Center for Comparative Immigration Studies

This paper is a synopsis of Oishi’s forthcoming book Women in Motion: Globalization, State Policies, and Labor Migration in Asia (Stanford University Press), which analyzes the mechanisms involved in international female migration in Asia. Acknowledging the shortcomings of previous studies that focus too much on migrantreceiving countries and/or a single country case, this work examines female migration from a comparative and integrative perspective. The analysis proceeds at multiple levels of analysis: (1) the state (macro); (2) individuals (micro); and (3) society (meso) in both migrant-sending and receiving countries. How have foreign direct investment and state policies affected women’s labor force participation? How has society legitimized or illegitimized women’s labor migration within and across national borders? How do individual women make their decisions to emigrate? Based on fieldwork in 10 countries, the study demonstrates the complex causation of international female migration in Asia.