Introduction to Transnationalism, Intersectionality, and Migration Ecological Trajectories

Abstract

Abstract Migration and transnationalism are central to human settlement in contemporary societies. Most industrialized countries are experiencing low birth rates and are dependent on migrants to satisfy their labor markets. Political and economic instability in the Global South result in mass movements to prospering and stable countries in the Global North. However, migration is a complex phenomenon grounded in the diversity of transnational migrants. This introductory chapter explains these complexities by introducing three theoretical frameworks applied in the chapters in this volume: transnationalism, Kimberlé Crenshaw’s intersectionality, and Uri Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological systems model. These key terms are defined and explained to avoid confusion of usage and to show how interconnected the concepts are in discussing immigrants’ transnational lives. Overlapping intersectional factors are connected to how ecological systems work to support or create barriers for the settlement and integration of immigrants in host societies, thus influencing transnational migration and experiences.