The chapter on transnational ties provides insight on how international migrants maintain ongoing ties with their communities of origin as well as their diasporic communities. International migrants differ from immigrants in which they do not necessarily have to remain in another country permanently. This is noteworthy as Foner mentions many immigrants migrated with the intention of returning to their home countries (171). Moreover, this outsourcing of labor did not hurt the migrant’s original home society and instead fostered growth and stronger familial ties. However, Foner does recognize the decline of migrants returning home, which may adversely affect their country of origin.
First-generation immigrant children, including myself, may connect strongly to the text as it provides a real picture of why your parents migrated in the first place. My family for instance, sends money back to Taiwan on a monthly basis. My father was not capable of supporting his parents with his job in Taiwan. The money he earned in New York was intended to help pay for property taxes and to support family abroad. The book does note that much of the money earned in New York is used to pay for foreign taxes, which does not surprise me.
Although we do not return travel to Taiwan as often or as easily as the text makes it seem, we do occasionally visit because it will always be considered home. The word home encompasses sentimental and cultural values important to my father in particular since he was born in Taiwan. In my case, I consider New York my one true home.
The continuity of transnational ties was clearly explained in the first few pages; however, we can still speculate to what extent will these migrant connections with their homes change. These include changes in communication and the transfer of money [both of which apply to my family]. For instance, hand written letters are now being replaced with text messages and money orders being replaced with PayPal transactions.
