In Fulfillment of Motherhood: An Exploratory Study of Migrant Mothers on Welfare in Japan

The paper primarily aims to (1) highlight the profile, perceptions, and politics of using seikatsu hogo (living subsidy allowance) of Filipino migrant mothers whose ever-increasing participation in the labor sector and society has inevitably shaped the public’s expectations on family-related and welfare policies of Japan, (2) locate, through their subjective experiences as consumers, the impact of seikatsu hogo on their lives as non-citizens who are currently reconfiguring the Japanese family and society. This study utilizes life vignettes obtained from in-depth interviews with (30) Filipino mothers residing and leading their family in Tokyo. It also illustrates that Filipino migrant mothers are, in the existing dual welfare hierarchies vis-à-vis Japanese and other migrants, occupants of the lowest tier. Beyond dichotomization between Japanese and non-Japanese poor, Filipino mothers are further fragmented in terms of how welfare support reconfigures family life. While some regard it as a status determinant, others claim it as a resource for socio-economic empowerment. Their politics of welfare use intersects with the politics of family relations in which Filipino mothers value parenthood over marriage. Family relations reinforce family solidarity through migrant mothers’ “best mother” and “model adult citizen” aspirations. As Japan grapples with exacerbating demographic problems and economic stagnation, it may have to reconsider facilitating migration and view immigrant women as potential source of labor force. However, in making women, citizens, and non-citizens, more visible in the labor market, welfare policies should vigorously work toward allowing them to balance work and family life by having greater access to childcare.