เส้นทางการทำงานของคนไทยผู้ย้ายถิ่นในสหรัฐอเมริกาภายใต้สถานะทางกฎหมายไม่มั่นคง: การวิเคราะห์เชิงช่วงชีวิต

Pakapon Senkhaw

Authors

Asst. Prof. Pakapon Senkhaw, Ph.D. Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Ramkhamhaeng University

Keywords:

International migration, Work trajectories, Precarious legal status, Life course perspective, Thai migrants in the United States

Abstract

This research aimed to examine the work trajectories of Thai migrants in the United States under precarious legal status. This study applied the Life Course Perspective to understand migration decision-making processes, life transitions, and structural conditions shaping work trajectories in the destination society. A qualitative research approach was employed, with data collected through in-depth interviews with six Thai migrants residing in the United States without legal status. The participants were categorized into three age groups: 20–29 years, 30–44 years, and 45–60 years. Each age group included one male and one female participant to reflect gender differences in work and living experiences under precarious legal conditions across life stages.

The findings revealed that migrants’ work trajectories are gradual processes closely linked to life transitions. These trajectories can be divided into four key stages: (1) the decision to migrate, (2) the migration process, (3) the initial stage of employment in the destination society, and (4) the decision to establish permanent settlement. At each stage, migrants encounter constraints related to legal status, economic opportunities, and social networks, all of which play a crucial role in shaping their work and life trajectories. The study highlights that understanding migrants’ work trajectories requires considering migration processes and individual life stages within the broader social, economic, and legal contexts of the destination country.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Castles, S., de Haas, H., & Miller, M. J. (2014). The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World (5th ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.

De Genova,N.P. (2002). Migrant “Illegality” and Deportability in Everyday Life. Annual Review Anthropology, 31, 419-447. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.anthro.31.040402.085432

De Haas, H. (2010). The Internal Dynamics of Migration Processes: A Theoretical Inquiry. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 36(10), 1587–1617. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2010.489361

Elder, G. H. (1998). The Life Course as Developmental Theory, Child Development, 69(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.tb06128.x

Elder, G. H., Johnson, M. K., Crosnoe, R. (2003). The Emergence and Development of Life Course Theory. In Mortimer, J. T., Shanahan, M. J. (Eds.) Handbook of the Life Course (pp.3 – 19). Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-48247-2_1

International Organization for Migration. (2019). World Migration Report 2020. OIM UN Migration. https://publications.iom.int/books/world-migration-report-2020

Kley, S. (2017). Facilitators and Constraints at Each Stage of the Migration Decision Process. Population Studies, 71(1), 35–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/00324728.2017.1359328

Massey, D. S., Arango, J., Hugo, G., Kouaouci, A., Pellegrino, A., & Taylor, J. E. (1993). Theories of International Migration: A Review and Appraisal. Population and Development Review, 19(3), 431–466. https://doi.org/10.2307/2938462

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2020). International Migration 2020 Highlights. United Nations. https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/international-migration-2020-highlights

Wingens, M., Windzio, M., de Valk, H., & Aybek, C. (2011). A Life-Course Perspective on Migration and Integration. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1545-5

World Bank. (2023). Migration and Development Brief 39: Leveraging Diaspora Finances for Private Capital Mobilization. World Bank.