Rural-to-urban migration in Vietnam: conceptualized youth’s vulnerabilities in the city
International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care
ISSN: 1747-9894
Article publication date: 18 January 2018
Issue publication date: 26 February 2018
Abstract
Purpose
Vietnam is experiencing high rates of young adult migration from rural hometowns to urban cities in search of new economic and social opportunities. However, limited internal migration research has examined the well-being of this population once they are in the urban destinations, as well as their interactions with the new lifestyles in the cities. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to explore the social transition of young Vietnamese migrants into city life.
Design/methodology/approach
In-depth interviews were conducted among ten female and six male temporary unmarried migrants, between ages of 18 and 25 years, currently living in Ha Noi through purposive sampling.
Findings
Despite a higher income in the city, young migrants often suffer from physical and mental health strains that decrease their overall well-being, caused by the factors such as barriers to assimilation to new lifestyles, continued attachment to origin hometowns, financial pressures, and poor living conditions. Important aspects in pre-migration expectations and actual experiences influenced the psychosocial well-being of these young migrants as they transitioned into adulthood during their migration process. Migration to the city and assimilation into city life also changed young migrants’ views on lifestyles and behaviors often considered misconducts in their rural hometowns, such as premarital sex. Female migrants faced higher stigmatization compared to male migrants, often described by fellow migrants as becoming “loose” in the new city.
Originality/value
The study findings highlight the important gender-specific implications for health services and programs to improve young migrants’ well-being in the city.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine supported this study with Dr Mai Do as the Principal Investigator. The authors thank the Institute for Community Development and Health (LIGHT) for facilitating the fieldwork of this study. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this paper was reported.
Citation
Pham, N.N.K., Do, M., Bui, V.H. and Nguyen, G.T. (2018), "Rural-to-urban migration in Vietnam: conceptualized youth’s vulnerabilities in the city", International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 117-130. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-11-2015-0044
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited