Doctoral Dissertation Research:  Social Class, Migration and Assimilation in the United States

SES-0828240凌新郝明德林布福德，II约翰霍普金斯大学本论文研究将研究高学历，外国出生的黑人（尼日利亚和加纳移民）融入美国社会的过程。 具体来说，它将研究尼日利亚和加纳移民如何（1）在美国种族不平等的情况下做出移民美国的决定; (2)被美国政府、社会和劳动力市场承认为黑人和外国出生群体的一部分;（3）融入社会的不同部门。数据收集通过背景调查，深入访谈，社会网络分析，并与尼日利亚和加纳移民居住在马里兰州的“阴影”观察。 这些数据将得到关于原籍社会社会结构的档案研究的补充，以便全面了解移徙者的背景和经历。 这些移民在美国有阶级优势，但种族劣势，因此提供了一个有趣的案例来与其他非白人移民和土生土长的非洲裔美国人进行比较。 这项研究对教育、社会科学研究和社会具有更广泛的意义。 首先，它将促进教学，培训和学习，因为研究设计，方法，实证结果和理论构建将被纳入移民，种族和民族，社会不平等和研究方法的课程。 第二，这项研究有可能为如何扩大代表性不足群体的参与提供信息。最后，这项研究的结果可以为美国的政策辩论提供信息，尼日利亚和加纳关于移民、种族和族裔的报告。

SES-0828240Lingxin HaoMindelyn Buford, IIJohns Hopkins UniversityThis dissertation research will study the processes by which highly-educated, foreign-born, Black persons (Nigerian and Ghanaian immigrants) integrate into U.S. society. Specifically, it will examine how Nigerian and Ghanaian immigrants (1) make the decision to migrate to the United States despite racial inequality in the U.S.; (2) become recognized as part of Black and foreign-born groups by the U.S. government, society, and labor market; and (3) assimilate into different sectors of the society. Data is collected through a background survey, in-depth interviews, social network analysis, and "shadowing" observations with Nigerian and Ghanaian immigrants residing in Maryland. These data will be supplemented by archival research on the social structure of the home societies to provide a complete view of migrant backgrounds and experiences. These migrants have a class advantage, but race disadvantage in the U.S., and thus provide an interesting case to compare to other non-White immigrants and native-born African Americans. The study has broader implications for education, social science research, and society. First, it will promote teaching, training and learning as the research design, methodology, empirical findings, and theory construction will be integrated into courses on migration, race and ethnicity, social inequality, and research methodology. Second, the research could potentially inform the process of how to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups. Finally, findings from this study could inform policy debates in the U.S., Nigeria, and Ghana on migration, race, and ethnicity.