I think Kwon’s exploration of “the work of waiting” forces us to consider the effects of immigration policy in countries that are unable or unwilling to accept the large influx of immigrants. The discussion of 1990’s East Asia, where borders are opening to accomodate for the rapid rates of globalization causes us to consider the effects no often talked about. That is, what happens when countries like Korea start to limit the amount of immigrants coming into the country. The resulting rapid urbanization of Yanbian forces us to consider those left behind or unable to immigrate. That is precisely the work of waiting. It is not so simple to say they are waiting for relatives to return, but it is a laborious task to wait for loved ones who have no idea when they will return. In Kwon’s discussion we see the effect waiting has on lonesome husbands waiting for wives who can only send back remittances. These “botoli” can only preserve their marriages through love and remittances. However, these labors result in the increased social and economic mobility found in Korea that enticed the Chinese so much. The range of these labors not only extend to the physical labors of work for low wages but also the mental distress caused by being so far away from their loved ones, as mournfully expressed through the popular Yanbian song Everybody is Gone.
