Crossing boundaries to education: Haitian transnational families and the quest to raise the family up

Nearly 175, 000 Haitian immigrants have settled in South Florida since the 1970s. Their lives are often lived transnationally with persistent connections and obligations to family members in Haiti. Yet, traditional theories of immigrant assimilation focus on the integration of immigrants into host countries, giving little consideration to relationships and activities that extend into migrants' countries of origin. Conversely, studies of transnational families do not explicitly address incorporation into the receiving country. This dissertation, through the experiences of Haitian immigrants in South Florida, reveals a transnational quest "to raise the family up" through migration, remittances, and the pursuit of higher levels of education. I argue that familial duties and obligations, which have cultural foundations in the Haitian lakou, structure the activities of Haitian transnational families as they pursue socioeconomic advancement through migration and education. With the support of transnational families, many students cross boundaries to academic achievement and improve their opportunities for socioeconomic mobility in the US. With higher levels of education, these individuals contributed to a more favorable incorporation into the United States for their extended families, as well. The data were collected through participant observation and 78 in-depth interviews documenting the migration histories of 27 Haitian immigrant families in South Florida. This dissertation contributes to the existing literature on Haitian immigrants in the United States and to an understanding of the transnational dimensions of immigrant incorporation more broadly.

Ecuadorian migration and family strategies of social mobility: dialectic relation between emotional and financial capital

This text deals with transnational strategies of social mobility in Ecuadorian migrant households in Spain. We apply the capital accumulation model (Moser, 2009) for this purpose. The main target of this article is, beyond thinking in terms of capital stock and accumulation, the analysis in depth of the dynamics of the different types of capital, that is to say, how they interact with each other in the framework of the social mobility strategies of the migrants and their families. We are bringing into light the way some households adopt investing decisions in capitals that don't translate into any addition or earnings in all cases, on the contrary, concentrating all their efforts on the accumulation of a certain asset they may, in some cases, lead to a loss of another. We will concentrate our analysis primarily on the dynamics between the physical and financial capital and the social and emotional capital, showing the tensions produced between these two types of assets. At the same time, we will highlight how migrants negotiate their family strategies of social mobility in the transnational area. Our study is based in empirical material obtained from qualitative fieldwork (in-depth interviews) with families of migrants in the urban district of Turubamba Bajo -(south of Quito) and in Madrid. A series of households were selected where interviews were carried out in the country of origin as well as in the context of immigration, with different family members, analysing the transnational social and economic strategies of families of migrant members. Family members of migrants established in Spain were interviewed in Quito, as well as key informants in the district (school teachers, nursery members of the staff, etc.). The research was framed within the projects "Impact of migration on the development: gender and transnationalism", Ministry of Science and Innovation (SEJ2007/63179) (Laura Oso, dir. 2007-2010),"Gender, transnationalism and intergenerational strategies of social mobility", Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (FEM2011/26210) (Laura Oso, dir. 201-1-2015) and “Gender, Crossed Mobilities and Transnational Dynamics”, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (FEM2015-67164).

Late-career international migration and reproductive work. A comparison between Peruvian and Ukrainian women in the Southern Europe

Research on the relationship between reproductive work and women´s life trajectories including the experience of labour migration has mainly focused on the case of relatively young mothers who leave behind, or later re-join, their children. While it is true that most women migrate at a younger age, there are a significant number of cases of men and women who move abroad for labour purposes at a more advanced stage, undertaking a late-career migration. This is still an under-estimated and under-researched sub-field that uncovers a varied range of issues, including the global organization of reproductive work and the employment of migrant women as domestic workers late in their lives. By pooling the findings of two qualitative studies, this article focuses on Peruvian and Ukrainian women who seek employment in Spain and Italy when they are well into their forties, or older. A commonality the two groups of women share is that, independently of their level of education and professional experience, more often than not they end up as domestic and care workers. The article initially discusses the reasons for late-career female migration, taking into consideration the structural and personal determinants that have affected Peruvian and Ukrainian women’s careers in their countries of origin and settlement. After this, the focus is set on the characteristics of domestic employment at later life, on the impact on their current lives, including the transnational family organization, and on future labour and retirement prospects. Apart from an evaluation of objective working and living conditions, we discuss women’s personal impressions of being domestic workers in the context of their occupational experiences and family commitments. In this regard, women report varying levels of personal and professional satisfaction, as well as different patterns of continuity-discontinuity in their work and family lives, and of optimism towards the future. Divergences could be, to some extent, explained by the effect of migrants´ transnational social practices and policies of states.

Understandings of transnational families in debates on Migration and development

International migration sets in motion a range of significant transnational processes that connect countries and people. How migration interacts with development and how policies might promote and enhance such interactions have, since the turn of the millennium, gained attention on the international agenda. The recognition that transnational practices connect migrants and their families across sending and receiving societies forms part of this debate. The ways in which policy debate employs and understands transnational family ties nevertheless remain underexplored. This article sets out to discern the understandings of the family in two (often intermingled) debates concerned with transnational interactions: The largely state and policydriven discourse on the potential benefits of migration on economic development, and the largely academic transnational family literature focusing on issues of care and the micro-politics of gender and generation. Emphasizing the relation between diverse migration-development dynamics and specific family positions, we ask whether an analytical point of departure in respective transnational motherhood, fatherhood or childhood is linked to emphasizing certain outcomes. We conclude by sketching important strands of inclusions and exclusions of family matters in policy discourse and suggest ways to better integrate a transnational family perspective in global migration-development policy.

The Challenge of Migration and the Global Security Strategy of the European Union

This article discusses the challenges of irregular migration for the security of the EU. They are analyzed starting with the European Security Strategy 2003, and the Report on its Implementation, 2008, and notes many failures: The EU Members did not follow the directives adopted in Brussels, the mismanagement of migration and asylum policies, and numerous actions that can be characterized or described as improvised, scattered or irresponsible. The 2016 Global Strategy recognizes these failures and call attention to the European leaders to reconsider how the EU functions and operates, suggesting the need for greater unity and cooperation to achieve a more effective migration policy. However, the article points out that practically all of the sections of the new Strategy dealing with migration were already embodied in previous Strategies, and stress that in parallel with the publication of the 2016 Global Strategy, actions are already undertaken, such as the EU readmission agreements signed with several important third countries of origin.

Influence of household remittance on childhood stunting in Nepal

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-08

From Cash to Electronic Payments: Microeconomic, Macroeconomic, and Policy Aspects of Retail Payment Systems

This dissertation explores three aspects of the economics and policy issues surrounding retail payments (low-value frequent payments): the microeconomic aspect, by measuring costs associated with retail payment instruments; the macroeconomic aspect, by quantifying the impact of the use of electronic rather than paper-based payment instruments on consumption and GDP; and the policy aspect, by identifying barriers that keep countries stuck with outdated payment systems, and recommending policy interventions to move forward with payments modernization. Payment system modernization has become a prominent part of the financial sector reform agenda in many advanced and developing countries. Greater use of electronic payments rather than cash and other paper-based instruments would have important economic and social benefits, including lower costs and thereby increased economic efficiency and higher incomes, while broadening access to the financial system, notably for people with moderate and low incomes. The dissertation starts with a general introduction on retail payments. Chapter 1 develops a theoretical model for measuring payments costs, and applies the model to Guyana—an emerging market in the midst of the transition from paper to electronic payments. Using primary survey data from Guyanese consumers, the results of the analysis indicate that annual costs related to the use of cash by consumers reach 2.5 percent of the country’s GDP. Switching to electronic payment instruments would provide savings amounting to 1 percent of GDP per year. Chapter 2 broadens the analysis to calculate the macroeconomic impacts of a move to electronic payments. Using a unique panel dataset of 76 countries across the 17-year span from 1998 to 2014 and a pooled OLS country fixed effects model, Chapter 2 finds that on average, use of debit and credit cards contribute USD 16.2 billion to annual global consumption, and USD 160 billion to overall annual global GDP. Chapter 3 provides an in-depth assessment of the Albanian payment cards and remittances market and recommends a set of incentives and regulations (both carrots and sticks) that would allow the country to modernize its payment system. Finally, the conclusion summarizes the lessons of the dissertation’s research and brings forward issues to be explored by future research in the retail payments area.

EL IMPACTO DE LA CRISIS ECONÓMICA MUNDIAL SOBRE LA ECONOMÍA COSTARRICENSE: los efectos macroeconómicos

ResumenLa economía costarricense es una economía pequeña pero muy abierta al exterior, por ello, lo que ocurre en el resto del mundo nos afecta de alguna manera. Cuando estalló la crisis en los Estados Unidos, sus repercusiones se hicieron notar poco a poco alrededor del mundo. En un principio el principal efecto sobre nuestro país se vio reflejado en la inflación, sin embargo, conforme transcurrió el tiempo los efectos saltaron al sector real de la economía, es decir, a la producción y al empleo. En este artículo se analizan los principales efectos que hasta el momento ha tenido la crisis económica mundial en nuestro país, entre ellos se mencionan, la inflación; el decrecimiento en la actividad económica de los sectores construcción, industria, comercio y hoteles, principalmente; la caída en el turismo, las remesas, la Inversión Extranjera Directa (IED), las exportaciones e importaciones y, por último, la reducción en el empleo.Abstract Costa Rican economy is a very small open economy; therefore, what happens in the rest of the world affects us in some way. When the crisis in the United States exploded, its impact was slowly evident around the world. At first, the main effect on our country was reflected in inflation; however, the effects were then clear on the real sector of the economy, i.e. production and employment. This article examines the main effects which so far have been the global economic crisis in our economy, including inflation, and the decline in the economic activity in the construction sector, industry, commerce and hotels, primarily; as well as the fall in tourism, remittances, Foreign Direct Investment, exports and imports, and finally the reduction in employment.

Comportamiento del impuesto a la renta en la recaudación tributaria de la provincia del Azuay durante el último quinquenio

En la Constitución del Ecuador, en lo referente al Régimen Tributario, se busca la equidad, la importancia de la tributación directa, entre otros, garantizando de esta manera el Buen Vivir. Una vez revisadas las cifras, en la provincia del Azuay, los impuestos indirectos tienen un mayor nivel de recaudación. Este comportamiento atípico con lo que ocurre a nivel nacional, es lo que motivó la realización del presente trabajo, en donde bajo un enfoque sistémico se busca las posibles causas que lo originan. Para ello se recurrió a la información de recaudación tributaria que posee el Servicio de Rentas Internas. Partiendo de un análisis de la recaudación de impuestos a nivel nacional durante el quinquenio 2008-2012, se observa que el Impuesto a la Renta y el Impuesto al Valor Agregado son los de mayor recaudación dentro de los grupos de impuestos directos e indirectos respectivamente, contrastando con el comportamiento a nivel regional, y de la provincia del Azuay. El estudio realizado llevo a validar posibles causas que inciden en los niveles de recaudación del Impuesto a la Renta en la provincia, como: la composición y nivel de recaudación por clase de contribuyentes,el predominio de actividades económicas, la presencia de grandes contribuyentes con actividades específicas y los ingresos por remesas como generadoras de consumo.

La implementación de la trayectoria de desarrollo sostenible por parte de los pequeños estados insulares en desarrollo del Pacífico frente a su condición de vulnerabilidad

La investigación busca determinar el propósito que persiguen los pequeños Estados insulares en desarrollo del Pacífico al adoptar una trayectoria de desarrollo sostenible. Se plantea que la adopción de una trayectoria de desarrollo sostenible es la estrategia por medio de la cual estos Estados buscan hacer frente a su condición de vulnerabilidad; lo cual logran a través del uso de la diplomacia en distintos escenarios multilaterales, con el fin de modificar tanto sus prácticas como las de otros actores.

Planos nacionais de controlo dos géneros alimentícios

Este relatório descreve as atividades desenvolvidas durante o estágio curricular do curso de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária no âmbito da inspeção sanitária e saúde pública, realizado tanto nos PIF de Lisboa, como na Divisão de Riscos Alimentares (DRA) da Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica (ASAE). Existe uma grande variedade de produtos e animais que chegam diariamente à União Europeia provenientes de diferentes países terceiros, como por exemplo a China, África do Sul, Brasil, Índia, Canadá e Senegal. Durante o período de estágio a categoria dos produtos mais inspecionada nos PIF foi o pescado representando 57,5% da totalidade das remessas inspecionadas nos portos de Lisboa e 98% no aeroporto. No âmbito do plano de fiscalização da ASAE em 2015, a aluna analisou 365 amostras de géneros alimentícios e constatou-se que o número de amostras não conformes foi 254. O grupo das bebidas alcoólicas destacou-se com 159 amostras não conformes; Abstract: National Control Plans of Food This essay describes the activities developed throughout the curricular internship of the Integrated Master of Veterinary Medicine within sanitary inspection and public health, both at border control of Lisbon as well as in the Divisão de Riscos Alimentares (DRA) of the Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica (ASAE). There is a wide variety of products and animals that arrive daily to the European Union from third countries, such as China, South Africa, Brazil, India, Canada and Senegal. During the internship the largest category of inspected food was fish representing 57.5% of the inspected remittances in the port of Lisbon and 98% in the airport. As part of the fiscalization plan of ASAE in 2015 the student analysed 365 food samples and it was found that the number of samples non-conforming was 254. The ardent spirits was the category that stood out with 159 non-conforming samples (63%).

Los migradólares: ¿una oportunidad para el desarrollo local? Comunidades indígenas de México, como estudio de caso

En México, miles de campesinos e indígenas cruzan la frontera diariamente buscando el sostenimiento familiar, cobrando importancia la migración como la mejor opción de escapar de la pobreza extrema. La migración crea la necesidad de establecer vínculos con sus lugares de origen; dos ejemplos de ello son las remesas y los clubes de migrantes.En este artículo se muestran los logros alcanzados de dos comunidades indígenas transnacionales en materia de desarrollo local, que fueron posibles gracias al esfuerzo de concertación entre los agentes étnicos y los funcionarios públicos de los tres niveles en la búsqueda de mejorar las condiciones locales a través del aprovechamiento de las remesas.AbstractEveryday, thousands of Mexican peasants and indigenous people attempt to cross the US border seeking to gain a better economic income for them and their families. Immigration is seen as the best option on their run from extreme poverty. Immigration creates the need for these people to set links with their places of origin. Remittances and migrants clubs are examples of this type of links. The article shows the achievements reached by two communities in its local development. These achievements were made possible through the joint effort of ethnic agents and public employees by improving local conditions for remittances best effectible use.