ABSTRACT
Labour migration can be a catalyst for many changes in a migrant domestic
worker’s sense of herself and of what she seeks in her life. In this chapter, I explore
four themes that emerge, among many others, in an exploration of the process of
identity formation among ‘successful’ Indonesian migrant domestic workers in
Singapore. These themes are personal change, loss, ambivalence about returning
home and transfer of gains. Successful migrant domestic workers involve them-
selves in a range of Sunday social activities, vocational courses, religious organi-
zations, sports clubs, welfare groups and micro-businesses.1 For women from rural
areas, especially those who are very young when they arrive, the activities and
opportunities that are available to them in the global city of Singapore have a pro-
found impact on their identity formation.
