Comparing life trajectories and adaptive strategies of Ukrainian and Vietnamese female immigrants in Poland

Weronika Kloc-Nowak, CEFMR, Poland

8th European Sociological Association Conference

Glasgow, 5th September 2007

Acknowledgements:

“

FEMAGE

– Need for Female Immigrants and Their Integration in Aging Societies” funded through EC 6 th Framework Programme.

Prof. Charlotte Hoehn (BiB, Germany)

- Project Co-ordinator

Dr Attila Melegh (DRI, Hungarian Central Statistical Institute)

the narrative interviews methodology design.

Izabela Kory ś (CEFMR)

coordinated the interviewing and led the analysis in Poland, especially in the Vietnamese part.

Plan of the presentation

1. About the research 2. Motives for migration 3. Strategies employed 4. Trajectories 5. Conclusions 3

Aims of the research

• to compare and contrast the migratory experience of female immigrants from Ukraine and from Vietnam who settled in Poland • to identify the factors influencing the female migratory experience in the life course perspective • to investigate the degree of social and economic integration available to settled female immigrants • to identify the needs and attitudes concerning integration into the host society to be responded by policy means • to assess the future of immigrants (stay, return, further migration) in the context of their stories and future aging 4

1. About the research

2.Motives 3.Strategies employed 4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

Data on the immigrant groups

•

Ukrainians

– the largest immigrant group • 9 840 residence permits • up to 400 000 present each year at peak (est.) • feminisation (2/3) due to mixed marriages • largest share among foreign students and workers • best suited for integration? •

Vietnamese

– the unique immigrant community • 1876 residence permits • 100 000 at peak, now ca 35 000 (est.) • ethnic niche: trade business • concentration and segregation 5

1. About the research

2.Motives 3.Strategies employed 4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

Hypotheses on migration patterns

Ukrainians Vietnamese

• migration was easy, and cheap – massive, available to individuals • migration was expensive, difficult, often illegal – family resources and channels • post-Soviet society – broken ties, weak families • historical and family ties across the border (ethnic minorities) • cultural proximity, ‘invisibility’, ability to assimilate

1. About the research

2.Motives • Confucian values, strong clan and family ties strategies – cooperation, collective 3.Strategies employed • cultural and physical distinctiveness, fear of racist attacks, segregation 4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

6

Selection of interviewees

• Long term documented 1st generation migrants (1989 onwards, 3 years, residence permit) • Variety of age (20-34, 35-49, 50+) • • • Variety of social and economic status

Vietnamese (15):

recruited through an insider, only in Warsaw, only through personal ties, interviewed in Vietnamese

Ukrainians (16):

recruited through Greek-Orthodox parishes, Internet, NGOs, employers, media (‘celebrities’), in Warsaw and 3 peripherical regions, interviewed in Polish 5.Conclusions

1. About the research

2.Motives 3.Strategies employed 4.Trajectories

7

Narrative interview

• Based on biographic-interpretive method (BIM) by Fischer-Rosenthal and Rosenthal (Rosenthal 1996, Wengraf 2001), analysis of the told story and lived life.

• Modified for FEMAGE by Melegh, stress on lifecourse.

1. opening unit:

Question: We are interested in the migration of women.

Could you please tell the history of how you got here.

Result: a passage of her story, uninterrupted, she decides the end.

2.

‘catching the threads’:

Questions posed only in reference to the events mentioned, starting from the earliest ones, words of the interviewee.

Result: filling in missing parts in her lifestory, biography reconstruction.

3. untouched aspects:

family, work, legalisation 8

1. About the research

2.Motives 3.Strategies employed 4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

Analysis of the narratives

1. Reconstruction of the biography

Events in chronological order. (1 person, interviewer)

2. Questionning the biography development

Predicting (alternative) scenarios, producing hypotheses on active forces in her life. (team)

3. Identification of major turning points, driving engines.

4. Gendered aspects

Presentation of herself as a woman, her attitudes and choices in typical gendered moments.

5. Discourse

active/passive self-presentation, dichotomies...

9

1. About the research

2.Motives 3.Strategies employed 4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

Motivations for migration

1.

„Generally speaking, a woman has two reasons: life and family” – marriage and family reasons

• • Marital migration (both) • Family reunion (Vietnamese) • Turning temporary to settlement due to a Polish parter (Ukrainian)

Migration as reaction to personal trauma

(both)

eg: In Vietnam these love affairs are not considered as in the West this means in the West it’s pretty normal, isn’t it? But in Vietnam there’s something wrong about it – of course not for me myself – but in general this is not good disrespect you – since you loose anyhow – your students that’s why I had to leave.

VN16 10 1. About the research

2.Motives

3.Strategies employed 4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

2.

“Everyone else goes abroad…” – labour or welfare migration

• • • Looking for better income and standard of living (both nationalities)

First my husband came to work here and I came to visit him ( three months after my arrival I started to trade noticed that “there could be profits out of it”.

…) – and – the first day I

VN2

I could only afford to buy a handbag or a lipstick in a month. To buy a pair of shoes I had to save my salary for four months. U9

• Unemployment (Ukrainian, young Vietnamese)

Then there was such a situation, that there was unemployment, there was an unemployment benefit. The benefit in the beginning was quite good, as I had been earning good money at school [the benefit was first equal to the lost salary] and then less, and less, and less, and then appeared the question what [to do?]. In the country, there was no work near by, further away – one didn’t know. U10

11 1. About the research

2.Motives

3.Strategies employed 4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

3. “An opportunity to study what I have always wanted” – migration as a response to blocked

upward social mobility in the country of origin

• Migration to study - Ukrainians

Journalism was something I had dreamed of since a long time – and – in the university of [home town] there was no such faculty. There is one in the University of Lviv, but unfortunately – unfortunately I have to mention about the possibility of getting into a university. It is very difficult, I should say. A great role is played by money and personal contacts. None of them did my family possess so I chose a less ambitious faculty [philology at local university] but as the journalism was still somewhere inside me and, and I found such an opportunity to study what I have always wanted – in Poland.

U13 1. About the research

2.Motives

3.Strategies employed 4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

12

3. migration as a response to blocked upward

social mobility - cnt

• Labour migration due to failed entry exams - Vietnamese

If you didn’t graduate from a school and didn’t find a job after the school, it was a complete unemployment and I would be an ordinary sales person – it would be very difficult. VN13 [After high school] I sent abroad didn’t get to the university – and I was left at home – and my friends – I had good friends – at these times many people failed the entry exams – in my times almost everybody – so – for some of them the families managed to find a placement, some were – like me here – later when I was flying to Poland I saw that everyone has made it – succeeded – majority succeeded thanks to trade. VN4

13 1. About the research

2.Motives

3.Strategies employed 4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

Vietnamese trading strategy

The path of development followed by the majority of interviewees: 1.

2.

investing one’s savings into merchandise or taking some goods in commission from a wealthier trader.

selling them in a rented stall in the Stadion place in the centre of Warsaw.

– an open air market 3.

4.

buying one’s own stall/box and moving to a “better” part of the Stadion (from retailing to wholesale).

moving to the East Asian Commercial Centre (“the China centre”).

The most successful one turned to: 5.

large scale import from China.

6.

ordering and importing own brands of clothing.

5.Conclusions

14 1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed

4.Trajectories

Vietnamese trading cnt

Photo: Bożena Navicka 1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed

4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

15

Vietnamese trading cnt

1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed

4.Trajectories

Photo: EACC materials 5.Conclusions

16

• • •

Vietnamese trading cnt

Problems:

[In the Stadion] we had imported goods ‘cool heads’ – we didn’t need to worry about – we did not import anything, we did not think, but the life was very hard. You see, we needed to worry about caring goods, about everything but it was a “physical”, not an “intellectual” difficulty. Now it’s much easier “physically” because I don’t need to drag heavy packages myself as I employ Polish workers to do so, but the whole day I need to think, to account so there’ll be some commodities, there’ll be some money, there’ll be some profits…

VN9 effort, extermely long hours, monotony & routine risk of being arrested for tax/duty offence organising child care in unusual hours 17 1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed

4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

Ukrainians: variety of jobs

Casual jobs

• Cleaners, child minders, elderly carers Frequent changes, abandoning jobs

My studies: I had such a need to go out, sit in a library, get a book. They were paying me quite well, so I could by these books, but I needed company. I realised that it was very hard to live among Poles all the time, because I had no Ukrainians near me. (...) The girl was very sad when I as leaving, she was crying and couldn’t understand. U9

Full time professionals – mostly teachers

The situation was such that there were only two English philologists in X, two persons who were able to translate in our big town. People made a lot of demands on me: this school offered me hours, that school, the company.

People who had some private companies asked,- asked me to call somebody in the USA at midnight, because it is a different time zone and so on. At first they tried to exploit me, but then I didn’t allow for it.

U15 18 1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed

4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

Exceptions

‘An Ukrainian Vietnamese’ – selling textiles

In [the town X] I met an Ukrainian, I thought that he would help me, simply as another person to ask, and he made me run away from that town. Why?

Competition.

U17

Am I a president or a company or who am I? A prole. Like a horse.( …) I carry the burden, not my employees, me.

U17

A ‘Vietnamese intermediator’

a Pole’s wife, tried many professions, runs legal and accounting advising company

When I opened this accounting company Vietnamese – it was mostly to serve to the – but besides it serves others, mostly my friends get clients for me, one tells to another – Ukrainians, Russians, English, these are all friends – I have this big advantage from my husband’s side – his friends – thanks to which, thanks to which my contacts are wider, this is my advantage

. VN14 1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed

4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

19

1.

Family strategies

Ethnicly mixed marriages

(Ukrainians, one Vietnamese)

2.

Ethnic (in-group) marriages

(Vietnamese, two Ukrainians)

3.

Single

(Ukrainians, one Vietnamese)

Yet, if I continue my studies and start a family here - - I would like him [i.e.

her future husband] the most to be an Ukrainian. I mean it doesn’t matter to me if he is from the “Action Vistula” [member of the Ukrainian minority living in Poland], or an Ukrainian from Ukraine, or an Ukrainian who came and settled here, that I would only like him to be Ukrainian, so that - we conflicts on the matters of religion, Church, upbringing of children, he would have to speak Ukrainian apart from Polish, then I would 100% sure stay in Poland. U8 wouldn’t matter to me.

wouldn’t have

1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed

4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

20

Negative opinions about mixed marriages

I saw among my friends Vietnamese who married Polish women are young people - but majority of them - regrets. VN10 – they 100% of men, who have Polish wives have also extramarital relationships with Vietnamese women. VN13 [It is hard for a foreign woman to survive alone] unless you get married then – you’re oppressed by the husband, an alcoholic, a miser or some other ‘moron’. It is rare that one marries a normal man -

U17

Hypothesis:

Poor quality of partners available to immigrant women, Bad experience from bogus marriages 1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed

4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

21

Mothering - strategies

-

Ukrainians

limiting economic activity due to parenthood (not only for maternity leave) bearing children when one doesn’t have right to work yet -

Vietnamese

providing children with financial means, mostly for education delegating upbringing tasks on hired persons or institutions leaving children with relatives in the host country 1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed

4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

22

Trajectories

1.

„Ripening” – gradual development

(both, more Vietnamese)

[Vietnamese] aim higher and higher, diligent and hard-working, having lofty aspirations and climbing upward, as this is an only way leading to a success. VN 6

2.

“Starting from scratch” – crisis and recovery trajectory

(both)

And I gave my first concert, it was the first concert, I wanted to do it in the underground passage [where she trades] as I was born again [starting to recite her poem]: I was born again in the beautiful town G.

here I found my luck, while I was in a trap, I found peace next to anxiety, my sweet joy fights with bitter toil.

U17 (translation by WKN) 23 1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed

4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

3.

“There was no single moment that I would be happy that I live in

Poland” – subjugation and degradation scenarios

(both)

Trading, I forget about many things so I’m robbed or I forget to charge, that is when I sell I happen to forget to take money from clients, you know it’s my head, I can’t concentrate, I don’t have a gift for it.(...) frankly speaking I don’t like it now and I never did money apart my – I compelled myself to trade since we need some husband’s wage to afford some food and clothes. VN5

4.

“Life has its own scenarios” – stories of prolonged temporality

And now after the studies I didn’t know if- because: I, I am not sure if I want to come back home, kind of I still don’t have this certainty where I will stay. (...) That’s why I wanted to study and long I couldn’t make my mind what faculty, I thought I will take psychology, as I had wanted to [before], so I would try for the third time. U8 I do not really know what to do with it right now. I am not a pedagogue. I am neither a religious instruction teacher, nor a pedagogue, nor anything. In general everything, in practice nothing.

U9 1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed

4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

24

Conclusions

•

Motivations

Viet: family reunification, family welfare, independence Ukr: studies, labour, joining the Polish partner •

Economic strategies

Viet: trade in ethnic niche – profitable, high personal cost • Ukr: limiting ec. activity or full time at primary labour market

Family strategies

Viet: in-group marriages, child care delegated outside Ukr: mixed marriages, many singles, own child care 25 1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed 4.Trajectories

5.Conclusions

Further research questions

•

Channels

• Very positive effects of institutionalised channels for Ukrainians (regional cooperation)! Other such formal channels?

Purposeful isolation

Uneasy company of Poles as a reason for avoiding primary labour market, Vietnamese 1.5 generation reluctant to integrate. Why?

• •

Secondary marital market

In both groups negative opinions on mixed marriages – based on bogus marriages? Quality of partners available to immigrant women!

Secondary education market

Illusion of higher education value when it was primarly a means for legal residence? Information on labour market needed!

5.Conclusions

26 1. About the research 2.Motives

3.Strategies employed 4.Trajectories