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Inspired by recent efforts in the United States to quantify the degree of transnational ties that immigrants possess, this article explores and analyses the prevalence and determinants of transnational family ties of immigrants in the Netherlands. Using data from a representative survey of four immigrant groups in the Netherlands, this paper also aims to fill the gap in knowledge regarding the effects of incorporation into an immigrant's host society on transnational family ties. Findings show that, while the vast majority of immigrants with relatives in the country of origin have frequent contact with these relatives, only a third of respondents contribute to the livelihood of family members in the homeland. Incorporation characteristics show distinct patterns over different types of involvement. While incorporation variables have a negative effect on the frequency of contact, they show little effect on remittances. Keywords: Transnationalism; family; immigrants; integration; ethnic minorities; remittances.

This paper presents a study of the perceptions of filial obligations among immigrant and Dutch older people in The Netherlands. It is first questioned how and to what extent these perceptions are determined by ethnic background or attributable to socio-demographic factors. Secondly, we study how filial obligations among immigrant older people differ by level of acculturation. Data from the main and migrant sample of the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (2002-2003) for respondents aged 50-80 years in five ethnic groups are used. The analysis sample included 470 Dutch, 70 Turks, 73 Moroccans, 125 Surinamese and 59 Antilleans. Immigrant background was found to be an important determinant of the perception of a child's obligations towards parents. Immigrant elders generally expected more weekly visits and care from their children, and more facilitation of co-residence to parents than was the case for the Dutch. Among elderly people in all ethnic groups, including the Dutch, the attained level of education was related to perceptions of filial obligation, but marital status and current health status were not. Finally, it was found that different aspects of acculturation were related to the perception of filial obligations among older people with Mediterranean and Caribbean backgrounds. KEY WORDS--immigrant elderly, filial obligations, acculturation, perceptions, The Netherlands.

Migrant parents from the Global South who migrate to the Global North often leave their children in the origin country either by choice or as a result of stringent migration policies in migrant-receiving countries that make family migration impracticable. Small-scale, qualitative studies have indicated that these transnational parents experience emotional and health difficulties due to separation. Few studies have investigated these effects on a larger scale using quantitative data, and no previous studies compared their findings with a control group. The current paper used a survey that was conducted with 303 Ghanaian migrant parents living in the Netherlands to examine the effects of transnational family life on self-reported health and subjective well-being (as measured through satisfaction with life and emotional well-being). The study shows that migrant parents who are separated from their children display worse outcomes than their counterparts who live with their children in the destination country. Importantly, however, these differences were mediated by these parents' lower socio-economic and undocumented status. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines differences in sibling relationships among native Dutch and immigrant groups in the Netherlands. It uses a large national dataset to compare adult sibling relationships among Moroccan, Turkish, Caribbean and native Dutch groups, focusing on the varying importance of gender composition and age structure for the sibling relationship in the ethnic minority groups and the native Dutch families. Results show that, on average, ethnic minorities in the Netherlands have more involved sibling relationships in adulthood, with more contact, more emotional support, practical support (except Turks and Antilleans), a higher relationship quality, but also more conflict (among the Turks and Antilleans) compared to the Dutch. Gender constellation and hierarchical position were not of equal influence in all groups, although no clear patterns emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]