The Impact of Changing Migration Policies on Central Asian Women Migrants in the US

Abstract

This research intends to investigate how changing migration policies impact Central Asian - namely from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – migrant women residing in the United States. These women make up a relatively underrepresented and under-researched group, facing a complexity of challenges due to gender, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic factors. By employing qualitative methods based on semi-structured interviews, this study aims to analyze the extent to which shifts in migration regulations and administrative practices in the recent years have shaped the lived experiences and adaptation strategies of this minority group of women. Theoretical base of the research includes the feminist migration theory, theory of intersectionality, as well as modern concepts of integration, including assimilation and transnationalism. This interdisciplinary approach allows for the examination of migration as not only a socio-economic process, but also a deeply gendered phenomenon, in which women are exposed to specific forms of vulnerability, related to their migration status, and social norms in their sending and receiving societies. The research focuses on the alterations on migration policies in the last decade, particularly during the Trump and Biden administrations, and studies how these changes disproportionately affect men and women. Special attention is given to discover if gender plays any role in the implementation of those migration policies, cultivating more favorable conditions for males compared to females in terms of labor, social support, security, and legal rights. The results reveal that although migration policies did affect Central Asian women in multiple aspects, gender was not a dominating factor in this context. The findings of this research can contribute to the academic understanding of the gender aspect of migration while the practical significance of the study lies in providing empirical data for human rights organizations, state institutions, international organizations and scholars working with migrants. Collected data can be used to develop inclusive migration policies and gender equality strategies that address needs and challenges of underrepresented women.