this issue. Utilizing the dataset from 2010–2012 China Family Panel Studies and by employing the anchoring vignette method, this study reveals for the first time that rural-to-urban migrants adopt higher standards than those who stay behind in the countryside, but their evaluation standards still remain significantly lower than those adopted by urban residents. Heterogeneity in transitions of reference points within the migrants group is also explored. Except for the eldest cohort, all other younger migrants employ significantly higher standards in rating social status than rural villagers; the new generation of migrants is not significantly different from the elder in terms of the evaluation standards. More importantly, the increase in evaluation standards of migrants becomes greater through the years, from the moment of departure from one’s hukou registration place. These findings challenge the prevalent practice of assigning or assuming an ad hoc reference group to migrants in many studies, and advance our understanding on the determinants of the reference points used to evaluate social status, on which little is known so far.

Applying Past Lessons Learned to the Relocation of Climate Change Induced Transboundary Displaced Persons

<p>This study aims to identify a useful and practical methodology to rehabilitate the livelihoods of climate change induced transboundary displaced persons (CCITDP) after they move to developed nations, in particular those from the Small Island Developing States in the Pacific Ocean. Migration sometimes causes conflicts among migrants, or between migrants and those in the host community. Such conflicts could be avoided or mitigated by examining the lessons learned from people’s past resettlement experiences—from those displaced by large infrastructure development projects in Asia and the Pacific or from evacuees of Fukushima due to the nuclear power plant disaster—and using these experiences to better cope with the emergence of CCITDP. Evacuees of an island that is sinking due to sea-level rise may be regarded as either voluntary migrants or CCITDP depending on when they leave the island. Although, lower-class people, who are vulnerable to hardships, will need to leave their homes earlier than wealthier people. These two groups of migrants should be assisted equally to avoid conflicts between the two groups because they may live in the same place after relocation and also to discourage them from staying on the island until they are entitled to assistance as CCITDP. Not all migrants will miss family bonds after relocation, and some may actually enjoy their emancipation from old customs by moving to a new place. The best destination for the first generation of migrants may differ from the best destination for their children.</p>

Prévalence des troubles psychiatriques et addictologiques auprès de trois générations successives de migrants : résultats d’une étude menée en population générale

IntroductionMental health of migrant populations has become a major public health issue since these populations more often suffer from mental health problems than host populations. The influence of the migration process on the emergence of these disorders and its impact on future generations is uncertain. This study provides an estimate of the prevalence of mental disorders among three generations of migration. MethodThe study was conducted in the general population by the French Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization, in France, on a sample of 37,063 people aged 18 and older. The subjects interviewed were selected by a quota sampling method and, thus, were representative of the general population in the 47 study sites in France. This method develops a sample of subjects with the same characteristics as the general population on predefined issues, such as age, sex, educational level and socioprofessional category. The designation of migrant status was based on the country of birth of the subject, the subject's parents and the subject's grandparents. We defined a migrant as first generation (a subject born abroad; n=1911), second generation (at least one parent born abroad; n=4147), or third generation (at least one grandparent born abroad; n=3763) of migrants. The diagnostic tool used was the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The MINI is a brief structured diagnostic interview developed by psychiatrists for ICD-10 and DSM-IVTR psychiatric disorders in the general population. The comparisons by generation of migrants were performed by chi-square test for qualitative variables and by an analysis of variance for quantitative variables. The same tests were used to compare the presence of mental disorders according to the characteristics of the population. Factors with a P-value less than 0.2 were entered in a multivariable logistic regression to assess the relationship between the generation of migrants and the presence of mental disorders, adjusting for the confounding factors. ResultsThirty-eight per cent of migrant subjects have psychological difficulties, versus 30 % in the host population. These results are observed on three successive generations of migrants. Migration status increases risk of depressive disorders (OR=1.555), bipolar disorder (OR=1.597, CI=1.146–2.227), post-traumatic stress disorder (OR=1.615), substance abuse (OR=2.522) and alcohol abuse (OR=1.524), and drug dependence (OR=2.116). This risk is maintained at the second and third generation. The migration process affects mental health of population regardless of socioeconomic status or geographic origin. ConclusionThe consideration of migration and generation of migration shows a specific psychopathological risk profile. This is related to the joint action of a migratory past and precarious socioeconomic situation.

The mental health and wellbeing of first generation migrants: a systematic-narrative review of reviews.

BackgroundFirst generation migrants are reportedly at higher risk of mental ill-health compared to the settled population. This paper systematically reviews and synthesizes all reviews on the mental health of first generation migrants in order to appraise the risk factors for, and explain differences in, the mental health of this population.MethodsScientific databases were searched for systematic reviews (inception-November 2015) which provided quantitative data on the mental ill-health of first generation migrants and associated risk factors. Two reviewers screened titles, abstracts and full text papers for their suitability against pre-specified criteria, methodological quality was assessed.ResultsOne thousand eight hundred twenty articles were identified, eight met inclusion criteria, which were all moderate or low quality. Depression was mostly higher in first generation migrants in general, and in refugees/asylum seekers when analysed separately. However, for both groups there was wide variation in prevalence rates, from 5 to 44 % compared with prevalence rates of 8–12 % in the general population. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder prevalence was higher for both first generation migrants in general and for refugees/asylum seekers compared with the settled majority. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder prevalence in first generation migrants in general and refugees/ asylum seekers ranged from 9 to 36 % compared with reported prevalence rates of 1–2 % in the general population. Few studies presented anxiety prevalence rates in first generation migrants and there was wide variation in those that did. Prevalence ranged from 4 to 40 % compared with reported prevalence of 5 % in the general population. Two reviews assessed the psychotic disorder risk, reporting this was two to three times more likely in adult first generation migrants. However, one review on the risk of schizophrenia in refugees reported similar prevalence rates (2 %) to estimates of prevalence among the settled majority (3 %). Risk factors for mental ill-health included low Gross National Product in the host country, downward social mobility, country of origin, and host country.ConclusionFirst generation migrants may be at increased risk of mental illness and public health policy must account for this and influencing factors. High quality research in the area is urgently needed as is the use of culturally specific validated measurement tools for assessing migrant mental health.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12992-016-0187-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The generational gap: Mental disorder prevalence and disability amongst first and second generation immigrants in Australia

Despite unprecedented numbers of migrants internationally, little is known about the mental health needs of immigrant groups residing in common countries of resettlement. The majority of studies support the ‘healthy migrant hypothesis’, but few studies have examined: 1) shifts in prevalence patterns across generations; 2) how prevalence relates to disability in immigrant groups. Our study examined the prevalence of common mental disorders and disability in first and second generation migrants to Australia. Twelve-month and lifetime prevalence rates of affective, anxiety, and substance use disorders were obtained from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (N = 8841). First generation immigrants (born overseas) and second generation immigrants (both parents overseas) from non-English and English speaking backgrounds were compared to an Australian-born cohort. Disability was indexed by days out of role and the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS12). First generation immigrants with non-English speaking (1G-NE) backgrounds evidenced reduced prevalence of common mental disorders relative to the Australian-born population (adjusted odds ratio 0.5 [95% CI 0.38–0.66]). This lower prevalence was not observed in second generation immigrant cohorts. While overall levels of disability were equal between all groups (p > 0.05), mental health-related disability was elevated in the 1G-NE group relative to the Australian-born group (p = 0.012). The findings challenge the overarching notion of the “healthy migrant” and suggest a dissociation between reduced prevalence and elevated mental health-related disability amongst first generation immigrants with non-English speaking backgrounds. These findings highlight the heterogeneous psychiatric needs of first and second generation immigrants.

Depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation among 1(st) and 2(nd) generation migrants - results from the Gutenberg health study.

BackgroundEven though migrants constitute a large proportion of the German population, there is a lack of representative studies on their mental health. Hence, the present study explored mental health characteristics and suicidal ideation comparing 1st and 2nd generation migrants to non-migrants and subgroups within 1st generation migrants.MethodsWe investigated cross-sectional data of 14,943 participants of the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS), a population-based, prospective, single-center cohort study in Mid-Germany (age 35 to 74 years). Migration status was assessed according to the German microcensus criteria. Depression and anxiety were measured by the PHQ (PHQ-8, GAD-2, Panic module), social anxiety by the Mini SPIN and Distressed Personality (Type D) by the DS-14. Suicidal ideation was assessed by the single item of the PHQ-9.ResultsA total of n = 3,525 participants had a migration background; the proportion of 1st generation (immigrated after 1949) migrants was 10.6 % (2nd generation 13 %). Among the 1st generation migrants those with Polish (N = 295) and Turkish (N = 141) origins were the largest groups from single countries. Controlling for sex, age and socioeconomic status, 1st generation migrants reported significantly more depression (OR 1.24; CI 1.01-1.52), generalized anxiety (OR 1.38; CI 1.13-1.68), panic attacks in the past 4 weeks (OR 1.43; CI 1.16-1.77); Type D (OR 1.28; CI 1.13-1.45) and suicidal ideation (1.44; CI 1.19-1.74) compared to non-migrants. The mental health of 2nd generation migrants did not differ from native Germans; they had the highest socioeconomic status of the three groups. Compared to native Germans, Turkish migrants of both sexes reported more depression and panic, particularly a strongly increased suicidal ideation (OR 3.02; CI 1.80-5.04) after taking sex, age, and socioeconomic status into account. Polish migrants only reported an increased rate of suicidal ideation and Type D. Turkish migrants exceeded Polish migrants regarding depression (OR = 2.61; 95 % CI 1.21-5.67), and panic attacks (OR=3.38; 95 % CI 1.45-7.85). In the subgroup analyses years lived in Germany was not significant.ConclusionsOne of few representative community studies shows that compared to native Germans depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation were more frequently reported by 1st generation migrants, particularly of Turkish origin. Overall, 2nd generation migrants appear to have adjusted successfully. Limitations refer to a lack of data for persons without German language skills and missing mental health data in the Turkish sample. Further analyses need to address causes of mental strains and health care needs and provision.

Sex and work on the move: Money boys in post-socialist China

China’s reconfiguration of the state and the market in its reform era has created new spaces and opportunities that have attracted millions of rural migrants to urban centres in search of freedom, wealth and new identities. However, the new space and the self both remain constricted by post-socialist parameters and the market. Based on ethnographic research on the male sex industry in post-socialist China (2004–2014), this article studies one such group of the rural-to-urban migrant population, namely male sex workers, or ‘money boys’ in the local parlance. Building on existing migration and prostitution literatures in China and my previous work, this article examines the ways they become money boys and manage three stigmatised identities – rural-to-urban migrant, men who sell sex and men who have sex with men – in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. This article concludes that money boys represent a group of the new migrant generation with distinct needs and desires, which is simultaneously embedded in the neoliberal discourse of development and empowerment, and at risk of dislocation and isolation.

Social media, social integration and subjective well-being among new urban migrants in China

The current generation of migrants in Chinese cities, named “new urban migrants,” is closely related with social changes in today’s China. As these urban migrants are increasingly dependent on new media, particularly social media for news, entertainment, and social interaction, it is important to know how social media use contributes to their social integration and subjective well-being. Based on an online survey, this study identified positive relationship between new urban migrants’ social media use and their subjective well-being, as well as the possible indirect relationship through social integration. The overall positive socio-psychological effects of social media use within Chinese urban migrants were found. Specifically, this study revealed that social media use can contribute to their social integration, including their building of social identity and social network as well as real-world social participation. New urban migrants’ social integration, particularly their level of social identity, is significantly associated with their subjective well-being.

School engagement, acculturation, and mental health among migrant adolescents in Israel.

This study aimed to explore the role of school engagement and the mediation effect of acculturation in predicting 1.5 and second-generation migrant adolescents' mental health and risk behaviors. Participants included 448 seventh to tenth grade Israeli students (mean age 14.50, 53% boys): 128 non-Jewish 1.5 generation migrant adolescents (children of migrants living in Israel), 118 second-generation migrants (children of migrants born and living in Israel), and an age-matched sample of 202 native-born Jewish adolescents. All participants completed a battery of questionnaires assessing mental health symptoms, engagement in risk behaviors, social adjustment, and school engagement. Both migrant adolescent groups also completed an acculturation questionnaire. Differences between groups in school engagement, mental health symptoms, and risk behavior were examined, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to investigate the hypothesized mediating effect of acculturation. Findings revealed substantially higher levels of mental health symptoms (p < .001) and risk behaviors (p = .001) among 1.5 and second-generation migrant adolescents compared with native-born adolescents, with no significant differences between 1.5 generation and second-generation migrants. Migrants' age and gender were associated with mental health symptoms and risk behaviors-older participants engaged in more risk behaviors (p = .02), and females had elevated mental health symptoms (p = .007). Identification with the host country mediated the relationships between school engagement and mental health symptoms (ps .006 and .008) and risk behaviors (ps .001 and .004) in 1.5 generation and second-generation migrants, respectively. The results are discussed in reference to current theories and research, as well as practical implications for prevention and intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record

Fixed abodes: Urban emplacement, bureaucratic requirements, and the politics of belonging among West African migrants in Paris

Foyers, housing facilities for male migrants, are well-known institutions of postcolonial France and critical nodes in West African migratory networks. A nationwide plan to renovate the foyers presents distinct challenges to the arrangements established by the generations of migrants who live in them, arrangements that have long sustained the social reproduction of transnational migration. In response, residents foreground their long-established presence in Paris to stake claims in the renovation process. Their stories of urban dwelling are punctuated by postal addresses, bureaucratic tokens of identification that play a pivotal role both in migrants’ historical imagination and in the administrative modes of granting residency rights. The foyers are sites of emplacement, albeit fragile, and spaces from which West African migrants contest their political exclusion in present-day France

Atrial fibrillation in first generation Chinese migrants living in Europe: A proof of concept study

BackgroundDespite the public health burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) and its complications in China, there is no literature on AF among Chinese living in Europe. The present study was performed to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for AF in Chinese first generation migrants settled in Europe. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was performed in 2014 on Chinese first generation migrants aged 16 to 59years settled in Prato (Italy) adopting principles of community based participatory research. All participants underwent recording of 30s of a single-channel ECG and associations of AF with socio-demographic, anthropometric, clinical factors, and sleep history were examined using logistic regression. ResultsOf the 1608 participants, 12 had AF (0.75%; 95% CI 0.33 to 1.17) — four men and eight women. All subjects with AF had a CHA2DS2VASc index≥1. Although no participant with AF had contraindications to oral anticoagulation, none was treated with oral anticoagulants.At multivariable adjusted logistic regression AF was associated with hypertension with an OR of 4.40 (95% CI 1.09–17.81; p=0.038). ConclusionsChinese are one of the fastest growing migrant populations in Europe and their health has become a key issue to host nations. The issue of AF is to be considered in future prevention programs for elusive ethnic minorities and adequately powered trials specifically designed to investigate AF prevalence and to test prevention approaches are now needed.