Abstract
This paper discusses how middle class Filipino migrants develop a sense of place and identity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through involvement in voluntary associations . After a period of adjustment, they begin to realise the benefits of extending their contracts and stay in a receiving society that treats foreign professional workers as semi-permanent but socially differentiated and excluded from the host society. One way to cope with such impermanence and develop a sense of belonging is to join voluntary associations and get involved in volunteer activities to support their less fortunate compatriots, such as domestic workers , who are more vulnerable to unfair treatment and abuses. In this way, they create meaningful involvement in their diasporic lives and maintain their Filipino identity in a transnational setting.
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Notes
- 1.
Interview with Mr. Noel Servigon, Minister and Consul General, Philippine Embassy, Abu Dhabi, 2 February 2009.
- 2.
The Arab Gulf countries, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, consist of six countries located around the Arab (or Persian) Gulf, namely: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
- 3.
A number of studies (e.g. Mednicoff 2012; Gardner 2010; Longva 1997; Owen 1985) have pointed out these legal and social practices in the Arab Gulf states which are described in this paragraph as discriminatory and problematic. While the practices among the countries in this region vary and some Arab Gulf states have been reviewing part of such practices and changes have been made in some areas, we may still say that the overall structural constraints faced by migrants throughout the region remain quite similar.
- 4.
These numbers are based on the list of associations prepared by the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Philippine Consulate in Dubai, respectively.
- 5.
My research project colleagues (Dr. Masako Ishii and Dr. Akiko Watanabe) and I conducted a questionnaire survey of twelve members of the Filipino Nurse Association in the Emirates (see Sect. 3.4) in Abu Dhabi in March 2011, which was followed by another survey of fifteen members of a Filipino choir group in Abu Dhabi in February 2012. Characteristics mentioned here represent our findings from these two surveys.
- 6.
In 2010, nursing was the third most popular occupation among registered OFWs, next only to domestic workers and cleaners, and was the most popular occupation among professional and technical jobs (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration 2011). A study estimated that 85 % of Filipino nurses are now hired abroad (Lorenzo et al. 2007, 1409). Among the countries that nurses immigrate to, Saudi Arabia is the most popular country among new hires, followed by the UAE and other Arab Gulf states (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration 2011). Other major destinations include East and Southeast Asia (i.e. Singapore, Taiwan) and Europe (i.e. Ireland, UK). The United States follows, but it is said that government statistics fail to record the majority of nurses who immigrate there.
- 7.
Interview with Ms. Diana in Abu Dhabi on 25 February 2011.
- 8.
Same as above.
- 9.
The questionnaire survey was conducted with twelve members of the Filipino Nurse Association in the Emirates in Abu Dhabi in March 2011.
- 10.
Although the prevalence of unpaid credit card debt is not limited to nurses, a Philippine official told me that the incidence is particularly high among nurses and domestic workers. The Philippine Embassy and Consulate carry out financial literary seminars to OFWs on a regular basis in order to reduce this incidence. See also news reports: ‘Loans, Credit Card Debts Among Top Concerns of Filipinos in UAE’, Gulf Today, 12 July 2011 (http://www.pinoy-ofw.com/news/13780-loans-credit-card-debts-top-concerns-filipinos-uae.html); ‘Filipinos in UAE caught in credit card trap’, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 22 August 2011 (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/9791/filipinos-in-uae-caught-in-credit-card-trap).
- 11.
The reason why nursing stands as the popular ‘professional’ career among overseas Filipinos today has historical roots. Due to the Philippines’ colonial connection with the United States since the beginning of the 20th century, becoming a nurse has long been seen as a means of possibly immigrating to the United States (Choy 2003). In other words, culturally speaking, becoming a nurse implies ‘landing in the United States’, the dream of many Filipino families.
- 12.
Interview with Ms. Anne in Dubai on 2 March 2013.
- 13.
See the Dubai Government website on licencing social clubs (http://www.cda.gov.ae/). However, the program has made registration difficult for most Filipino associations as it requires a registration fee of AED 2000, an office space, and the employment of regular staff, while the majority of Filipino associations are just small organisations. See also Lily Libo-on ‘Filipino Organisations Told to Unite to Resolve Issues’ Khaleej Times, 1 August 2013 (http://www.khaleejtimes.com/).
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Acknowledgements
The study was supported by Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) Kakenhi Grant number 20401007 (2008–10) and 23401014 (2011–13). An earlier version was presented at the Philippine Studies Conference in Japan held at Kyoto University on 28 February–1 March 2014. Thanks go to the participants for their insightful comments. I am deeply grateful to my Filipino interviewees in the UAE for having shared their everyday lives and views.
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Hosoda, N. (2016). Middle Class Filipinos and the Formation of Diasporic National Communities in the United Arab Emirates. In: Lian, K., Rahman, M., Alas, Y. (eds) International Migration in Southeast Asia. Asia in Transition, vol 2. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-712-3_3
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