Immigration and Change as Natural

Immigration and Change as Natural

Voyages: From Tongan Villages to American Suburbs, by Cathy A. Small, is both interesting and entertaining reading. This ethnography of social change of a Pacific island nation, is a fine example of how a system of chiefdoms evolves into a monetary system. It also served to demonstrate how this process affected immigration in mainstream America. My first reaction stemmed from a political theory class I took. This in conjunction with, sociologist Saskia Sassen’s article “Why Migration” , about the reasons why migration has become a key element of contemporary global society, brought to mind the writings of Karl Marx.

Marx who lived from 1818-1883, write extensively on the capitalist form of government and criticized it openly. Although I do not agree with the Marxist school of thought in general, I saw many truths in the things that he proclaimed. Among these he addressed the inroads of capitalism and its corruption of other societies. These issues, along with the many readings we have had, brought to the forefront some of my own feeling of discontent with our present society and world globalization, a discontent different and at times very similar to those who migrate.

In “Why Migration?”, Sassen states, “The central role played by the United States in the emergence of a global economy over the past 30 years lies at the core of why people migrate here in ever increasing numbers”(Sassen 14). The author goes on to tell how the flow of capitalist goods, services and information creates links between the United States and other countries. These links become bridges across which migrants, like the

Tongans flow. With this in mind I could not help thinking how right Marx was, and how well he had forecasted Tongan transnationalism.

In “The German Ideology” Marx writes, in reference to capitalists and their goods, “in place of old wants satisfied by the production of the country, we find new wants requiring for satisfaction the production of distant lands and culture.” He also writes, “In place of the old local and national seclusion and self-sufficiency we have intercourse in every direction, universal interdependence of nations” (Marx 162). This to me best sums up the transition of Tongan society. It seems to be the epitome of the issues Sassen raised in “Why Migration?”, issues that were relevant in Tonga’s new found transnationalism.