The Role of Ghanaian Immigrant Associations in Toronto, Canada

Owusu, Thomas Y.

doi:10.1177/019791830003400404

Cited by 58 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Ghanaians are known to be highly associational and migrants are no exception (Owusu 2000). Peil (1995) counted 18 Ghanaian hometown or sub-ethnic associations in London in 1994.…”

Section: How Htas Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small is beautiful: the micro‐politics of transnational relationships between Ghanaian hometown associations and communities back home

Mazzucato

Kabki

2009

Global Networks

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this article we investigate why some hometowns in Ghana are more successful than others in mobilizing resources for community development projects from their hometown associations (HTAs) abroad. We analyse the praxis of HTA‐financed development by studying all actors involved in the process – HTAs and migrants abroad and local community leaders and their populations in Ghana. We find there is a relationship between the size of the community and the effectiveness of HTA mobilization. From a matched sample of five villages and towns in Ghana and their respective HTAs in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, we conclude that three important factors are at play in the relationship between size and effectiveness – the micro‐politics of relationships between migrant and local leaders; the institutions that exist at the village/town level to create incentives or sanctions for migrants; and the relationships of trust between the different actors involved.

show abstract

“…Ghanaians are known to be highly associational and migrants are no exception (Owusu 2000). Peil (1995) counted 18 Ghanaian hometown or sub-ethnic associations in London in 1994.…”

Section: How Htas Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small is beautiful: the micro‐politics of transnational relationships between Ghanaian hometown associations and communities back home

Mazzucato

Kabki

2009

Global Networks

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, the realities of the late 1980s to the present-recession and global restructuring around the principles of competitive advantage-rendered many Third World regions bystanders in the development process and more dependent than ever on remittances from international migration. Since the late 1980s the functionalist school of thought has come to the fore, emphasizing the positive impacts on local growth of this migration, including higher levels of living, investment in economic and human capital, economic mobility, and the preservation of rural lifeways (see Conway 1985;Jones 1995a;Owusu 2000;Semyonov and Gorodzeisky 2005).…”

Section: Migration and The Maintenance Of Village Livelihoodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migration Permanence and Village Decline in Zacatecas: When You Can't Go Home Again

Jones

2009

The Professional Geographer

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

At the same time that the Third World has become more dependent on international wage-labor migration, developed countries have become less hospitable to this migration. This inhospitality is beginning to have negative repercussions on rural sending regions such as north-central Mexico. This study is based on a survey of a stratified random sample of households in Villanueva municipio (county), Zacatecas, in 1988 and again in 2002, employing the same questions and methodology. The results suggest that restrictive U.S. border policies over this period have had a negative impact on village economies in the municipio. Although migrant families continued to hold a distinctive edge on nonmigrant families in terms of possessions and productive investments, there was a decline overall in levels of investment and remittances in the municipio. In the latter year, Villanueva had more nonmigrant families as well as more families with permanent migrants-both trends leading to less money remitted to rural families and lower agricultural investments. Observations and interviews with migrants and townspeople in the municipio in 2005 and 2008 strongly corroborate these trends. Rural villages are facing depopulation, disinvestment and, it might be argued, a deterioration of hope for the future. Key Words: border restrictions, international wage-labor migration, Mexico, permanent migration.Al tiempo que el Tercer Mundo se ha hecho más dependiente de la migración internacional de asalariados, los países desarrollados se tornan menos hospitalarios a esta migración. Tal falta de hospitalidad empieza a tener repercusiones negativas en regiones rurales generadoras de migrantes, como la parte centro-norte de México. El estudio se basa en una encuesta con muestra aleatoria estratificada en hogares del municipio de Villanueva, Zacatecas, en 1988 y de nuevo en 2002, con la aplicación de las mismas preguntas y metodología. Los resultados sugieren que las políticas fronterizas restrictivas del lado estadounidense durante este período han tenido impacto negativo sobre las economías aldeanas del municipio. Aunque las familias de migrantes siguen mostrando una condición aventajada respecto de las no migrantes, en términos de posesiones e inversiones productivas, las observaciones más recientes muestran un declive general en los niveles de inversión y remesas. En elúltimo año, Villanueva tenía más familias no migratorias lo mismo que más familias con migrantes permanentes-ambas tendencias indicadoras de que habría menos dinero remitido a las familias campesinas y menores inversiones agrícolas. Nuevas observaciones y entrevistas con migrantes y lugareños del municipio, en 2005 y 2008, corroboran con fuerza estas tendencias. Las aldeas rurales están sufriendo de despoblamiento, desinversión y, podría decirse, de deterioro de la esperanza en el futuro. Palabras clave: restricciones fronterizas, migración internacional de asalariados, México, migración permanente.

show abstract

“…This would parallel research that explores the role of immigrant "voluntary associations" as institutions that assist in the adaptation of newcomers to a new location and as organizations which help to preserve practices and values, even as they assist in adaptation (Schiller et al 1995 ;Owusu 2000 ) . Their experiences and the role of religion in their adaptation deserve research attention.…”

Section: Religion Globalization and Transnationalismmentioning

confidence: 99%