Becoming independent through au pair migration: self-making and social re-positioning among young Filipinas in Denmark

Abstract

Over the past decade, growing numbers of young Filipinas have entered Denmark on the au pair scheme. While its official aim is to broaden the cultural horizons of youth, researchers generally view Filipina au pairing as a form of labour migration using au pairs as inexpensive domestic workers. This article argues that, despite this critique, au pairing does play an important formative role for young Filipinas because it opens up for experiences abroad that enable them to be recognised as independent adults in Philippine society. Rather than autonomy, however, au pairs define their independence in terms of their capacity to assume responsibility for others, thereby achieving a position of social respect. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Denmark and the Philippines, this article explores how young Filipinas use the social, economic, and cultural resources they gain from their au pair stay abroad to re-position themselves vis-à-vis family and friends at home.

Keywords:

• migration
• education
• au pair
• Philippines
• family
• domestic workers

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by The Danish Council for Independent Research [10-080278]. I thank professor Karen Fog Olwig, Associate Professor Karen Valentin, Professor Claire Alexander and the four reviewers for their constructive comments.

Notes

1. 97% of the au pairs in Denmark are female (Liversage, Bille, and Jakobsen 2013, 92). I therefore employ the feminine Filipina hereafter.

2. Other au pairs may pay up to PhP 150.000 (€2726) in recruitment fees.

3. Prior to this opening, there are examples of young people from ‘Western’ countries, such as the United States, Australia who have been au pairs in Denmark.

4. Informants’ names have been anonymised.

5. The number of people receiving family reunification with a spouse from the Philippines has grown parallel with the increase in the number of Filipina au pairs. In 2012, 210 Filipino citizens received residence through their Danish marriage partner (Grunnet and Binder 2014).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Karina Märcher Dalgas

KARINA MÄRCHER DALGAS is PhD Fellow at the Department of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen.