On the Move for Love

Sealing Cheng’s acclaimed work On the Move for Love examines life in the  gijichon  (military camp towns) that developed around U.S. military bases established in South Korea since the Korean War. The book focuses particularly on the experiences of Filipino migrant women working in the entertainment industry in these areas.
Cheng not only tells individual stories but also reveals how these women reconstruct their desires, hopes, relationships, and social roles. The book ethnographically explores the complex relationships these women have with their clients, boyfriends, employers, and families, while critically assessing discourses surrounding human trafficking.
Challenging traditional victim narratives, the book seeks to understand migrant women as agents making their own choices rather than mere victims. It also offers a global perspective on migration, gender, and labor relations through journeys extending beyond South Korea to other countries.
An essential resource in feminist anthropology, public policy, and human rights, this book invites deep reflection on transnational identities and structures of inequality.