Doctoral Dissertation Research: Educational and Occupational Outcomes of Adult Children of Brazilian Immigrants in the US

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SES-0727933Leah VanWeyKara CebulkoIndiana UniversityRecent sociological research focusing on children of immigrants has shown that some variables (i.e., darker racial phenotypes and low human capital of parents) increase the chances of downward assimilation while other factors can act as protective barriers against downward assimilation (i.e., strong co-ethnic communities and use of biculturalism) However, the effects of important factors, including documentation status and local community context, on educational, occupational, and political incorporation processes have been underexplored. This dissertation research builds on theories of segmented assimilation to study these aspects of incorporation among 1.5 and second generation children of Brazilian immigrants. Using both survey data collected on Brazilian households and 50 in-depth interviews with adult children of Brazilian immigrants, this project examines the ways in which documentation status and local community context affect the experiences of Brazilian immigrants, particularly their incorporation into American society. This research also contributes to sociological understandings of immigrant incorporation by extending the segmented assimilation approach not only to political incorporation, but also to the relationship between educational/occupational incorporation and political incorporation. Moreover, it speaks to more general theories of social stratification and higher education as it considers how documentation status acts as an axis of stratification, which unlike class and race, formally excludes individuals from society. More broadly, this research is important for policy makers as they discuss the rights of immigrants to higher education, financial aid to pay for such education, and pathways to citizenship for children of immigrants.