Migration, Remittances, and Household Strategies

Abstract

In this review, I examine the meaning, place, and role of remittances for migrants (movers) and for their sending households and communities.

‘Con nuestro propio esfuerzo’: Understanding the Relationships between International Migration and the Environment in Guatemala

“…Although in general the living standards of many families have improved thanks to remittances and its effects, there are still some people and family members who have not benefited from these new opportunities, notably women and poorer households without migrants. The flow of remittances and remittance practices varies over time and with the situation of the migrant (Cohen 2011), making it difficult to generalize about the causes and consequences of remittances on the receiving households and localities. My study suggests that in contexts where local organization is successful and linked to actors and networks at various scales, transnational households are in a good position to negotiate the outcomes of the use of remittances, improving their living standards without degrading the environment irreversibly.…”

“…They hope to come back to the village to live close to their relatives when the time for their retirement comes. A large body of empirical literature has discussed the relationship between migration and house building (Cohen 2011;Hein 2006;Massey et al 1987;Parrado 2004); few have discussed how it affects land use and land tenure (e.g. Zoomers 2010).…”

U.S. Migrant Networks and Adult Cardiometabolic Health in El Salvador

“…This includes detailed documentation of financial and social remittances, along with measurement of the strength of existing ties. As migration is a livelihood strategy utilized by families who essentially lack the local resources necessary for daily survival [29], the effects of migration are most evident among the poor [6]. If, in fact, familial migration history serves as a protective factor for overweight/obese status among individuals living in migrant households, health professionals and community lay health workers may use migrant networks as opportunities to reiterate important health messages and positive health behaviors, especially those related to diet.…”

“…Financial remittances are defined as ''economic transfers that follow unidirectional paths from a mobile worker to & Michelle Y. Martin mym119@psu.edu her or his sending household, community, and country'' [6]. Within Latin America, financial remittances have been positively associated with greater overall healthcare expenditures within receiving households [7], along with decreased rates of infant mortality and improved nutritional status of very young children (\ 5 years old) [8,9].…”

Migration and children's schooling and time allocation: Evidence from El Salvador

“…Another point to consider is that if relocating to the United States, migrant women often find service jobs that pay less than those of male migrants (Cohen, 2011), which could affect health or schooling outcomes back home. Antman (2010) points out that a household may have better health or schooling outcomes if the father migrates since the mother's decision-making power in the household will increase, thus allowing more expenditures to be spent on children's wellbeing.…”