Migrant Youth Research Articles

Drawing Deportation: Art and Resistance among Immigrant Children. By Silvia RodriguezVega (ed.) NYU Press, 2023 Paperback 9 781 479 810 451, 240 pp, $30.00

Children of immigrants are the fastest-growing segment of the US child population. The complex and nuanced manner in which immigrant children's lives are shaped by issues of legal status, citizenship, state-sanctioned violence and belonging should be of great interest to educators, policymakers and researchers in the US and across the world. However, little attention is given in literature to impact of specific immigration policies on young people's development and socialisation. Perhaps that's because it's a time expensive task and one that requires a deep understanding of child-centred research. Into this gap steps Silvia Rodriguez Vega with her new book, Drawing Deportation. Built on 10 years of work with immigrant children in Arizona and California, she analysed 300 drawings, theatre performances and family interviews to engage with accounts of children's challenges with deportation and family separation during the Obama and Trump administrations. Through children's drawings and stories Rodriguez Vega exposes the destructive consequences of legal violence, structural racism and lack of safety in these young people's lives. Even though they may have been born in the US or may have US citizenship, they still feel endangered if they have one undocumented parent whose status dictates the way family can live their lives. A young participant in the study, Sergio ‘states that in Arizona, just looking Mexican is enough reason to be arrested and detained or deported via racial profiling’ (p. 75). On holidays and special occasions, immigrant families often stay home because they can be easily pulled over for a routine check at alcohol checkpoints, which can then lead to interrogation about status and potential deportation. The artwork shows that children are highly aware of this risk. The book includes multiple examples of what sociologist Nira Yuval-Davis (2011) called ‘everyday bordering and politics of belonging’. The ‘technologies of everyday bordering’ are in place to supposedly ‘make people feel safe by keeping those who do not belong out’ (Yuval-Davis et al., 2018, p. 230). Drawing by a participant in the study, Sandra from Arizona (figure 3.4 in the book) shows an acute representation of the border by a young person. A short dialogue between the two characters is depicted in two word-bubbles. As ‘an authority’ character points to the border, the smaller character says, “But I'm a citizen”; the authority replies, “you look Mexican.” Sandra underlined the words “citizen” and “look” in red. ‘Linking these words communicates the difference between being a citizen and looking like one’ explains Rodriguez Vega (p. 80). In my view, the drawing also shows the omnipotence of de- and re-bordering that involve displacement, relocation of borders and border controls, influence these young people's everyday lives by challenging their sense of belonging, disabling their feeling of safety and raising their sense of precarity. Further, Rodriguez Vega argues that children understand and internalise violence, racism, hate and death and may mirror back what they experience in their lives. In the environment marked by destruction and dehumanisation, violence becomes cyclical and children can become powerful messengers and reproducers of hate. But she counters this possibility by showing children as agents of their own stories who reimagine destructive situations in ways that adults sometimes cannot, offering us alternatives and hope for a better future. In her work, she is clearly inspired by notable educators such as Paulo Freire, to demonstrate how art can be a healing praxis ‘for children to calm their fears and explore positive solutions’ (p. 117). Her book results in an explicit message to transform schooling and teacher's training in super-diverse societies such as the US or the UK where more non-traditional, art-based methods of teaching, civic education, social-justice-oriented learning and culturally relevant curricula are needed. My final point from across the Atlantic is to observe growing research that conveys experiences of migrant children and youth in contexts of the Global South and North, which is increasingly published by international journals in the field demonstrating that these young people's views are becoming recognised as relevant to mainstream academic developments. Connecting to the large volume of scholarship that exists in the interdisciplinary area of migrant childhood and youth studies beyond the United States would have made Rodriguez Vega's contribution more universal and recognisable as it is a fascinating, timely and beautifully written book that speaks beyond its context.

Rural-Urban Youth Migration: the Role of Social Networks and Social Media in Youth Migrants’ Transition into Urban Areas as Self-employed Workers in Uganda

Rural-Urban Youth Migration: the Role of Social Networks and Social Media in Youth Migrants’ Transition into Urban Areas as Self-employed Workers in Uganda

Embodying Place

AbstractThis article explores the implications of the Making Home Project, a participatory audio‐visual media project with migrant and refugee youth in Iran. This project does not picture the faces of youth as they express caring relationships and attachments to the people and places within the migrant neighborhoods where they reside—places locally characterized as poor, dangerous, and transient. I examine the audio, the visual and the off‐screen encounters of this participatory production to demonstrate how media outcomes are shaped by Afghan youth's differently situated refugee experiences in Iran. Ultimately, I argue that space and place are actualized through the embodied act of youth expressing and producing audio‐visual media about their homeplace.

(Dis)connections between youth migration and food security in a rural community of the Sierra de Santa Marta, Veracruz, Mexico

This article analyzes the effects of youth migration on food security in the rural community of Tatahuicapan, Mexico. Based on structured questionnaires and interviews with farmer's households, we describe how youth migratory trends have changed through time, develop a typology of family food security strategies, and examine how households have capitalized on youth mobility. Our results show there is little connection between youth mobility and the economic and labor demands of family farming. We also found an increase in families' food purchases as compared to self-production. Lastly, we identified a set of limitations for capitalizing on youth mobility, and a distancing between youth and household agriculture which does not derive from migration directly. Under current local conditions, youth migration may increase food dependency at household and community scales.

MIGRATION A PHENOMENAL EVENT OF HUMAN LIFE: A STUDY OF YOUTH MIGRANTS IN MUMBAI CITY

Migration is a complex and very old phenomenal event of Human life it has multi-dimensional impact and effects on Human Life. Without Migration human life is incomplete, every human being in his/her lifetime migrate for some major and minor reasons. The present study focuses on the phenomenal events of Human life, specially the major phenomenal events like Socio-Economic events in Migrated Youth which cause long-term effects on their life. For this present study primary data has been collected from 400 migrated youth to Mumbai from various part of the India. This paper focuses majorly on selected results it reveals the real condition of Indian Migrated Youth. The impact of metro life on socio-economic condition, and psycho-social vulnerability factors amongst the youth migrants. The findings of the study is equally significant to know about social work intervention and its various approaches to the well-being of youth migrants along with it tries to suggest practical, logical, and possible solutions to Society and responsible Institutions like NGOs, Govt., experts, and thinkers.

Rebuilding life after migration: Research protocol of a mixed methods study on settlement experiences of refugee and migrant youth.

Internationally, there is an urgent need to understand factors promoting successful settlement and integration of people with forced or voluntary migration experiences (i.e., refugee and non-refugee migrants). This paper provides a protocol of a mixed-methods investigation of contextual factors of successful settlement and service utilization of youth and their families, as young people could be at higher risk due to stressors associated with pre-migration trauma, post-migration settlement stressors, and adolescent development. This large-scale mixed-methods study will be conducted across three countries. A questionnaire survey will seek responses from 1200 youth aged 15-24 years residing in South Australia, Ontario, Canada, and California, United States of America. The qualitative component of the study will comprise 54 focus groups (324 participants) with youth and their parents/caregivers. The study design allows a range of important phenomena (e.g., different migration pathways and settlement countries) and key questions (e.g., regarding the intersection of migration, settlement, and wellbeing) to be addressed. It also allows for generalizability of findings to be tested across different communities and countries. Findings will support recommendations for policy and practice and may be generalized to advance research with youth and their families. This study is one of the largest, most comprehensive studies of youth settlement.

‘Integration is a lot of work.’—A study of integration policies in Norwegian football clubs

The Norwegian civil society holds a welfare mandate to promote the integration of migrants. Included in this mandate is a belief that sport holds a particular potential to facilitate integration. Voluntary sports clubs are perceived as open, democratic, and inclusive arenas in which children and youth can form togetherness and community building regardless of social background. This notion is reflected in national policy documents, stating that today’s sports policy is expected to reflect the diversity of Norwegian society. Leaning on different and critical perspectives on sports-related integration, this study will explore how voluntary football clubs in Norway translate their political mandate of integrating migrant children and youth and discuss the potential impacts of different perceptions and practices of integration. Nine directors of inclusion of different demographical areas in one of the largest cities in Norway were interviewed. The result seems to trace different discourses and types of integration policies, illustrating how sports clubs translate their integration mandate. Both functional and moral approaches were identified, and the study demonstrates how migrants encounter different opportunities and conditions to be integrated into sports as well as other social spheres of the civil society.

Agency of Migrant Youth in Hostile Sociopolitical Environments: Case Studies from Central Eastern Europe

This paper compares the integration of third-country youth in Poland and Hungary in two Central Eastern European contexts characterized by a hostile sociopolitical environment for migrants, right-wing policies, illiberalism, and regression in various related policy areas. Our article is based on a three-year EU-funded research project that investigated the integration of migrant youth in precarious circumstances (MIMY). It uses data from qualitative interviews conducted with migrant youth and thus focuses on the migrant’s perspective while exploring how coping and navigating such hostile environments occurs. The analysis is based on the concept of migrant agency in extremely difficult and complex sociopolitical situations. Our findings highlight the particular importance of the latter in these hostile environments. We argue that while the withdrawal of the state from integration has created difficult contexts for migrant youth, they exhibit different forms of agency, enabling them to adapt to opportunity structures. While these forms of agency are important and real, the structural constraints imposed by hostile states’ anti-immigration and anti-integration attitudes significantly limit migrants’ options for coping with everyday life.

Internal Migration of Youth in Megacities as a Factor Influencing the Migration of Youth Abroad (on the Example of Almaty)

Internal migration is a transitional moment for young people to migrate abroad. This article aims to study city infrastructure as a factor influencing the internal migration of young people to big cities. This is one of the country’s problems because it results in a «brain drain» abroad. There is a need to consider these factors. The study examines young people involved in internal migration who arrived in Almaty, aged 14 - 29. The methodology of this study is based on the method of Everett S. Lee. It analyzes factors influencing the internal migration of young people to cities with a population of one million. The article discusses objective factors that constrain or stimulate the migration process between regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. These factors include the number of universities and colleges, the number of employers, medical and entertainment institutions, etc. These indicators were grouped into four factors: education, health care, entertainment and employment. For data analysis and processing, generalization and systematization methods were used. Data for factor estimation was obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics and other official sources for the period 2014 - 2021. Correlation-regression analysis was conducted using the SPSS program to determine the relationship between internal migration and city infrastructure indicators. Results obtained showed a significant relationship between the internal migration of young people and educational and health organizations. Education is seen as one of the main factors in the internal and external migration of young people. Therefore, the development of higher education and employment rates is essential to prevent brain drain.

The Influence of Economic Indicators of the Country on Youth International Migration: a Comparative Analysis

Human capital represented by young people is becoming an important potential for the country’s development . To reduce young people’s migration flows , it is necessary to know what influences their decision to leave the country . The purpose of this work is to study economic factors of youth migration globally through the literature review and to conduct a comparative analysis of economic indicators between the member-states of the Eurasian Economic Community. The methodology is based on the most similar and the most diverse systems , which are widely used in comparative studies . Accordingly , a small number of cases were selected based on similar models used . An analysis of similarities and identified differences between countries was carried out . The study included three stages : literature review , indicators selection and comparative analysis . Comparative analysis was based on four indicators , such as public spending on R&D, the total number of emigrants , the share of remittances in GDP and the unemployment rate . The data was collected from open sources . According to the literature review , investment in R&D was found to have a strong influence on the decision of emigrants , especially young people , to migrate . The analysis showed strong similarities between Armenia , Kyrgyzstan and Belarus regarding unemployment and educational indicators . The results for Russia and Kazakhstan confirmed the assumption of utility theory , according to which young people usually leave for the sake of better educational programs . The results of this study can be used to improve and adjust the youth and migration state policy , which may reduce the migration of young people abroad .

다문화교육 관점에서의 서울시 이주 청소년 시설에 대한 평가: 조선족 중도입국 청소년을 중심으로

다문화교육 관점에서의 서울시 이주 청소년 시설에 대한 평가: 조선족 중도입국 청소년을 중심으로

태국-미얀마 국경 지역의 교육 제도와 국제개발협력

This study examines the relationship between the education system and international development cooperation in the Thai-Myanmar border region. The uniqueness of the border region stems from the presence of refugees and migrants from Myanmar living near the border within Thai territory, whom the political and social unrest in Myanmar has displaced. Of particular interest is the use of education to cultivate and preserve their ethnicity by the Karen people, who constitute the largest group in the border region. To better understand this, the paper analyzed the overall educational history and process of the Karen people. The research conducted case studies in three representative migrant schools in Mae Sot province, offering a comprehensive curriculum from kindergarten to college preparatory courses. Data from questionnaires and in-depth interviews collected during the fieldwork revealed that migrant schools adopt somewhat different curricula based on their geographical and environmental specificities, which significantly impact their students' academic and career development. The curriculum in these schools is a mix of Karen nationalist perspectives and external (international) influences. In addition, programs to pursue academic continuity, such as taking the GED in Thailand and Myanmar and the GED in the United States, are relatively well organized. However, due to their precarious status as migrants and the lack of career and vocational programs, there are many challenges for migrant youth to find professional jobs and develop career plans accordingly. The paper proposes that International Development Cooperation projects regarding education on the border should consider supporting students in designing their career paths, developing their skills, and promoting their social participation after graduation. In addition, when designing international development cooperation projects related to education, we should not limit their social participation and entry into the workforce to employment. However, we should consider developing curricula that reflect the two countries' contrasting education systems and regional specificities through coordination between various stakeholders.

Educational Migration in the Republic of Mordovia

Introduction. The article is devoted to the actual problem of youth educational migration – a key factor influencing the personnel potential of the region. The purpose of the article is to identify the specifics of youth educational migration from the Republic of Mordovia, to determine the emerging type of migration in comparison with other regions, and to formulate proposals for the needs of regional development. Materials and Methods. The empirical basis of the article is demographic data on interregional migration for 2017–2021 in the context of ages (17–27 years old), databases of “educational data” based on the results of the Unified State Examination and admission to universities of applicants. General statistical methods and approaches were used, data processing and visualization in the pivot tables and charts was carried out, application software and libraries of the Python language (numpy, pandas, matplotlib) were used. The tools made it possible to identify migration indicators in relation to the region, analyze them, and visualize the parameters of educational migration. Results. It has been established that until recently the Republic of Mordovia was a donor region for educational youth migration. However, since 2018–2020, there has been a trend towards the transition to the position of a “transit” region: the balance of migration of 20–22 year olds and older is negative, but the balance of migration of 17–19 year olds is positive. The directions and proportions of educational migration have been established in relation to the entire contingent of graduates and certain categories. A number of assumptions and hypotheses are put forward for subsequent verification on the entire general population (“big data”) of applicants in the Russian Federation. Discussion and Conclusion. The objective conditions of the “post-COVID” reality and external restrictions in terms of educational migration can significantly increase the role of regions. Achieving a “balance” state with compensation for outgoing migration, the preservation and renewal of human capital seems possible. The data on educational migration by region, principles of analysis and conclusions will be useful both for researchers in the field of data science, migration processes, the sociology of education, and for educational and social authorities to adjust forecasts and regional development projects. A similar study can be carried out for other regions of the Russian Federation in comparison with the trends and patterns identified in the Republic of Mordovia.

FEATURES OF EXTERNAL MIGRATION OF KAZAKHSTAN'S YOUTH IN THE CONTEXT OF YOUTH MIGRATION FLOWS IN CENTRAL ASIA

The article is aimed to research the main trends and factors of external migration of young people in Kazakhstan as an integral part of migration processes in Central Asia. The paper presents an analysis of statistical information in the field of youth migration in Kazakhstan in a regional context. The author examines the features of external youth migration in Kazakhstan, identifies the main characteristics of the population leaving the country. The author notes that education and employment are important factors in leaving the country. The paper analyzes the main characteristics of educational and labor migration of young people.

Migrant bilingual youth, family, and school language policy: ethnographic insights for urban Quechua education

Abstract In this paper, I draw on the ethnography of language planning and policy to consider how urban Indigenous language education might benefit from understanding the meanings and processes behind other language planning and policy activities migrant youth participate in, specifically, family language policymaking activities. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews conducted in the region of Cusco, Perú I examine the experiences of two youth from rural hometowns and of their families. My analysis discusses how family language policies influenced youth’s shifting repertoires towards and away from Quechua, how youth drew on their Quechua–Spanish bilingualism to act as family language policy agents guided by local crianza and raciolinguistic ideologies, and how youth experienced Quechua language education in urban high schools. I argue that urban Quechua education efforts need to consider how migrant youth experience and shape their bilingualism and that of their families across rural-urban continua in order to craft safe and meaningful spaces where youth can participate in the strengthening of their Quechua language practices and identities.

Youth Between the Past and the Future

The review of the HSE Youth Research Center conference demonstrates the actualization of youth research in the context of intergenerational transfers in modern Russia. The following issues have become particularly relevant: how young people comprehend reality, how their identity is formed; what are the new forms of youth activity and specific lifestyles. The focus is on the issues of patriotism, attitude to the state, trust in government institutions, youth migration, as well as employment. A diverse palette of studies using mainly qualitative methodology is demonstrated.

Rural youth and their lack of mobility


 International research on the lack of mobility and its causes among people in rural areas primarily focuses on motivations for emigration and consequences of immigration. In the first half of our study we summarize the findings of the research described above. We explain the relationship between poverty and lack of mobility, review the link between agriculture and local mobility, predominantly through the functions of rural businesses. We explore the return migration of youths, especially those who move back to their village after a long period of education and/or job search. We revisit structural theories that connect migration to different types of capital and shed light on the impact of changing perceptions on rural life. We use longitudinal quantitative studies and their statistics to analyze the characteristics of the lack of mobility among Hungarian rural youths and emigration patterns between 2010–2017. The second half of our manuscript delineates the results of studies done by the Mobility Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The pertinent articles and case studies examine the role of social bonds in the lack of mobility, types of employment among rural youths, and how those influence their attachment to their village. Mobility case studies among the youths are also analyzed, along with the social representation of their identity, categories of success, the effects of poverty, their family bonds, perspectives for the future, as well as the consequences of the social and regional characteristics of their villages. 

МИГРАЦИОННЫЕ ПОТОКИ ВЫПУСКНИКОВ ШКОЛ И ВУЗОВ В РЕГИОНАХ РОССИЙСКОЙ АРКТИКИ: ОБЪЕМЫ, ВЕКТОРА И ОЦЕНКА СОРАЗМЕРНОСТИ

As the Russian Arctic regions have geopolitical importance, it is vital to study their social and human capital regeneration processes, including the role and influence of school graduates’ educational migration from the Arctic and university graduates’post-educational migration into the Arctic. The study’s scientific novelty lies in presenting a comprehensive assessment of school graduates’ outgoing flows from the Arctic regions and university graduates’ incoming flows from other areas using a single methodology across the country’s nine Arctic regions. Through statistical analysis and information comparison, it was revealed that most school graduates from the Arctic pursue higher education outside of this region, which is largely due to the restructuring of the higher education system, including the reduction of the number of branch campuses in the Arctic. The analysis of post-educational migration showed that the flow of university graduates coming to work in the Arctic from other regions slightly exceeds the outflow of graduates from Arctic universities. Still, this trend is not uniform across all Arctic regions. School graduates’ educational migration is not balanced as the outflow of high-school graduates from the Arctic regions is not fully compensated for by young professionals coming to the Arctic after graduation. This uncompensated educational migration poses significant risks such as a loss of qualified workers and a decline in the population of reproductive age, which may ultimately accelerate the depopulation process of this strategically important macro-region. As measures to address this issue, the authors propose creating a favorable environment for the younger generation’s development and holding events aimed at motivating young people to live, study, and work in the Russian Arctic. A relevant analytical base in the field of youth migration is necessary for regulating migration processes in the Arctic regions.

Educational Migration of Applicants Among Regions of the Russian Federation as a Data Source for Planning the Higher Education System Development

The scientific problem of the study is related to the identification of educational migration for university admission against the background of youth migration. The practical problems of the study are focused on the creation of analytical conditions for decision-making and planning for the education system development: the distribution of enrollment targets, financing and resource supporting the infrastructure development, and the development of the human resources potential of Russian universities. The object of the study is interregional youth educational migration for university admission. Federal universities data is described as the object of present study. Sources: official state statistics data of 2017-2021, “big data” is the results of passing the Unified State Examinations (USE) and the choice of university and direction of study by students for 2020. The research methodology is connected with the analysis of official statistics, the Russian regions typology according to the characteristics of youth migration: recipient regions, donor regions, regions of a mixed or “transit” type (leaving graduates are replaced by newcomers), closed (low intensity of migration processes). Educational migration was identified by analyzing and comparing databases on the results of the USE and the results of university admission. Stable patterns of migration processes, migration trends and directions have been identified as a result of the study.

The Role of Spatial Inequalities on Youth Migration Decisions: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria

We combine nationally representative data from Nigeria with spatiotemporal data from remote sensing and other sources to study how young migrants respond to observable characteristics of potential destinations, both in absolute terms and relative to origin locations. Migrants prefer destinations with better welfare, land availability and intensity of economic activity. We also find that migrants prefer shorter distances and those destinations with better urban amenities and infrastructure. However, responses vary by type of migrant and migration. For example, rural-rural migrants are more responsive to land availability and agricultural potential, while rural-urban and urban-urban migrants are more responsive to welfare and economic vibrancy (measured by nightlight intensity) in destinations. Distance induces varying impact on migration choices of poor and non-poor migrants as well as across more educated and less educated migrants. Longer distances discourage migration for female migrants, poorer migrants, and less educated migrant while the implication for the non-poor and more educated migrants appears to be negligible. This is intuitive because poorer and less educated migrants have liquidity constraints to finance high migration costs. Our results suggest potential scope for predicting how labour mobility responds to alternative regional development policies.