Transnational migrant entrepreneurs: understanding their dependencies, fragilities, and alternatives

Author(s) : Laure Sandoz, Christina Mittmasser, Yvonne Riaño, Lorena Izaguirre

Source : https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2022.2157149

Abstract:

Recent research highlights that the activities of migrant entrepreneurs increasingly extend beyond national borders, thus making them relevant actors of globalization. Nevertheless, the socio-spatial conditions that frame their cross-border activities are still poorly understood. The aim of this article is twofold: first, we apply the lens of ‘globalization from below’ to study small-scale transnational migrant entrepreneurs (TMEs), thereby providing new insights into less visible globalization processes; second, we show that TMEs are not simply free economic agents but depend on connections in local and transnational spaces. Inspired by the literature on dependencies and feminist approaches, we develop a typology to address the following research question: Under which conditions is relying on others beneficial for transnational migrant entrepreneurship, and under which conditions does it lead to precariousness? Building on 86 semi-structured interviews in Colombia, Spain, and Switzerland, we uncover the diverse nature of dependencies and reveal the unequal opportunities TMEs face.

KEYWORDS:

• Globalization from below
• dependencies
• transnational entrepreneurship
• migration
• social inequality