A Study on What Factors Influence the Remittance Behaviors of First-Generation Filipinos Living Permanently in the US

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine what factors influence the remittance behaviors of first-generation Filipinos living permanently in the US. This was a convergent mixed-methods study, collecting data using online surveys and phone interviews of Filipino migrants living in the US. Remittance behavior was measured in three ways: whether or not one remits, the frequency one remits, and the amount one remits. Age, total household income, and the frequency of communication with family and friends in the Philippines were significantly correlated with remitting. Having helped or planning to help a relative immigrate from the Philippines to the US was significantly correlated with the frequency one remits. No variables were significantly correlated with the amount one remits. Interviews provided additional insight on how remittance-related expectations placed on a migrant, either by themselves or by their family, impacts their remittance behavior. The findings of this study can be used to inform policy discussions in both the US and the Philippines, specifically potential remittance-tax policy, immigration policy, and attempts to encourage, discourage, or direct the flow of remittances.