Weaving Women's Agency into Representations of Marriage Migrants: Narrative Strategies with Reflective Practice

• Published in: Asian journal of women's studies Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 7 - 41
• Main Author: Kim, Minjeong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul Routledge 01.01.2013; Taylor & Francis Ltd; 아시아여성학센터
• Subjects: agency; East Asia; ethnographic representation; Feminism; Filipina migrants; International marriage migration; Migration; Narratives; South Korea; Wives; 국제 결혼 이주; 대한민국; 동아시아; 민속지적 재현; 여성학; 필리핀 이주 여성; 행위성; Korea
• ISSN: 1225-9276; 2377-004X
• DOI: 10.1080/12259276.2013.11666155

In the growing feminist inquiry regarding international marriage migration from Southeast Asia to the East Asian countries, the ethnic hierarchy between migrant subjects and feminist authors has presented a methodological challenge relating to the politics of knowledge. Drawing on the postcolonial critique of feminist representations of Third World women and the idea of reflective practice in ethnographic representation, this paper explores narrative strategies to overcome the victim-agent dichotomy when telling the stories of "bound' migrant wives. Following a review of the literature regarding the agency question in feminist and marriage migration discourses, I outline strategies involving terminology, methodology, and reflective practice in order to circumvent the trap of cultural colonization or discursive domination. Finally, I present nuanced portrayals of two Filipina marriage migrants and analyze their narratives.