Gender, Migration, and Work: Filipino Health Care Professionals to the
US" by Yen Le Espiritu
Precis
Healthcare professionals from the Philippines who have relocated to the United
States are the focus of "Gender, Migration, and Work: Filipino Health Care
Professionals to the US" by Yen Le Espiritu. This article explores how gender,
migration, and the nature of their work intersect to affect the lives of nurses and other
healthcare professionals in the Philippines.
(1) Core Points and Arguments
a) Gender and Labor Migration: Espiritu claims that women in the Philippines,
especially nurses, leave their jobs because of discrimination based on their gender. She
explains that women are more likely to get hired as nurses in the United States and that
this is because of the positive stereotypes that exist about caring professions.
Structural Factors: The economic differences between the Philippines and the
US, the lack of work possibilities in the Philippines, and the demand for qualified
nurses in the US healthcare system are all discussed in the article as structural factors
that motivate Filipino nurses to migrate. According to Espiritu, these institutional
elements help explain why more women than men make the journey to the United
States in search of work.
Transnational Family Dynamics: Espiritu highlights how migration has
affected the families and relationships of Filipino nurses. Emotional and mental strains
are placed on these workers because of their separation from loved ones and difficulty
maintaining long-distance connections.
(2) Evidence Used to Support the Argument
Empirical Research: Espiritu's ideas are supported by extensive interviews with
Filipino healthcare workers and their families and other forms of empirical research.
These narratives give us a glimpse into the lives of Filipino nurses working in the
United States and the difficulties they endure (Espiritu).
Statistical Data: To back up its claim that gender significantly influences
Filipino healthcare professionals' recruitment and hiring, the article uses statistical data
and trends in Filipino migration patterns to the US.
Comparative Analysis: Espiritu contrasts the experiences of Filipino nurses to
those of other migrant groups, and she also looks at how gender plays a role in these
differences. This research bolsters the case that women's experiences in the workplace
play an essential role in the migration and employment of Filipino healthcare
professionals.
(3) Evaluation and Analysis
In her research, Espiritu thoroughly examines the interplay between gender,
nationality, and employment among Filipino medical professionals who have relocated
to the United States. She highlights Filipino nurses' particular difficulties, who
frequently shoulder the burden of familial duties while pursuing employment abroad,
by emphasizing the gendered components of labor migration.
Empirical data and anecdotes lend credibility and depth to the claims made. The
author's arguments are given more weight due to the inclusion of statistical data and
comparative analysis.
The article may not represent the entire Filipino migrant population in the US
due to its exclusive focus on the experiences of Filipino nurses. The essay does an
excellent job of pointing out the sexism inherent in migration, but it would be even
more insightful if it also looked at how other factors, such as ethnicity, class, and
nationality, had a role in molding the experiences of Filipino health care workers who
relocated elsewhere.
In conclusion, Yen Le Espiritu's "Gender, Migration, and Work: Filipino Health
Care Professionals to the US" offers unique insights into the experiences of Filipino
health care professionals who migrate to the US. This paper persuasively emphasizes
the need to examine gender and structural variables to fully comprehend the difficulties
encountered by migrant healthcare professionals, especially Filipino nurses.
Reference
Espiritu, Yen Le. “9. Gender, Migration, and Work: Filipina Health Care Professionals to the
United States.” New York University Press eBooks, 2020, pp. 236–56.
https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9781479849994.003.0016.
