‘Social’ Economics of Transnational Disaster Aid of [Im]Migrant Communities: The Case of Filipinos in Hiroshima, Japan

Transnationalism and disaster aid are intricately connected but rarely examined in the context of immigrants and migrant workers. As one of the largest sending countries of migrant workers to Japan and elsewhere, the Philippines is a classic case to explore the relational dynamics as one of the top countries in the world most at risk of disasters. Japan and the Philippines face particular challenges as island countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change, albeit with differential impacts and capacities to respond when disasters strike. In the case of the Philippines, the formal and informal flow of goods and services from its gendered labour diaspora significantly complements domestic response to disasters. Focusing on the ‘social’ dynamics of producing goods and services as part of disaster aid or disaster philanthropy, I highlight the case of Filipinos in Hiroshima, Japan and demonstrate the unrecognized social networks to alleviate the conditions of disaster-affected communities in the Philippines and in Japan. Data from this presentation is based on fieldwork in Hiroshima in 2022.