Migrant Workers, Legal Tactics, and Fragile Family Formation in Hong Kong
<p>Immigration and labor laws and policies, including employment contracts for temporary workers, are largely intended to protect the rights and privileges of citizens and to limit those of migrant workers. In Hong Kong, “foreign domestic helpers” are prohibited from bringi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law
2013-12-01
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| Series: | Oñati Socio-Legal Series |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ssrn.com/abstract=2356926 |
| _version_ | 1811339118570897408 |
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| author | Nicole Constable |
| author_facet | Nicole Constable |
| author_sort | Nicole Constable |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Immigration and labor laws and policies, including employment contracts for temporary workers, are largely intended to protect the rights and privileges of citizens and to limit those of migrant workers. In Hong Kong, “foreign domestic helpers” are prohibited from bringing family members with them and despite legal maternity protections they face many deterrents to being or becoming pregnant. Yet some migrant women nonetheless become mothers in Hong Kong, and learn from friends, partners, nongovernmental organizations and human rights lawyers, to utilize laws and policies – such as the UN Convention Against Torture, labor law and family law – as tactics to establish and maintain a “family” of sorts in the region, at least temporarily. This essay presents ethnographic examples of the tactical use of law by migrant mothers in their efforts to remain in Hong Kong with their children, despite hegemonic pressures against doing so.</p> <hr /><p>Las leyes y políticas laborales y de inmigración, incluyendo los contratos de trabajo de los trabajadores temporales, están destinadas principalmente a proteger los derechos y privilegios de los ciudadanos y limitar los de los trabajadores emigrantes. En Hong Kong, "las trabajadoras domésticas extranjeras" tienen prohibido traer miembros de la familia con ellos, y a pesar de las protecciones legales de maternidad se enfrentan a muchos impedimentos si están o se quedan embarazadas. Sin embargo, algunas mujeres emigrantes se convierten en madres en Hong Kong, y aprenden de los amigos, socios, organizaciones no gubernamentales y abogados de derechos humanos a utilizar las leyes y políticas - como la Convención de la ONU contra la Tortura, el derecho laboral y el derecho de familia - como tácticas para establecer y mantener una "familia" tipo en la región, al menos temporalmente. Este ensayo presenta ejemplos etnográficos de la utilización táctica de la ley por las madres emigrantes en sus esfuerzos por permanecer en Hong Kong con sus hijos, a pesar de las presiones hegemónicas que no lo permiten. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:20:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3d7abd4c5e2842eaa656606a6bd532ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-5971 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:20:33Z |
| publishDate | 2013-12-01 |
| publisher | Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Oñati Socio-Legal Series |
| spelling | doaj.art-3d7abd4c5e2842eaa656606a6bd532ed2022-12-22T02:35:27ZengOñati International Institute for the Sociology of LawOñati Socio-Legal Series2079-59712013-12-013610041022231Migrant Workers, Legal Tactics, and Fragile Family Formation in Hong KongNicole Constable0University of Pittsburgh<p>Immigration and labor laws and policies, including employment contracts for temporary workers, are largely intended to protect the rights and privileges of citizens and to limit those of migrant workers. In Hong Kong, “foreign domestic helpers” are prohibited from bringing family members with them and despite legal maternity protections they face many deterrents to being or becoming pregnant. Yet some migrant women nonetheless become mothers in Hong Kong, and learn from friends, partners, nongovernmental organizations and human rights lawyers, to utilize laws and policies – such as the UN Convention Against Torture, labor law and family law – as tactics to establish and maintain a “family” of sorts in the region, at least temporarily. This essay presents ethnographic examples of the tactical use of law by migrant mothers in their efforts to remain in Hong Kong with their children, despite hegemonic pressures against doing so.</p> <hr /><p>Las leyes y políticas laborales y de inmigración, incluyendo los contratos de trabajo de los trabajadores temporales, están destinadas principalmente a proteger los derechos y privilegios de los ciudadanos y limitar los de los trabajadores emigrantes. En Hong Kong, "las trabajadoras domésticas extranjeras" tienen prohibido traer miembros de la familia con ellos, y a pesar de las protecciones legales de maternidad se enfrentan a muchos impedimentos si están o se quedan embarazadas. Sin embargo, algunas mujeres emigrantes se convierten en madres en Hong Kong, y aprenden de los amigos, socios, organizaciones no gubernamentales y abogados de derechos humanos a utilizar las leyes y políticas - como la Convención de la ONU contra la Tortura, el derecho laboral y el derecho de familia - como tácticas para establecer y mantener una "familia" tipo en la región, al menos temporalmente. Este ensayo presenta ejemplos etnográficos de la utilización táctica de la ley por las madres emigrantes en sus esfuerzos por permanecer en Hong Kong con sus hijos, a pesar de las presiones hegemónicas que no lo permiten.http://ssrn.com/abstract=2356926Migrant workersUN Conventions Against Tortureright of abodegender and citizenshipTrabajadores emigrantesConvenciones de la ONU contra la Torturaderecho de residenciagénero y ciudadanía |
| spellingShingle | Nicole Constable Migrant Workers, Legal Tactics, and Fragile Family Formation in Hong Kong Oñati Socio-Legal Series Migrant workers UN Conventions Against Torture right of abode gender and citizenship Trabajadores emigrantes Convenciones de la ONU contra la Tortura derecho de residencia género y ciudadanía |
| title | Migrant Workers, Legal Tactics, and Fragile Family Formation in Hong Kong |
| title_full | Migrant Workers, Legal Tactics, and Fragile Family Formation in Hong Kong |
| title_fullStr | Migrant Workers, Legal Tactics, and Fragile Family Formation in Hong Kong |
| title_full_unstemmed | Migrant Workers, Legal Tactics, and Fragile Family Formation in Hong Kong |
| title_short | Migrant Workers, Legal Tactics, and Fragile Family Formation in Hong Kong |
| title_sort | migrant workers legal tactics and fragile family formation in hong kong |
| topic | Migrant workers UN Conventions Against Torture right of abode gender and citizenship Trabajadores emigrantes Convenciones de la ONU contra la Tortura derecho de residencia género y ciudadanía |
| url | http://ssrn.com/abstract=2356926 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nicoleconstable migrantworkerslegaltacticsandfragilefamilyformationinhongkong |