Transnational Migrant Brazilian Women in “Pink Collar Jobs” in The
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© COPYRIGHT by Lucilia V. Tremura 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DEDICATION To Ricardo, My Dear Son TRANSNATIONAL MIGRANT BRAZILIAN WOMEN IN “PINK COLLAR JOBS” IN THE GREATER WASHINGTON D.C. AREA BY Lucilia V. Tremura ABSTRACT The study of transnational migrant Brazilian women in “pink collar jobs” in the Greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area comprises thirty-four Brazilian women who chose the United States as their place to be called home. It is termed transnational because of the permanent ties connecting these women to their country of origin, Brazil, and their country of adoption, the United States. The expression “pink collar jobs” indicates low paid jobs, mainly performed by women, no expertise necessary, in the service sector. The Washington D.C. metropolitan area has become a new destination for immigrants with a large concentration of Latin Americans. Brazilian presence is among these diverse groups of immigrants, with an increasing participation on the market. This research focuses on transnational migration in women‟s context, with all the nuances that involve the process of migration and incorporation into the labor market. Three research questions explore the topic: ii 1. Why do Brazilian women engage in transnational migration from Brazil to the United States? 1. a. How do social networks affect their transnational migration? 2. How do the social construction of gender and ethnicity influence the occupational choices of this group of Brazilian women, in light of their backgrounds and the job perspectives they anticipated? 3. In what ways do pink collar jobs shape their identity, social interaction and job satisfaction? The answers to these questions delineate the main characteristics, aspirations and satisfactions of these migrant workers as they embrace the United States as their new home. Furthermore, they emphasize the role of social networks facilitating their transnational migration which proves a continuous interaction of people and places. The findings are significant to policy makers in sending and receiving countries, to immigrant women and those interested in studying them. Brazilians are many times considered as part of the “panethnic” category of Hispanics. This argument raises discussions about Brazilian ethnic identity which differs from the people of Latin America. They are proud of their “Brazilianess” and see themselves as unique. Immigration shapes much of political debate in the United States. Moreover, the study underscores the importance of diversity in a country founded by immigrants. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Professors Esther Chow, Gloria A. Young, Jurg K. Siegenthaler and Russell A. Stone for their strong support throughout the whole program, especially in difficult times. I am also extremely grateful for the words of encouragement from Dr. Kim Blankenship. This paper would also not have been possible without the invaluable assistance of Professor Richard Scott, Adelaide Lusambili, Agatha Hostins, Barbara Christy, Doris Warrel, M. Spaziani, Patrick del Vecchio, Sara Markle, and Kali Michael. Finally, I must convey my sincere gratitude to the Brazilian women, who agreed to be interviewed for this study and to everyone else who contributed to my research efforts. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................... viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ......................................................................................... ix Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................1 Significance of Study................................................................................3 Key Terms ................................................................................................5 Research Organization ..............................................................................7 2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................9 Transnational Migration ...........................................................................9 Intersectionality Theory .......................................................................... 11 Network Theory ..................................................................................... 13 Labor Market Incorporation……………………………………………...17 3. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................... 20 Waves of Immigration and Theories ....................................................... 21 Latino/as................................................................................................. 26 Legislation………………………………………………………………..29 Gender and Migration……………………………………………………32 4. GENDER, CLASS, ETHNICITY, IDENTITY AND BRAZILIAN IMMIGRANT WOMEN…………………………………………………………42 Gender.................................................................................................... 42 v Class....................................................................................................... 45 Ethnicity ................................................................................................. 49 Race ....................................................................................................... 52 Identity ................................................................................................... 59 5. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................... 63 Qualitative Approach…………………………………………………… 64 Key Informants…………………………………………………………..65 Population………………………………………………………………..72 Sampling………………………………………………………………….73 Data Collection…………………………………………………………..76 In Depth Face-to-Face Interviews………………………………………..77 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………….79 Reliability………………………………………………………………...80 Validity…………………………………………………………………...80 Limitations and Delimitations……………………………………………81 6. FINDINGS ..................................................................................................... 82 Reasons for Migrating, the Role of Network and Pink Collar Jobs……………………………………………………...92 The Relationship Between Occupational Choices and the Social Construction of Gender and Ethnicity…………………..104 Identity and Pink Collar Jobs, Social Interaction and Job Satisfaction…………………………………………………….112 7. CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................... 125 Transnationalism and Networks and Labor Market Incorporation……………………………………………………………124 vi Intersectionality .................................................................................... 128 Class Before and After Migration ......................................................... 129 Political Participation…………………………………………………...131 Identity…………………………………………………………………132 Ethnic Identity………………………………………………………….132 Gender Identity………………………………………………………...133 Racial Identity………………………………………………………….134 Suggestions for Further Studies……………………………………… 135 APPENDIX A: TRANSNATIONAL MIGRANT BRAZILIAN WOMEN IN PINK COLLAR JOBS IN THE GREATER WASHINGTON DC AREA: Consent to Participate in Research-English Form……………...137 APPENDIX B: Formulao de Autorizacao……………………………………………...140 APPENDIX C: Interview: Socio-biological Economic Data…………………………..141 APPENDIX D: Entrevista: Dados Biologicos e Socio-Economico……………………146 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………151 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Brazilians in the United States-Consulates Jurisdiction-2008…………………….4 2. Brazilian Foreign Born Male and Female Population of the United States of the US 1980-2007……………………………………………………………..38 3. Key Characteristics of Respondents……………………………………………..86 viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Illustration 1. National Origin of Immigrants in the Washington Metropolitan Area 2006. ....... 28 ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Like the United States, Brazil has been known as a country of immigration since the first settlements by the Portuguese. However, during the eighties, an increasing number of Brazilians left the country in search of better opportunities denied in their country of origin. “They were fleeing from a high inflation and economic uncertainty that have gouged the middle class and made its standard of living harder to maintain. By 1991, the „Collor Plan‟ to cut inflation was unsuccessful and the Brazilian economy had shrunk by 4.6 percent, the largest drop since 1947 (Margolis, 1994).” The United States is the favorite destination of many Brazilians. A network system previously built up directs them to new ports of entry where low paid jobs are open to immigrants and they may easily integrate into the American society. New York, Boston and Miami attracted most of them, initially. They came after the jobs American people didn‟t want, but fit the newcomers to make their living. This immigration movement which started as a predominant male phenomenon, changed direction with more women and families arriving in the United States, at the beginning of the nineties (Franklin,1992, in DeBiaggi, 2002). The arrival of more immigrants also brought an expansion of networks and new places for settlements. Washington D.C. has become an attractive place for many immigrants, including Brazilians. Diplomatic organizations, financial centers,