Circular migration in a global context is used as a triple win discourse promising gains for host countries, home countries and migrants themselves, promising accelerated economic growth, remittances, relative high wages and brain gain, by means of full circles of migration: immigrants should be able to come, go and come back again, with few restrictions and making use of contemporary transnational networks. (Bieckmann and Muskens, 2007).
Circular migration in an urban context is a form of migration by which migrants move to the city for a few months and then return to the village when they can be most useful there. It is often part of a larger household strategy that seeks to diversify income streams and maximize consumption.
Puerto Ricans can travel to and from the US without visa permits because of Puerto Rico's commonwealth status. Thus, the relative ease of migration between the US and Puerto Rico makes this case particularly pertinent. In the 1970s, migration from Puerto Rico to the US was surpassed by reverse migration back to the homeland. This circular flow of migration is facilitated by the establishment of "mobile livelihoods" by these migrants. Circulators establish "dual home bases", in their place of origin and their US destination. They maintain strong social, familial, economic and political ties to their homeland. These connections broaden the cultural identities and opportunities available to circulators.[1]
For Puerto Rican women, circular migration is often affected by familial and marital status. Single women and mothers, or women who have recently experienced a change in marital status, such as divorce, are more likely to migrate to the US than those women in stable and/or large families. Additionally, once women migrate to the US they are less likely to return to Puerto Rico than men.[2]