Skilled women migrants in the 21st century: Pasifika English Language Teachers' journeys to South Korea

This ethnographic research follows the migration journeys of 15 Pasifika women teaching English in South Korea. Guided by the metaphor of a gogo’s life cycle, this dissertation explores various stages of Pasifika women’s migration to Korea in the 21st century. The research examines the contextual factors that facilitate migration, Pasifika women’s motivations for migration, their in-person and digital experiences of integration and transnationalism, and highlights the transcultural capital and skills they utilise while abroad.

A qualitative Pacific Studies and mana tama‘ita‘i approach to research (Marsh, 1999, Teaiwa, 2000; 2017) was used to reveal the experiences of Pasifika women and their gendered migration journeys as English Language Teachers (ELTs) to Korea. Data was collected from talanoa, field notes, storying work, and auto-ephemera—a method that combines autoethnography and ephemera to incorporate my own experiences as a former English Language Teacher (ELT) in Korea. These narratives reveal how gendered Pasifika cultural norms shape the migration experience; Pasifika Indigenous ways of knowing related to family, respect, service and relationship maintenance manifest in Korea, helping Pasifika women cope and thrive in their new environments. Drawing on the concept of transcultural capital (Triandafyllidou, 2009), I highlight how Pasifika women ELTs intentionally transfer and utilise these ‘skills’ to their advantage as migrants in Korea.

In the uplifting spirit of a fāgogo (Kolone-Collins, 2010; Ta‘isi Efi, 2011), these stories offer insights into the experiences of Pasifika women ELTs, challenging the stereotypes and cultural expectations they face. This ethnography uncovers a previously unexamined migration pathway within Pacific migration literature.