Paper short abstract:

The au pair program is intended to be a limited term educational, cultural exchange program. Focusing on learning processes, the paper explores how Philippine au pairs cope with insecurities concerning their future possibilities, as they balance between family obligations and personal aspirations.

Paper long abstract:

Originally intended to be a cultural exchange program for young adults, au pairing officially has the educational purpose of broadening youths' cultural horizon. Most au pairs in Denmark today, however, are Filipina who, though required to leave Denmark when their two-year contracts expire, generally view their au pair stay as part of a long-term migration strategy that will enable them to support their family in the Philippines and pursue individual aspirations for a better livelihood. It is a race against time for the au pairs to create a future for themselves as immigrants in Europe within the two-year stay allowed by the Danish au pair program. Rather than experiencing cultural immersion in Danish culture by living with a Danish family, many au pairs therefore concentrate on learning how to become successful migrants in Europe. Their strategies include taking language and first aid courses to improve their qualifications as migrant care workers, or enrolling in an educational institution or marrying a Danish spouse in order to qualify for more long-term visas. This paper explores the learning processes the au pairs undergo as they attempt to become successful migrants. It argues that because of their insecure futures they end up grasping at various opportunities to stay abroad rather than pursuing educational goals. This must be seen in the light of Filipino understandings linking success with residence in a Western country as well as the Danish families' exploitation of the au pair program to obtain low-cost, live-in domestic labor.