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Gujarati Immigrants Transnational

RESEARCH QUESTION: How does the integration of Gujarati immigrants in Britain affect their participation in transnational activities?

Introduction

This proposed research aims to understand links between social and economic integration and participation in transnational activities. I will focus on Gujarati immigrants as they are widely regarded as being amongst the most affluent, successful and religious of Britain’s South Asian settlers (Dwyer, 1994). The proposed research is a case study (Marshall & Rossman, 1999) exploring patterns of integration and participation in transnational activities within this particular group.

The research question is important because I want to challenge both the idea that all Gujarati immigrants are rich and successful and simplistic understandings of segmented assimilation theory (Kivisto, 2001; Portes, 1995; Yu & Greenman, 2005). Empirical evidence for this purpose will be gathered by a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The results will give a detailed picture of a particular group of immigrants but will be relevant to understanding other groups as well.

Literature Review

As a theoretical starting point, I will refer to the work of Portes, who defines transnationalism as referring to:

“…a growing number of persons who live dual lives; speaking two languages, having homes in two countries, and making a living through continuous regular contact across national borders. Activities within the transnational field comprise a whole gamut of economic, political and social initiatives”. (Portes et al, 1999, pp. 217-218)

For Portes (1995), to understand the relationship between transnational behaviour and immigrant integration we have to understand the theory of segmented assimilation. This theory makes an effort to understand the individual and contextual factors that determine into which parts of the host society second generation immigrants become incorporated: in the case of Gujarati immigrants, these areas will be social, economic, cultural and religious. Many writers have emphasised that transnationalism is in part an adaptive strategy a reaction to the hostile reception and downward mobility that immigrants face in post-industrial nations (Basch et al 1994).

However, transnational behaviour and immigrant integration is discussed differently by Kivisto (2001). Kivisto argues that contrary to the transnational view of immigrants living in two countries at the same time immigrants are located in one and the immediate concerns of the receiving country take lead in to the more distant concerns of the sending community. For Kivisto, for example, Portes’ theory of transnational immigration does not look at the variation of transnational behaviours among immigrants with comparable family and social link with the country they are from. He provides an assessment of transnationalism that is a subset of assimilation theory, rather than an alternative to it and suggests that the following factors should be considered in research on this topic:

• The costs associated with travel

• Access to communication technologies

• The salience of homeland political issues or economic conditions versus similar issues in the host society

• How institutions in the host society may limit immigrants’ access and the nature of their involvement

• The impact of popular culture

• The role of nation states (p.573).

Yu and Greenman (2005) criticize segmented assimilation theory on the basis of an empirical study on immigration adolescents yielding two main findings: First, for immigrant adolescents living in non-poverty neighborhoods, they find assimilation to be positively associated with educational achievement and psychological well-being but also positively associated with at-risk behavior.

Second, there is little empirical evidence supporting the theory of segmented assimilation. For these writers, future research would be more fruitful focusing on differential processes of assimilation rather than differential consequences of assimilation (http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/abs.html?ID=3443). Bearing this in mind, the focus of my study is on Gujarati immigrants’ participation in terms of its relation to integration process.

I am also drawing on Ballard’s (1994) Desh Pardesh: The South Asian Presence in Britain. The book contains a collection of essays about the diverse, multicultural South Asian communities in Britain, including Gujarati immigrants. The of the book ‘Desh Pardesh’ means 'home from home' and 'at home abroad'. The book attempts to look at some of the issues relating to processes of the reconstruction of social, economic, religious and cultural life in order to integrate in the new country.

The case of Gujarati immigrants

There are over half a million Gujaratis in Britain (Dwyer, 1994). Britain remains a popular destination for immigrants because of its strong economy. However, the jobs that immigrants generally take on are in the secondary sector and typically unskilled manual labour (Massey, 1987); I suggest that this is also the case with many Gujarati immigrants. Social networks both in Gujarat and Britain also account for a large number of migrants coming in from abroad (Boyd 1989).

In the research I aim to focus on Gujarati immigrants who are in search for better employment opportunities in Britain and are wishing to settle. As for Portes (1999):

“For purposes of establishing a novel area of investigation, it is preferable to delimit the concept of transnationalism to occupations and activities that require regular and sustained social contacts over time across national borders for their implementation. Thus defined, the concept encompasses, for example, the travels of a Salvadoran viajero delivering mail and supplies to immigrant kin on a monthly basis or those of a Dominican garment shop owner going to New York several times a year to sell her wares and acquire new fabrics and designs for her business. By the same token, it excludes the occasional gifts of money and kind sent by immigrants to their kin and friends (not an occupation) or the one-time purchase of a house or lot by an immigrant in his home country (not a regular activity) (p.219).

I will apply this idea to immigrants from Gujarat, India who represents the latest ‘wave’ of migration. The group will consist of middle-class people with only Indian school qualification aged 18-28 years and who enter into unskilled manual labour, e.g. working in restaurants, cleaners, groceries, retail and so on.

My aim is to try and understand the people who face difficulties in Gujarat, India due to unemployment. Many writers have written about different Gujarati communities abroad, for example about the success of East African Gujaratis in terms of education achievement and business (Ballard 1994; Bughart 1987; Bhachu 1985). I want to also look at the poor Gujaratis who lack educational qualifications and are struggling to find work in Gujarat.

Research methods

Key questions regarding the orientation to the conduct of the research are: 1) Is my strategy ‘deductive’ or ‘inductive’? 2) Is my research qualitative or quantitative? and 3) Is my epistemology positivist or interpretivist?

First, deductive research strategy is concerned with the testing of theory, or a pre-given hypothesis. As a result, hypothesis is confirmed or rejected. Inductive approach is more relevant in my research because it allows categories emerge from the data (Marshall & Rossman, 1999).

If for example I was trying to research first generation immigrants rather then second then I would have to modify theory of segmented assimilation to apply it to the right group. If I use the inductive approach I will begin with findings and observations from which I will generate theory. Second, my research will be both quantitative and qualitative in that it will look at numeric population patterns as well as individual lived experiences (ibid). Third, my research will be interpretivist in that it is ‘guided by a set of beliefs and feelings about the world and how it should be understood and studied’ (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994, p.13).

Exploratory Data Collection

The method I will be using to collect data will be participant observation during my field work in Britain. I will study groups of Gujarati immigrants who are either unemployed or have low-paid jobs. This approach attempts to understand ‘what is going on’ and that is why participant observation is a suitable method for this research (ibid). This method will help me in developing useful interview questions.

It will also allow me evaluate data collected through other methods (Pelto and Pelto 1978). ‘Participant observation’ as a method involves observing as well as participating with those who are being studied, and it also involves social interaction as well as engaging in their way of life (Spradley 1980). The extent to which a researcher participates in a social setting ranges from non-participation to complete participation, in the latter case becoming a member of the group. I will participate moderately with the Gujaratis’ daily activities (ibid; Dewalt et al 1998).

(a) I need to gain entry into the community and begin building my relations with immigrants. I will be working in two main areas which have the highest number of Gujaratis, Wembley (NW London) and Leicestershire (Midlands). I will have to find accommodation in these two regions of Britain. To gain access into the community I will also volunteer to work as a sales assistant for retail shops in these areas. By doing this I will be able to build comfortable relations with my respondents. This will also encourage informants to talk normally as they would with a friend or community member (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994).

(b) I will then be attending community organisations (Samajs) – where a lot of Gujaratis gather during festivals, ceremonies etc. This will again allow me to meet new people and establish relationships.

(c) There are many techniques to record my observations. It is obvious that by engaging closely with the Gujarati community I will be involved in continuous conversations full of valuable information. I will keep my research documents updated based on observations, informal interviews and conversations with the permission of informants. Field notes are recorded observations and the product constructed by the researcher (Dewalt et al 1998). I will have to maintain a detailed record of my objective observations and subjective feelings in my field notes (Spradley 1980).

Data collection

In my research transnational practices will be the practices that Gujarati immigrants take part in to maintain their social ties with home country. This transnational behaviour varies from familial to national level e.g. sending money home, goods, investment in property, sponsoring family members and marriage connections (Basch et al 1994, Levitt 2001). I will attempt to map out and understand the transnational activities and integration processes of Gujarati by using the following methods.

a) Firstly I need to collect numerical data on Gujarati immigrants’ circumstances that will help to understand their integration process and its relation to transnational activities. My survey will contain mostly structured questions as well as some open-ended options. To get clear answers from my respondents I will construct an immigration scale with status indicators, such as application in process, work permit, resident and citizen. Language will not be a barrier for me as I am fluent in Gujarati.

The Gujarati community in Britain is diverse, to identify those immigrants who have come to Britain to study, settle or to work. To ensure theoretical representation and heterogeneity (Bernard 2002) I will select informants using quota and purposive sampling according to the immigrants’ employment status and sector. The sample will contain 40 people of the Gujarati community from different districts Ahmadabad, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara and Jungadh..

b) I will carry out semi-structured qualitative interviews with respondents to gain an understanding of the activities the immigrants participate in. This is a systematic approach as same questions will be asked of all immigrants, which allows for comparison among different informants (Bernard 2002). This would also allow me to explore the questions regarding illegal immigrants by interviewing legal immigrants. It is known that those immigrants who are legally allowed to live in Britain will have access to welfare and economic opportunities which are not open to undocumented immigrants. I see semi-structured interviews with legal immigrants as a solution as I am trying to understand transnational behaviour of immigrants, residency and naturalization (Massey et al 1987), but would have great difficulty in gaining access to illegal immigrants.

c) To get deeper understanding of individual cases, I will collect small 2-3 life histories from a sub-sample of Gujaratis from the survey. ‘Although a form of oral historical data, a life history is distinct in being an extensive record “of a person’s life told to and recorded by another…’(Bernard 1998, p.526). Life histories will be useful in understanding the different stages of migration process – which is migrating from Gujarat to settling in Britain. Life histories allow the study of changes happening over time (Marshall and Rossman 1995). I will be looking at changes in transnational activity in relation to integration process.

Data analysis and validity of data

According to Becker (see May, 1993, p.125), there are four stages in participant observation that can be linked to a valid theoretical framework. First, the researcher seeks to understand the social setting he is observing; second, the researcher will check the frequency and distribution of phenomena; third, the researcher constructs a social system model; and fourth, the researcher incorporates individual findings into a more generalized model of social system.

Interviews will help me to understand the immigrants’ subjective point of view and participant observation will help me to see what immigrants actually do as against what they say. A survey will then enable me to see how these two aspects are related to ‘hard facts’ such as immigration or employment status (Marshall & Rossman, 1999). I therefore see my research approach as valid and credible. In addition, the findings can be generalized to studies of other immigrant groups.

Selection of an assistant

For this research I will require one assistant who will help me to administer the survey. I will give this opportunity to a friend of mine who is from East African Gujarati community currently a student of Anthropology research methods at Gujarat University. His background in social research methods will be very helpful to me as no time will be required for training him. However I will reimburse his expenses.

Ethics

I understand that immigrants can be vulnerable and I must not cause any harm to participants. I will make sure the information I hold about the informants will not be passed to any else and all the notes, recordings will be protected. I will also inform my assistant regarding this matter. Permission will be requested from relevant authorities before going ahead with the research e.g. Hindu council of UK or concerned samajs (community organisations). All interview tapes, transcripts and personal details will be kept in a safe place and transcripts will be anonymysed (Bulmer, 1982).

Time-scale

The research will take place over twelve months and will involve 3 different stages of data collection. In the exploratory stage I will introduce myself to the Gujarati community in the selected locations, as well as conduct more thorough literature review. This will last for 3 months. In months 4-5 I will conduct semi-structured interviewing. In the meantime my assistant will administer the survey and finish it by month 6. Life histories will be conducted and transcribed by month 7. I will spend the remaining 5 months in analyzing the data and writing up the study.

Budget

The budget includes the following:

• Travel costs: to Leicester from London standard return ticket by National express for £30

• Recording equipment – the Philips Pocket Memo 381 Voice Recorder For £80. I will transcribe the interviews myself.

• Accommodation in Leicester – a flat rent for £100 per week for 3 months

• Assistant’s expenditure: Travel to Leicester from London standard return ticket by National express for £30; stationery £20

• Payments to interviewees: £10 gift vouchers each

• Total cost: £1400

The Research and It's Importance

Ballard, R (ed.) 1994. Desh Pardesh: The South Asian Presence in Britain. London: Hurst and Company.

Basch, Linda; Nina Glick Schiller and Cristina Szanton Blanc 1994 Nations Unbound: Transnational Projects, Postcolonial Predicaments, and Deterritorialized Nation-States Langhorne, PA: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.

Bhachu, P. 1985 Twice Migrants: East African Sikh Settlers in Britain. London: Tavistock.

Boyd, Monica 1989 Family and Personal Networks in International Migration: Recent Developments and New Agendas in International Migration Review Vol. 23, No. 3, pp.638-670.

Massey, Douglas S., Joaquin Arango, Graeme Hugo, Ali Kouaouci, Adela Pelegrino, J. Edward Taylor 1987 Theories of International Migration: A Review and Appraisal. Population Development Review Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 431-466.

Literature Review - Theory

Dwyer, Rachel 1994 Caste, Religion and Sect in Gujarat: Followers of Vallabhacharya and Swaminarayan in Ballard Roger (Ed) Desh Pardesh: The South Asian Presence in Britain London: Hurst & Company

Kivisto, Peter 2001 Theorizing Transnational Immigration: A Critical Review of Current Efforts Ethnic and Racial Studies Vol. 24, No. 4, pp.549-577.

Portes, Alejandro; Guarnizo, Luis E. & Landolt, Patricia 1999 The Study of Transnationalism: Pitfalls and Promise of an Emergent Research Field in Ethnic and Racial Studies Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 217-237

Portes, Alejandro 1995 Children of Immigrants: Segmented Assimilation in Alejandro Portes (Ed) The Economic Sociology of Immigration New York: Russell Sage Foundation

Xie, Yu, and Emily Greenman. Segmented Assimilation Theory: A Reformulation and Empirical Test PSC Research Report No. 05-581. August 2005. URL: http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/abs.html?ID=3443 Accessed on 1^st February 2008

Data Collection

Bulmer, Martin (Ed) 1982 Social Research Ethics New York: Holmer & Meiers Publishers

Denzin, N.K. & Lincoln, Y.S. (1994) The handbook of qualitative research Thousand Oaks: Sage

Dewalt, Kathleen M., Billie R. Dewalt, and Coral B. Wayland 1998 Participant Observation inRussell, Bernard (Ed) Handbook of Methods in Cultural Anthropology Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press.

Levitt, Peggy 2001 The Transnational Villagers Berkeley: University of California Press.

Marshall, Catherine and Gretchen B. Rossman 1999 Designing Qualitative Research Thousand Oaks: Sage Publication

May, Tim 1993 Social Research: Issues, Methods and Process Buckingham: Open University Press

Pelto, Pertti J. and Gretel H. Pelto 1978 Anthropological Research: The Structure of Inquiry Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Russell, Bernard 2002 Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press

Russell, Bernard 2001 (2^nd edn) Research methods in anthropology. Alta Mira:London

Spradley, James P. 1980 Participant Observation New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Massey, Douglas S., Rafael Alarcon, Jorge Durand, Humberto Gonzalez. 1987 Return to Aztlan: The Social Process of International Migration from Western Mexico Berkeley: University of California Press.

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