ABSTRACT There are paradoxical and sociological questions surrounding migrants of certain ethno‐national backgrounds—particularly women—whose high levels of education do not consistently translate into employment commensurate with their skills, resulting in what is commonly termed “brain waste.” This study critically examines the role of employer “othering” and unequal treatment based on ethno‐national origin as important contributors to skill underutilization. Focusing on Iranian migrant women with tertiary education studying and working in California and drawing on rich qualitative interview data, I explore how ethno‐national identity and gender intersect with and shape experiences of educational and occupational underutilization. Being among the most highly educated populations from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and simultaneously facing major financial, legal‐consular, and cultural obstacles owing to long‐standing and turbulent US‐Iranian diplomatic relations, Iranian migrants here represent a unique case for disentangling these intersecting forces. Key findings indicate that (1) one out of three participants interviewed suffered from brain waste; (2) more than half reported experiencing unfair treatment or being “othered” by employers and recruiters based on their prejudicial attitudes about Iranian ethno‐nationals, racialized as “non‐white” or “Middle Eastern”; and (3) approximately one‐fifth also reported their unfair treatment being tied to gender. More importantly, findings support intersectionality as a relational and situational process, as more than half also stated that they experienced greater levels of workplace othering and unfair treatment by employers or university administrators/faculty than counterparts of non‐MENA ethno‐national origins. Another significant finding is that more than their gender, female respondents' Iranian ethno‐nationality seems to contribute especially strongly to their devaluation in educational and professional fields. I conclude by discussing how my methodology and findings are informative to scholars in the fields of sociology of migration, work, and occupations.
Homa Sadri (Tue,) studied this question.