2022 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Intersectionality of the Transgender and Transnational Lives of Transpinay Entertainers in Japan
| Project/Area Number |
20K12468
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| Research Institution | Tamagawa University |
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Principal Investigator |
岡田 トリシャ 玉川大学, ELFセンター, 准教授 (50774064)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | intersectionality / transgender migrants / trans women / Filipino migation / Japan |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
After completing the dissertation and two published articles on Filipino transgender women in Japan the previous year, I intended to reach a wider audience to raise awareness of the diverse yet understudied Filipino migrants in Japan. At the same time, a discussion between the Philippine migration scholars and the migrants themselves could provide an in-depth and meaningful discourse on the recent studies that bring about the unique experiences of Filipino migrants in Japan. Thus, I collaborated with Dr. Dada Docot of Tokyo College and Purdue University to organize a timely post-election Zoom webinar featuring Filipino and Japanese scholars researching Filipino migrants in Japan and the Filipino migrants themselves that included an activist scholar, a former detainee, an educator, a publisher writer doing volunteer work. The webinar was attended by almost 70 people from Japan, the Philippines, and other Southeast Asian countries. This webinar painted a landscape of the emerging studies of the diverse Filipino migrants in Japan from the 1990s until now.
Since the study period happened during COVID-19, I explored the situations of the transpinay entertainer and migrants during the pandemic. I had two face-to-face interviews with two transpinay entertainers. The questions concerned their physical and mental health, livelihood, coping mechanisms, integration into the Philippine community in Japan, and participation in the Philippine elections.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
4: Progress in research has been delayed.
Reason
This study's progress and data quality aligned with the research project's objectives. However, the fieldwork was limited to Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the findings revealed how the transpinay migrants’ resilience helped them navigate their physical and mental health, livelihood, and coping mechanisms during a pandemic. Finally, the situations of these transgender migrants in Japan showed how citizenship contributed to their precarious state in Japan, which strengthened their decision to stay in the host country.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
For future research, the study aims to include not only Filipino trans women entertainers in Japan but also other foreign migrants in Japan during the pandemic. This is because the LGBTQ migrants have greatly impacted their ways of having intimacy and connecting with the community.
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| Causes of Carryover |
The budget was mainly used for purchasing books, online subscriptions, proofreading services, honorariums for the research participants, membership fees of academic organizations, and participation fees in international conferences. Moreover, it was also used for holding the webinar, conducting fieldwork and interviews in Japan, and presenting at a Philippine Studies Conference in Japan.
Reasons for incurring costs in the next fiscal year involve a budget to collect more data from fieldwork and interviews in Japan and the Philippines. I plan to consult with gender and migration experts to analyze data and provide helpful feedback. These research activities will include honorariums and professional fees. I will incur costs to renew the annual membership fees of academic organizations, pay conference fees, and purchase items and supplies related to the study during the implementation of the project.
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