Lifestyle migration from the Global South to the Global North: Individualism, social class, and freedom in a centre of “superdiversity”

Abstract

Lifestyle migration is a growing field of interest. Traditionally, research into lifestyle migration has focused on either "North to North" or "North to South" migration. This article analyses middle-class Brazilian migration to London together with examples from the lifestyle migration literature to argue that there are instances of movement from the Global South to the Global North, which should be classified as lifestyle migration according to how the term is used in the literature. This is important because there is a tendency in migration studies to implicitly classify all voluntary migration from South to North as "economic." The article compares the similarities in terms of motivations to migrate and identity as a migrant, between "lifestyle migrants" as characterised in the literature and many Brazilian middle-class migrants to London. Rather than economic gain, individualist ideals of anonymity and mobility are often central in the discourse. Mobility is conceived not only as mobility across space but also in terms of mobility of identity, specifically as a disavowal of a transnational identity in favour of a more individualistic ideological stance. The article goes on to examine how the dichotomy between lifestyle and economic migrants is operationalised within the discourse of middle-class Brazilian migrants to demarcate their situation from their "transnational" compatriots who they view as "other." This act of distancing themselves from the "typical migrant" and often from Brazilian "culture" more generally is often stratified by class and race. Distancing becomes especially important in cases when differences may not be so apparent to an outside observer. The article ultimately argues for an understanding of lifestyle migration that incorporates movements from South to North and thus for a greater emphasis on social class, which, in the context of Brazil, is bound up with issues of racial and ethnic identity.

South-South migration: a study on refugees working in small and medium Brazilian enterprises

“…It is a way for Brazilians to feel in power in relation to refugees, reaffirming the literature on asymmetric power relations in migration (Robins, 2019;Schurer & Day, 2019). Brazilians believe they are in a position of superiority over black refugees from the global South.…”

“…Migration studies are marked by discussions on the hierarchy of power between developed and (under)developing countries referred to as north-south migration (Robins, 2019;Schurer & Day, 2019). However, this research focuses on the new migratory flow, South-South, which has brought new or even old implications to the world of work and in interpersonal relationships (Ratha & Shaw, 2007).…”

Immigration to Chile in a regional context.

“…Similar to trends found in Western countries, the relatively economically wealthy countries in the South have dealt with increased labor migration by both encouraging migrants and increasing restrictions on immigration (Nawyn, 2016). This increasing migration to wealthy countries in the South suggests that some differences in the motivation to migrate may be more about country-level factors, such as GDP, and group-level factors and circumstances, such as social class (Robins, 2019)-and less about a North-South difference.…”

“…Recent research has also found that migrating for improved quality of life is not unique to the Global North and is a frequently cited motivation among middle-class people from the Global South (Robins, 2019). Increasing economic growth in the Global South has opened up new opportunities for skilled labor migration as well (Nawyn, 2016).…”

Brazilian immigrant entrepreneurs' support networks and bounded (mis)trust in Western Australia

“…However, there are great economic and power disparities, sustained by rules and bureaucracy that preserve the structural differences in wealth and power; this reveals a high degree of distrust towards individuals who do not belong to the same social groups (Coelho, 2019; Sobral et al, 2012). For instance, research conducted with Brazilian migrants in London found that practices of distancing from other Brazilians were commonly based on race and social class (Robins, 2019). Brazilian culture is also characterised by some level of insensitivity and a lack of consideration for other people's trajectories, which has historical roots in the slavery system that was common in the country until the 19th century (Holanda, 2012).…”