Ethnic minority migration under conditions of “triple exposure”: evidence from Vietnam

Purpose Vietnam has experienced massive waves of internal migration since the beginning of economic reforms in the 1980s. Much research on this migration has focused on the country's majority population of ethnic Vietnamese (or Kinh), while less attention has been paid to the other ethnic groups that make up a sizable minority of the country's population. Mobility has, however, long formed an integral part of the livelihood strategies employed by minority people in Vietnam. Moreover, minority populations in Vietnam face a mix of environmental and economic pressures – a phenomenon known as “double exposure” – that may drive further migration. Design/methodology/approach Using data from the 2019 Population and Housing Census of Vietnam, we explore the impact of such double exposure on migration among ethnic minority communities in Vietnam, focusing on two specific groups, the ethnic Khmer from Vietnam's southern Mekong Delta region, and the Hmong from the mountainous Northwest. Findings We identified a significant disparity in migration propensity between Hmong and Kinh populations in the northwest, with Hmong demonstrating lower levels of permanent or semi-permanent migration. In contrast, no such gap was observed between Khmer and Kinh populations in the Mekong Delta. We do find, however, that migrants from the Mekong Delta experience significant occupational segregation along ethnic lines in their new areas of residence. Originality/value In light of these findings, we develop the concept of “triple exposure” – or the interaction of environmental and economic pressures with the social marginalization that accompanies minority status – to explain the observed differences in migration patterns and outcomes among ethnic groups.