A Filipino nurse with family in Manila, three intertwined lives in Mumbai, a 鈥榮elf-made鈥� man in Karachi and the journey of a woman in Hanoi. Through four compelling new animations, the MigrationRhythms project explores how migration shapes social mobility across generations.
Asia is at the heart of the global expansion of the middle class. But what fuels this transformation? How does internal and international migration contribute to families鈥� journeys into middle-classness over time?
The MigrationRhythms project has investigated these questions, uncovering the diverse roles migration plays in shaping upward mobility. Based on over a hundred family history interviews from Hanoi, Karachi, Manila and Mumbai, the research team has worked with storytelling organisation to produce .
Bringing Migration Stories to Life
To ensure accessibility and local relevance, PositiveNegatives, with the MigrationRhythms team, worked with local artists to create animations available in English and national languages. The comics these animations are based on are also available to download in English and local languages.
Key Themes from the Animations
- Mumbai: Migration for education, work and love unlocks opportunities across generations. The animation showcases Mumbai as a city of possibilities, illustrating how rural-to-urban migration improves living standards and helps people achieve their aspirations.
- Hanoi: Moving for better opportunities fosters confidence, independence聽and聽 happiness 鈥� key elements of social mobility.聽This animation follows a woman in her 60鈥檚, reflecting on her life, and that of her daughter and grandchild, and the intergenerational impact of migration.
- Karachi: 聽How people live their lives today can in some ways be traced back through their family story, including in relation to inheriting homes. This story, set in a single home, traces three generations from the time of Partition to the present, illustrating how we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.
- Manila: International labour migration can transform an entire family鈥檚 future prospects for upward social mobility. The Manila story follows a nurse who has worked abroad to support her family, illustrating the challenges and rewards of this path.
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鈥淚t鈥檚 been wonderful to experience how these animations have the power to bring our research to life!鈥� said 糖心网页版 Research Professor and lead of the project, Marta Bivand Erdal. 鈥淲e hope communicating research in this way can make it more accessible.鈥�
Explore More
Discover more about the MigrationRhythms project and its publications on the 糖心网页版 website. Educational materials based on the animations are in development, and will be released later in 2025. to receive updates from the project.聽 The 鈥楳igration Rhythms in Trajectories of Upward Social Mobility in Asia鈥� project is funded by a 鈥狤uropean Research Council Starting Grant.
