Home, Belonging, and Decision-Making: A Study of Vietnamese Highly Skilled Migrants' Return


Anne-Cécile Delaisse, University of British Columbia - Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

Vietnam is the third biggest student sending country in the world (after China and India), with over 100,000 students abroad (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2023). Although previous estimates suggested that only 30% of Vietnamese international students return home post-graduation (OECD, 2013); recent studies highlight that this proportion is increasing given the country’s important economic development (Hoang and Ho, 2019; L. Pham, 2019; Q. N. Pham, 2019; T. Pham, 2022; T. Pham and Saito, 2020; Tran et al., 2022; Tran and Bui, 2021). Existing research on Vietnamese returnees tends to focus on their navigation of and integration in the local labour market. On the one hand, there is a gap in the literature examining the decision-making of Vietnamese highly skilled returnees. On the other hand, given the focus of recent studies on Vietnamese returnee’s positioning in the labour market, there is a risk to picture their movement of return only through an economic lens, that is, mostly strategic and motivated by economic opportunities. This paper examines the multiple, intricate factors shaping the return decisions of highly skilled Vietnamese migrants in Vancouver, Canada, and Paris, France. I argue that their decision-making involves intricate interactions between their perceptions of the ‘home’ country, considerations beyond financial or career-related aspects, and the strategic or unexpected timing of return. Additionally, these processes are further shaped by migrants’ intersecting identity markers and migration trajectories. This paper draws from a critical ethnography on the (transnational) belongings and daily activities of Vietnamese migrants in Vancouver, Canada, and Paris, France, as well as returning migrants in Vietnam. Methods included 22 observations and 86 interviews with 64 participants; 10 Vietnamese international students in each city, 15 additional recent Vietnamese migrants in Paris and 16 in Vancouver, as well as 13 migrants who have returned to Vietnam from France (6) and from Canada (7). By considering the viewpoints of highly skilled migrants in Vancouver and Paris who have considered or decided against returning to Vietnam as well as the experiences of people who did return, this paper provides insights into the multifaceted factors that shape their decision-making as well as their idea of ‘successful’ return. Firstly, highly skilled Vietnamese migrants’ return decision-making is intertwined with their perceptions of their home country and their envisioned scenario of return. For example, participants have diverse viewpoints on Vietnam’s booming economy. Those preferring to stay in their receiving countries tend to approach the situation with caution, emphasizing economic uncertainties and instabilities. In contrast, those desiring to return mostly adopt an optimistic and adventurous stance, finding excitement in high-risk, high-reward opportunities. These differing outlooks are influenced by identity markers such as gender and region of origin, as well as migration trajectory (e.g., context and family strategies associated with their migration). Secondly, while financial or career-driven considerations are indispensable in participants’ return decision-making, these considerations intricately intersect with other significant factors. Participants weigh different elements contributing to their quality of life in Vietnam, such as proximity to family, education opportunities for their children, and access to amenities that allow them to uphold a standard of living comparable to that in their receiving countries. Thirdly, temporality plays a crucial role in participants’ return decision-making and the concrete experiences of the returnees. For example, returnees’ experiences can vary greatly if they go back upon graduation or after acquiring work experience in the receiving countries, or if they return to Vietnam upon securing a satisfactory job offer. While certain participants can strategically plan the timing of their return, unforeseen life events can also unexpectedly prompt their repatriation. In conclusion, this presentation aligns with the overarching theme of the session, "Home, Belonging, and Return Migration," by highlighting factors influencing some migrants to return to their country of origin while others settle in the receiving countries; taking into account different identity markers and migration experiences. Furthermore, the paper addresses participants’ transnational belongings. When contemplating a return, participants predominantly cite factors drawing them back to Vietnam rather than reasons to leave their receiving countries. This underscores that, for the highly-skilled Vietnamese migrant participants in this study, the notion of return, whether as an action or an idea, does not conflict with their sense of belonging in the receiving countries.

This paper will be presented at the following session: