Negotiating Care Across Borders & Generations: An Analysis of Care Circulation in Filipino Transnational Families in the Chubu Region of Japan by MCCALLUM Derrace Garfield DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in International Development GRADUATE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT NAGOYA UNIVERSITY Approved by the Dissertation Committee: ITO Sanae (Chairperson) HIGASHIMURA Takeshi KUSAKA Wataru Approved by the GSID Committee: March 4, 2020 This dissertation is dedication to Mae McCallum; the main source of inspiration in my life. ii Acknowledgements Having arrived at this milestone, I pause to reflect on the journey and all the people and organizations who helped to make it possible. Without them, my dreams might have remained unrealized and this journey would have been dark, lonely and full of misery. For that, I owe them my deepest gratitude. First, I must thank the families who invited me into their lives. They shared with me their most intimate family details, their histories, their hopes, their joys, their sorrows, their challenges, their food and their precious time. The times I spent with the families, both in Japan and in the Philippines, are some of the best experiences I have ever had and I will forever cherish those memories. When I first considered the possibility of studying the family life of Filipinos, I was immediately daunted by the fact that I was a total stranger and an ‘outsider’, even though I had already made many Filipino friends while I was living in Nagano prefecture in Japan. Nevertheless, once I made the decision to proceed and started approaching potential families, my fears were quickly allayed by the warmth and openness of the Filipino people and their willingness to accept me into their lives, their families and their country. I have to express my deepest gratitude to Carmelita Nuqui (Tita Mel), the Executive Director of Development Action for Women Network (DAWN), who provided an easy transition into the field and gave me the opportunity to do an internship in her organization. During my time as an intern, I not only conducted interviews with members of the organization, but the staff members provided personal guidance and assistance for my research. They helped me to grasp a better understanding of the Philippine society. Thanks to Tita Joy, Tita Mirriam, Tita Luz, Tita Anna, Tita Gilda, Tito Lance and all the other women and children at DAWN. They have truly become my Filipino family and DAWN remains my home whenever I visit the Philippines. On my way to becoming a scholar of Filipino Studies, I have had the privilege of meeting and interacting with many eminent scholars (both Japanese and Filipino) and migration activists who provided tremendous support and guidance in helping me make sense of the issues I was interrogating. Dr. Ron Vilog, my sempai, provided my first opportunity to present my preliminary findings at an international conference hosted by De La Salle University in Manila. It was during that conference that I met Dr. Benjamin San Jose, who became a close friend and academic guide regarding Filipino migration to Japan. His invitation for me to give a presentation at Ateneo de Manila University proved to be a rewarding experience. I am also indebted to him for his suggestions of reference materials and for allowing me to use his staff discount to purchase relevant materials at the university bookstore. Through my connections at DAWN, I was able to have fruitful and engaging discussions with executive members of the Philippine Migrant Rights Watch (PMRW). My visit to the Scalabrini Migration Center and my long and personal discussion with Madam Maruja Asis, the Director of Research and Publications, helped me to focus my research and direct my thoughts on new areas of migration research in the Philippines. Other scholars like Prof. Filomin Gutierrez, Prof. Megumi Hara, Prof. Chiho Ogaya, Katrina Navallo and Veronica Gregorio have also provided invaluable support on my journey. I am grateful to the individuals and academic communities that allowed me a place at their conferences and in their deliberations. I received valuable feedback from presentations I gave at conferences and seminars organized by Hiroshima University, the Philippine Sociological Society, the Japan Association for Migration Policy Studies, the Japan Association iii for Human Security Studies, the Japan Society for International Development and the International Sociological Association. These engagements greatly assisted me in honing my arguments and organizing my thoughts as I went through the process of writing. The Graduate School of International Development (GSID) has truly become my home in Japan. During my five years, I have developed deep and significant connections that will no doubt continue in the future. My deepest gratitude must be extended to my academic supervisor, Prof. Sanae Ito, who allowed me the intellectual autonomy to pursue a research project that, perhaps, falls outside the boundaries of what is usually researched in this graduate school. She has always been extremely supportive throughout my masters and into my doctoral research. Her confidence in my abilities made it possible for me to perceive myself as a formidable academic. Ito-sensei’s door always remained open to me and whenever I was late with submissions, she was always gracious and kind. I thank her for her attention, her guidance and her insightful comments throughout the entire process. I can never thank my committee members enough; both Prof. Takeshi Higashimura and Prof. Wataru Kusaka were instrumental in helping me to produce a dissertation I can be proud of. Prof. Higashimura, with his very sharp intellect and keen eyes, always helped me to identify the fault lines in my arguments. He also provided useful suggestions on how to improve my arguments. Prof. Kusaka’s daring personality and provocative perspectives inspired me to make bold propositions and challenge established knowledge. As a well-known and celebrated Philippine scholar, he not only suggested relevant reference materials that proved valuable, he also personally introduced me to many other Japanese and Filipinos who were engaged in similar research. His support was crucial in helping me to find my place in the community of Philippine scholars. For that, I am grateful. I owe my survival of this process to the mentorship I received from Prof. Francis Peddie. Throughout my years at GSID, he has always been inspiring and compassionate. Whenever I was tired, frustrated, disappointed, confused, worried or dejected, a visit to Peddie-sensei’s office was always what helped me to feel better. His uncanny ability to empathize and connect with people is second to none. As a migration expert and historian, I was also able to draw from his academic reservoir. Peddie-sensei is now more than my professor. He is my counsellor, my friend and my brother. With the funding I received from my participation in the Women Leaders Program to Promote Wellbeing in Asia, I was able to conduct my doctoral studies without having to worry about financial issues. Moreover, being awarded a place in this scholarship program was indeed a blessing. I was able to boost my knowledge and understanding of gender issues, particularly in the Asian context. I also met many wonderful people like Aiza Sarwar and Waruni Jayaratne who will remain life-long friends. I thank all the professors and staff who organized and managed the program. I must also express my gratitude to the Japanese government and the people of Japan who funded this program. I am indebted to my friends for their never-ending support. I apologize for the times when I was not available to hang out. I appreciate the camping trips, the BBQs and the parties we had; also, the beers, the wines and the cocktails we shared. Those are the things that helped me to survive graduate school. My dear friend, Karl, deserves my gratitude, not only for the social activities we did together, but also for his availability to listen to my ideas and provide honest feedback. I appreciate your presence and unwavering support! Finally, I want to thank my family and friends for their support and understanding. Their constant support and cheers are what made it possible to keep my sanity. My heartfelt gratitude goes to my sister Velma, who remained by my side through many hard times. As elaborated in this dissertation, alongside the familial harmony and celebrations of progress, many families iv encountered difficult times and had many conflicts. My family is no different. However, like the families whose story I share, my family has been remarkably resilient. I thank all of them for, simply, being my family. My mother; Mae McCallum, who passed away just before I began graduate studies, remains the single most important driving force behind this process. Whenever I got off track or felt like quitting, I always heard her calming voice in my head encouraging me and reminding me of the importance of finishing what I started. I am comforted that she is now in heaven smiling down at me and marvelling at the huge success I have become. I thank her for life and for everything she has done to make this achievement possible. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all. v List of Acronyms and Abbreviations CPFA Chubu Philippines Friendship Association CFO Commission on Filipinos Overseas DAWN Development Action for Women Network FDI Foreign Direct Investments ICTs Information and Communication