Why is there so little migrant settlement in East Asia?

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Abstract

Unlike states in Europe, East Asia settles very few migrants and has not developed a European-style multicultural society. We seek to explain this variation using comparative analysis of two of the most advanced states in East Asia, South Korea and Japan, with several states in Europe. Focusing on family reunification - almost always the precursor to migrant settlement - we examine the effects of several independent variables, including supranational institutions, independent courts, interest groups, political culture, and the perceptions of migrants. We conclude that both Korea and Japan have less migrant settlement because of the lack of regional institutions pushing for family reunification rights, an elite political culture that still maintains the assumptions and repertoires of a "developmental state," where rights may be sacrificed for economic growth and order, and migrant perceptions of greater immigration control in Asia.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)578-620
Number of pages43
JournalInternational Migration Review
Volume43
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2009

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
    SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

Quacquarelli Symonds(QS) Subject Topics

  • Geography
  • Sociology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Why is there so little migrant settlement in East Asia?'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this