Money sent home by migrants sets off a building boom in their home villages, and that boom feeds itself. The new houses and public works raise the bar for what a family should have. Meeting that bar means more people have to leave and send money back.
Migrants design and pay for houses in their hometowns that they may rarely live in. Each house stands for the life they hope to return to. It turns a far-off dream into a solid, visible place.
The movement of people and money changes places on both sides of the border, not just the home village. In the host country's big cities, migrants put up buildings to serve as headquarters for people from particular home regions. The home village, in turn, gains new public spaces, events, and even places to grow old and die.