Transnational Mobility Research Articles

Violence and narrative representation of women’s experiences in Sefi Atta’s Swallow and Mariama Bâ’s So Long a Letter

ABSTRACT Violence of diverse forms is often metaphorised in some African literature works as a semblance of culture and religion. Sefi Atta’s Swallow and Mariama Bâ’s So Long a Letter (SLaL) among other African writings experiment with themes of betrayal, conflict (violence), exploitation, hardship, death, and even friendship. These are epitomised in marriage, religio-cultural values, sexual harassment, transnational mobility, and divorce. Through the use of psychoanalytic theory in character and thematic depiction, the study revealed that both texts go beyond physical and psychological violence to the metaphorical and fictional discursive aspects of the female movement to self-actualisation. The representation of women’s experiences of violence in both texts had not only physical but also psychological dimensions portrayed in the narrative. Swallow, set in a stenchy-hustling Lagos, symbolises moral decadence and the insurrection of the unlikely female breadwinning. SLaL portrays the abandonment and vulnerability of brilliant and aspiring women. The estrangement of Ramatoulaye from her husband, despite her love and loyalty, and her subsequent subjugation to the Islamic mourning obligations after her husband’s death speaks volumes about the subtle violence women endure. Friendship becomes a coping strategy for violence in both texts.

‘A knife with two sides’: naturalization and the ambivalent value of citizenship for Syrians in Turkey

ABSTRACT Different legal citizenships and passports are associated with different sets of status, rights and identities. Through naturalization into a higher-value citizenship, former migrants can improve economic opportunities, transnational mobility, and ease relationships. Building on growing research that questions the migrant-citizen binary, this paper asks how citizenship matters in practice through an exploration of naturalization amongst displaced Syrians in Turkey. Drawing on qualitative research with Syrians, some of whom held temporary protection status while others had naturalized, the paper argues that the rights and status associated with Turkish citizenship are ambivalent, simultaneously beneficial and costly. Naturalization provided some economic and social rights and spatial mobility compared to temporary protection status. But Turkish citizenship also reinforced class-based distinctions and racial discrimination, and shaped new forms of exclusion: Syrians forewent certain mobility and economic strategies that they accessed as refugees. The paper argues to conceive naturalization as a technology of territorialization that fixes people onto a certain territory and forces migrants to make difficult choices when negotiating state practices of bordering and mobility control. Paying attention to the simultaneously mobilizing and territorializing effects of naturalization helps to question linear assumptions of citizenship and status hierarchies.

Changing perspective from being to becoming—An alternative approach to language development and speaker categorization based on longitudinal data

Abstract In the face of transnational mobility and migration, globally networked communities and super-diverse social environments, traditional research practices of speaker categorization such as the distinction between native and non-native speakers, first, second, and third language users and mono-, bi-, and pluri-/multilinguals, which rest on the assumption of categorical differences between types of speakers and the general stability of speaker categories as biographical fact, are increasingly called into question. Critical voices point out that in real life, differences between language users turn out to be fuzzy, gradient, and continuous, and that conventional speaker categorizations are conceptualized from a monolingual perspective, providing grounds for discriminatory practices. Based on a longitudinal study design, the paper aims to offer an alternative quantitative approach for researchers who are dissatisfied with common practices of speaker categorization and wish to shift perspective to a more comprehensive way of studying language development within communities. The analysis draws on the results of c-tests for German, Italian, and English that were specifically designed for the study and administered to the same students (n = 170) in their first and final year at lower secondary school.

(Im)mobile intimacies: Commodities and marriage at the crossroads of Asia

AbstractThis article follows traders and entrepreneurs that live and work between Kyrgyzstan and China's northwestern region of Xinjiang. Looking specifically at Islamic marriage and business partnerships forged between persecuted Uyghurs and their Uzbek partners, it argues that commodity‐mediated forms of transnational intimacy create spaces of safety and possibility in the face of political oppression, carceral violence, and gendered limitations. These transnational mobilities are forged in spite of structural immobilities. Taking seriously the imbrications of objects and people, it advances a view of intimacy as a multi‐scalar, trans‐subjective, and multiply entangled field of relationality.

Deservingness and temporal borders: the reproduction of global mobility hierarchies in Swedish family reunification

European immigration policy is increasingly selective and stratified, favoring immigrants considered productive in the eyes of society. Using the case of Swedish family reunification, this article investigates how ideas of deservingness underlie this selection process and how it intersects with temporal bordering, impacting hierarchies of transnational mobility. Through qualitative interviews with individuals across a spectrum of legal statuses, the study finds that the increased connection between immigration policy and the housing and labor markets, combined with restrictions concerning visas, age, and legal status, induce and reproduce inequalities in waiting times and access to reunification. Within these restrictions, however, families find ways to circumvent the wait and get family time. The study contributes to the temporal turn in migration studies by exploring reunification among families with diverse backgrounds, complementing previous literature’s focus on the experiences of forced migrants. By considering how deservingness and temporal bordering shape mobility, the article offers both conceptual and empirical contributions to mobility and migration studies. Ultimately, the study brings forward a nuanced analysis of the consequences of restrictive shifts in Swedish immigration policy, contributing to the broader understanding of the current, transnational, mobility regimes.

Transnational mobility and precarity in the shadow of pandemics: Chinese migrants in Africa

ABSTRACT Through the lens of the Covid-19 pandemic, this paper examines the conditions of and responses to (im)mobilities and precarity among Chinese migrants in Africa. It emphasizes a relational and relative understanding of mobility–immobility as well as precarity–agency within the broader context of transnational migration. The empirical findings are based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Chinese migrants living in Ethiopia, Zambia, Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone during the pandemic. The analysis reveals a reconfiguration of (im)mobilities, not only between China and African host countries but also across different African destinations. This interplay between mobility and immobility exposes the dilemmas Chinese migrants faced during the pandemic while shedding light on the precarious life-worlds they navigate even in normal times. Although the pandemic exacerbated the precarity of their already unstable lives, it has also created spaces for community support, entrepreneurial ventures, and critical reflections on their businesses practices and life plans.

Navigating Stepwise Lifestyle Mobilities via the Global South: Japanese Migrant Families’ Negotiation of Educational and Lifestyle Aspirations in Malaysia

ABSTRACTStudies of the transnational migration of East Asian families have examined how they enhance their status and well‐being by moving their children to schools in Western anglophone countries. Although recent studies have identified Southeast Asia as a new, affordable destination for less affluent families, we do not know their future transnational trajectories. To fill this gap, this study employed interview data from 46 Japanese families who had migrated to Malaysia with their children and investigated how they navigated their transnational mobilities from Malaysia. To explain their pattern, I introduce the concept of ‘stepwise lifestyle mobilities’, transnational mobility pathways adopted by relatively affluent people from developed countries, who may face constraints due to factors such as race, ethnicity, limited global experience or financial limitations but a desire for an international experience. They start from a low‐cost, low‐risk country like Malaysia and seek staged lifestyle migration regionally and/or globally.

Navigating double liminality: Chinese returnees’ gendered experiences during border-crossing amidst COVID-19

In this study, we examine the gendered experiences of Chinese returnees within a double liminality formed by prolonged border crossing and the COVID-19. Through qualitative interviews, we identified three themes based on features of liminality observed by Victor Turner: 1) gender norms ostensibly challenged but actually reinforced in the anti-structure, 2) kinship and romantic relationships renegotiated for comradeship, and 3) gender awareness gained through personal reflexivity. We seek to uncover the profound effects of these experiences within a complex space-time construct between points of departure from host countries and arrival at home. We hope to enrich scholarly discussions of gender dynamics observed in transnational mobility during a global health crisis and facilitate policy makers’ recognition of the gendered disparities in treatment for physical and mental suffering during a pandemic border-crossing.

Switzerland as a Site of Capital Accumulation: The Case of International Education

This special issue explores how and why foreign families and individuals, as well as local institutions, capitalize on the Swiss private schools’ market. Our introduction unpacks how the country and its educational landscape intersect with broader ties to global capitalism and asset movement. By further unravelling the interplay of social re/production, Bourdieusian capital accumulation, and transnational mobility for the globally elite, our introduction sets forth an important research agenda on Switzerland’s international education sector.

Towards the Politics of Difference: Mobility and Ethnic Identity in Richard Ford’s Bascombe Novels

Mobility holds profound ethnic, class, and cultural significance in the fiction of the contemporary American writer Richard Ford. Through an analysis of his representative works, including Independence Day, The Lay of the Land and Let Me Be Frank with You, it becomes evident that Ford portrays the “negative mobility” of African Americans under spatial isolation, the transnational mobility of a Chinese immigrant, and the upward social mobility of both groups. In doing so, Ford illuminates disparities in mobility rights, routes, and friction among different ethnic groups, while also revealing shifts in their social status, values, and sense of identity. Furthermore, Ford reflects upon the social reality wherein ethnic minority groups encounter othering and marginalization upon integration into mainstream American society. This exposure lays bare the widespread systemic racial discrimination and deficiencies within the American political and economic system. Additionally, Ford’s depiction of upward social mobility among ethnic minorities underscores the effectiveness of the politics of difference as a means to resist authority and construct ethnic identity. Focusing on the mobility of ethnic minorities deepens our understanding of the survival dilemma and identity crisis faced by them.

An ethnographic study of Vietnamese-Ukrainian identity

ABSTRACT Vietnamese Ukrainians are a largely unstudied identity group that has recently attracted attention due to the impacts of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Our study examines Vietnamese-Ukrainian bicultural identity as experienced by 10 university student refugees of the war in 2022–23. Researchers conducted semi-structured ethnographic interviews in which each participant examined identity formation experiences as second-generation Vietnamese Ukrainians. Participants also reflected upon the impacts to ethnic identity self-awareness that resulted from their unexpected return migration to Vietnam as student refugees of war. The cohort of study participants created a tight-knit Vietnamese-Ukrainian return diaspora in an environment conducive to self-reflection and exploration of their ongoing ethnic identity journeys. In our study, we argue that the ethnic identity formation of young Vietnamese Ukrainians relies on the active construction of intercultural personhood as an adaptation to transnational mobility and change.

The Impact of COVID-19 on International Students: A Qualitative Synthesis

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a profound impact on numerous facets of our daily lives, including in higher education. International students have encountered unique challenges due to their vulnerability stemming from living abroad, including cultural adjustments, language barriers, and separation from families and friends. This review aims to examine the educational, financial, sociocultural and psychological impacts experienced by international students in the context of the pandemic and identify areas requiring support for this group. A systematic search of eight databases yielded 78 relevant papers for inclusion. Through a systematic qualitative synthesis, this review presents an increased understanding of the multifaceted impact of COVID-19 on international students, encompassing five key themes: 1) unprecedented learning barriers, 2) stalled transnational mobility, 3) heightened financial, social, and cultural challenges, 4) exacerbated racism and racial discrimination, and 5) increased mental health risks. By systematically synthesising the distinctive challenges faced by international students in the context of the pandemic, this review provides recommendations for evidence-based support for international students in the post-pandemic era.

On the effects of Erasmus+ KA 1 mobilities for continuing professional development in teachers’ biographies: A qualitative research approach with teachers in Portugal

For several years, the European Commission has been investing in transnational mobility projects, namely Erasmus+, for the continuing professional development of teaching and non-teaching staff of schools for the sole purpose of improving the quality of education, as well as to establish networks of communications where teachers and schools can share their best practices and experiences. Although necessarily nestled in a proactive and positive school culture, these projects also have an impact on teachers professionally, but also on a personal level. This article therefore aims at studying how these international teacher professional development experiences change teachers’ biographies and their narrative expressions and possibly transform how they identify themselves personally, as European citizens, and professionally as European teachers. Empirical data collected through a multiple case study in Portugal appears to confirm that a considerable shift in professional and personal identity occurs through the participation of Erasmus+ KA1 projects for teacher professional development.

Narratives of lingua franca English for transnational mobility

This paper explores, through narrative inquiry, the acquisition and use of English as a lingua franca in the careers of three transnationally mobile managers in the global hotel and hospitality industry. The narratives presented here are interwoven with the context in which the multinational participants were situated at the time of the study: the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is diversifying economically and socially in preparation for the post-fossil fuel era. In a country where the temporary immigrant population outumbers national citizens, participants’ situated language practices are explored through narratives of their multilingual and translingual repertoires, while focusing on English as a key resource for their self-initiated transnational mobility. These personal stories of the acquisition and use of English as a global language weave a linguacultural web that connects the Gulf region across global space, people, and time. Participants tell of the utility of English for their careers, their multilingual repertoires, and their enjoyment of their temporary working lives in the Emirates. Such voices are seldom heard in the literature.

Book Review: Roberto Castillo, African Transnational Mobility in China, Africans on the Move, London: Routledge, 2021

The prologue to this volume of the Routledge African Studies, entitled African Transnational Mobility in China, Africans on the Move, describes Roberto Castillo's experiences in China, focusing on a chance encounter with a man named Myers during a train journey. Myers, originally from Sierra Leone, shared his journey to China in search of opportunities, highlighting the challenges faced by foreigners in a new country. Castillo reflects on the uncertainties and difficulties Myers encountered in China, expressing concern for his well-being. This encounter with Myers and subsequent news events of a demonstration involving Nigerians in China, led the author to ponder the complex dynamics of immigration and cultural integration in China.

The Effects of Japanese Language Learning and Transnational Mobility on the Japanese Identities of Four Brazilian Nikkei

ABSTRACT Brazil was the largest recipient of Japanese emigrants from 1885 to 1973. After changes in Japanese immigration law in 1990, many descendants of these emigrants, referred to as Nikkei, went to Japan to live and work under a new visa program designed specifically for Nikkei. This qualitative research examines how transnational mobility and Japanese language learning has affected the Japanese identities of four Brazilian Nikkei. Positioning theory was used to analyze the narrative accounts of the participants. It was found that mobility to Japan did not foster a sense of Japanese national identity, and in once case seemed to produce the opposite effect. Additionally, although Japanese language learning and fluency increased connections to Japanese culture and seemed to influence the participants’ personalities, it did not result in identification of Japanese national identity. Possible factors that may have contributed to these results are included in the discussion, as well as areas for further research.

‘People need housing to live in’: precarity and the rental market during tourism gentrification

Numerous studies from the twenty first century underscore how housing challenges have increased in Western countries. This article focuses on the dynamics of renting, showing how housing precarity today is increasingly shaped by transnational mobilities, intersecting with localized policymaking. While these studies have mainly centred on Southern Europe, this article focuses on Iceland, representing a Northern European country. Our analysis shows that policies geared toward tourism inadvertently amplified housing demand and decreased the supply of long-term leasing accommodations. Our qualitative study (n = 27) of renters illustrates the intersectionality of housing regulations with tourism-centric strategies, thereby perpetuating precariousness amongst renters. During the COVID-19 pandemic, renters hesitated to move into newly available units in the market, suspecting that demand for Airbnb rentals would force them to vacate once the pandemic ended. We contend that analyses of rental markets must consider the complex entanglements and frictions of global environments – characterized by transnational mobilities – and local histories in shaping experiences and notions of precarity.

Negotiating and Reinventing Identities by South Asian Women in the Context of Transnational Mobility

This study investigates the experiences of women spouses of international students from South Asia in the United States to understand how they navigate, adapt, and reinvent their identities in the new environment. Through intimate narratives gathered from 15 participants via semi-structured qualitative interviews, their lived experiences were thoroughly examined. Employing grounded theory and inductive analysis, three key themes emerged: (1) the loss of professional identities established in their home countries due to the devaluation of academic credentials and work experience in the new setting; (2) the challenges of identity conflict encountered while transitioning between different work cultures; and (3) the significance placed on gendered identities and associated roles within the family sphere. The analysis highlights the dynamic evolution of these women’s identities, shaped by the intersectionality of various systems of oppression. Despite facing compromised status and familial responsibilities, the participants exhibited resilience by embracing differences and redefining meanings of life across times and spaces. This study contributes to our understanding of how transnational mobility for higher education from the Global South to the Global North, sustained by the racialized labor market, perpetuates a heteronormative gender order that privileges men and marginalizes women.

Internalized political repression: Legacies of authoritarianism in the U.S.‐based Syrian diaspora during the Arab Spring

AbstractAuthoritarian regimes are known to repress the political activity of their diasporas transnationally by threatening harsh sanctions. But is this their only mode of transnational repression? This article builds on scholarship on social control to explore whether migrants bring internalized forms of political repression from their authoritarian home country to their democratic country of settlement—and if so, how it shapes their transnational political activity. In‐depth life‐history interviews with 29 U.S.‐citizen and permanent‐resident Syrian immigrants living in Los Angeles, California and Louisville, Kentucky reveal that for many U.S.‐based Syrians, demobilizing emotions, interpretive frames, and habits learned in Syria depressed their transnational political activity during the Arab Spring. Four internalized mechanisms of transnational political repression are conceptualized: learned helplessness, chronic fear of politics and the State, political trauma, and disciplined aversion to political expression. Leveraging comparisons between activists, demobilized activists, and non‐activists, this article demonstrates the connections between specific political socialization experiences, internalized political repression, and transnational political (in)activity. This article contributes to the growing literature on constraints and barriers to transnational mobilization, and to the debate over the role of pre‐migration political experience on immigrants' political participation.

Resisting the coloniality of language through languaging and making of a multilingual <i>ikhaya </i>in South Africa

Multilingualism as a consequence of transnational mobility and migration is prominent in studies of language socialization and family multilingualism in the Global North. While mobility within and between the various regions in South Africa sustains multilingualism and aligns with the global dynamic of mobility, Indigenous multilingualism is inherently the norm. The officiation of 11 named languages positions the country as linguistically diverse. However, dominant ideologies from the coloniality of language continue to reinforce the power of colonial languages while African languages used by numerical majorities remain marginalized, especially in high-status domains such as education. In this article, we present ethnographic data from a case study of a Xhosa multilingual family traversing between their urban (township) homes and the main family homestead in a rural setting. The family includes a child who attends a suburban historically whites-only English medium school. Reflecting on the non-hierarchical use of languages within their homes, or their languaging, we show how they use their linguistic/semiotic and spatial repertoires to make family as well as to resist the hierarchical positioning of the colonial languages, English and Afrikaans, above isiXhosa (prefix isi- indicates the language of Xhosa people) at school. Informed by Siqwana-Ndulo’s (1998) challenge to the Western idea of the nuclear family, our analysis demonstrates how family is distributed across kinship ties and households. We introduce the notion of ikhaya – the isiXhosa word for both family and home (see Molate, forthcoming) – as a useful southern concept for accounting for the expansive nature of family kinship systems in African families.