Abstract
In The EU Migrant Generation in Asia: Middle-Class Aspirations in Asian Global Cities, Helena Hof offers a compelling exploration of the privileges and precarities experienced by a particular group of young European migrants living and working in Singapore and Tokyo. Through the dual lenses of “the EU migrant generation” and “middle-class aspirations,” Hof conceptualizes how a cohort of EU middle-class university graduates, accustomed to intra-EU mobility as a normalized life course, extends their migration trajectories beyond Europe. Drawing on institutional frameworks, including educational opportunities and various mobility channels, these individuals are increasingly drawn to Asian global cities such as Singapore and Tokyo, in pursuit of professional opportunities and the preservation of a middle-class lifestyle.
Hof structures the book in three interconnected parts that trace the trajectories of the “EU migrant generation” in Asia. She begins by introducing the concept itself and examining what motivates many in this group to move to Singapore and Tokyo. While Singapore has long been a multicultural hub and Tokyo has been transformed by Japan's transition from its “nonimmigrant” past, both are framed as offering career prospects and living standards that align with middle-class aspirations. Building on this context, the second part turns to the migrants’ career pathways, showing how contrasting labor market structures shape their opportunities. Singapore's neoliberal labor market favors experienced professionals who advance through frequent job changes, whereas Japan's system requires many to enter the workforce through educational networks, earning degrees from Japanese universities before securing in-house careers in the primary labor market. Yet, across both cities, some migrants face systemic disadvantages: recent graduates struggle to meet the elevated expectations of “foreign talent” in Singapore, while those without Japanese fluency must work harder to assimilate to prove themselves as ideal workers. The final part shifts focus to settlement and mobility, exploring how place-making and belonging influence decisions to remain or leave. Here, Hof persuasively contends that “mobility and roots, and thus the possibility to have a home abroad without settling down, do not contradict” (p. 19), offering a nuanced perspective on the interplay between mobility, stability, and aspiration. Employing a life history approach, Hof succeeds in crafting a narrative that is both analytically rigorous and highly readable.
While much of the migration literature remains centered on Western countries as migrant destinations, Hof's work fills a critical gap by examining lesser-studied contexts, like Singapore and, notably, Japan. She illustrates how both countries, while increasingly open to immigration, remain constrained by national histories and cultural imaginaries. A notable contribution of this book lies in its attention to the micro–macro dynamics at play across both origin and destination contexts. Focusing on a generation that came of age during the post-2008 financial crisis, Hof documents how declining job opportunities in Europe prompted many to seek prospects elsewhere, navigating new pathways amid structural constraints.
The book also illuminates the shifting challenges confronting Europe's middle class. Despite strong educational backgrounds, multilingual skills, and international experience, many young people struggle to secure meaningful and stable careers. Hof argues that the central challenge is not simply employability, but the pursuit of self-actualization, rooted in middle-class aspirations and ideals. This insight extends beyond Europe, reflecting broader anxieties among educated youth across advanced industrial societies. By situating these experiences within the rapidly expanding phenomenon of youth mobility, illustrated by the rise in international students from 2.2 million to 6.39 million in 2021 (IOM, 2024). Hof's study advances scholarship on youth migration and aspirations, highlighting the need for closer engagement with the perspectives of this growing demographic group.
This book can be read as a contemporary counterpart to Adrian Favell's Eurostars and Eurocities (2008), which examined intra-EU mobility among experienced professionals. While Favell focused on established careers within the EU, Hof turns to European millennials at the start of their professional lives who venture beyond its borders. In doing so, she extends the research line on high-skilled mobility, showing that the economic, social, and cultural characteristics of global cities remain powerful draws, but operate within shifting geopolitical and generational contexts. Through its vivid portrayal of Singapore and Tokyo, The EU Migrant Generation in Asia reveals how cultural vitality — fueled by diverse international arrivals — and stability maintained by robust social systems, coupled with Asia's rising economic power, combine to position these cities as compelling alternatives to European “Eurocities,” increasingly perceived by young migrants as beset by political, economic, and social crises. By linking global city theory to contemporary migration flows beyond the West, Hof offers insights of relevance not only to migration scholars and urban studies researchers but also to those examining youth transitions, middle-class precarity, and the intersections of spatial and social mobility in a changing global economy.