Transnationalism and Intersectionality: Views and Experiences of Second-Generation Filipino Youth in UAE Cities

Abstract

Permanent temporariness experienced by Gulf migrants--especially among middle class professionals and their family members--has received increasing scholarly attention over the last decade. Some migrant scholars further looked into the nexus between this pattern of temporary (or circular) migration and the emergence of transnationalism as their coping or forced mechanism to their temporary status. This paper will focus on cases of second generation Filipino youth and investigate how they experience temporariness and transnationalism in connection with the notion of "citizenship," based on ethnographic data collected with 23 Filipino youth in United Arab Emirates (UAE) cities. Using an intersectional approach, I argue that heterogeneity markers such as age, gender, class, and levels of transnational engagement determine the choice between different types of arrangements in their pursuit for citizenship.