New dynamics of multinational migration: Chinese and Indian migrants in Singapore and Los Angeles

Abstract

The emerging literature on multinational migration highlights migratory jour-neys that involve more than one country of destination. This article focuses onthe lived experiences of new Chinese and Indian migrants in Singapore andLos Angeles. We conduct a novel three-way comparison to examine personalchoices to engage in additional migration(s) and to consider the reasons behindsuch moves. Drawing on in-depth interviews and analyses of policy docu-ments, we find that new, especially skilled, migrants from China and Indiaactively participate in multinational migration. However, variations existbetween these two national origin groups and between the two global cities.Factors affecting decisions about whether and where to further migrate includeimmigration policy of the host country, job opportunities, homeland economicdevelopment, and migration networks. Singapore regulates migrants' long-term settlement more tightly than does the United States; thus, migrants in theformer are more likely than the latter to move onward to another country. Dueto a more robust economy in the homeland, Chinese migrants are more likelyto return and are thus less likely to migrate to a third country than their Indiancounterparts. Job opportunities and migration networks also have strongeffects on personal decisions concerning additional migration(s).