Social Networks and Selectivity in Brazilian Migration to Japan and the United States

This research analyses the composition of Brazilian migrants in two case studies, comparing the demographics of first-time migrants over time in the network between Maringa, Brazil and Japan with that between Criciuma, Brazil and the US. Couched primarily within migrant social network theory, the research explores how the legal framework operating in each case influences the level and composition of Brazilian migration over time. Brazilian migration to Japan generally occurs within the context of a legally regulated 'ethnic-return' guest worker program, whereas Brazilian migration to the US is largely unauthorised. The research shows that social networks do operate to diversify the migrant demographic composition over time in both migration flows. However, the development of and dependence on social networks appears stronger in migration to the US (at least initially), which suggests a relation between the legal context of the migration flow and the form and strength of its social networks. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.