Transnational families are those families whose members are separated physically between two or more nation-states but maintain close ties and relationships (Schmalzbauer 2004). Transnational family arrangements are diverse and take a multitude of forms. In the proposed symposium session, we explore 4 different forms of transnational families from different Asian countries: Korean immigrant women living in the U.S.-Mexico border region (whose husbands are transnational transferees or “expatriate managers” of Korean multinational corporations based in the U.S.), adult former “parachute kids” from Taiwan, low-wage Vietnamese transnational immigrants who returned to their homeland, and Taiwanese immigrant parents raising transnational children in the Boston area .

Objectives

To analyze, qualitatively and sociologically, the family dynamics of individuals in transnational families.To critically analyze transnational family arrangements and experiences.To examine and understand the lived experiences of transnational migrants and their families in the U.S. and their homeland.