Doctoral Dissertation Research: Social Context and Perceived Membership- A Comparative Study of Latin Americans in New York and Madrid

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SES-1103126Richard AlbaJessica SperlingCUNY Graduate SchoolThis doctoral dissertation research studies the ways in which different socio-historical contexts shape the process of immigrant assimilation and perceived possibilities of social membership. It examines these issues in a comparative perspective, specifically in New York City (a historic immigrant destination) and Madrid (a recent immigrant destination). The principal research questions are: What boundaries do children of immigrants see as the dominant dividing lines between social groups in their country of residence, and how flexible are these boundaries? To what degree do children of immigrants feel receiving society national membership is available to them, and what role, if any, does immigrant-descent or ethno-racial minority status play in limiting membership? Research methods are both comparative and qualitative; analysis is principally based upon in-depth interviews with members of the Latin American 1.5 and second generation in each location.This project will contribute to an improved understanding of the current and possible future courses of diversity in receiving societies. For instance, the comparative framework and focus on perceived boundaries contributes to research on the contextual basis of social boundaries, and this has direct implications for research on racial and ethnic integration. Existing comparative transatlantic research often focuses on measures of integration and immigrant success, such as educational and economic outcomes. Yet perceived opportunities of belonging - the focus of this study - both reflect and affect these outcome measures. Moreover, since dominant assimilation theories were developed with an eye towards the U.S., their assumptions about the placement and salience of social boundaries (e.g., the perceived permissibility of diversity, and the presence of established minorities) may not accurately reflect other settings. It therefore broadens assimilation theory to consider boundaries and membership possibilities in other socio-historical contexts. Most research on migrants in Europe focuses on Muslim populations, but this study focuses on a non-Muslim group. This study adds to the body of literature on migrant-descent populations in Europe, and it highlights the role of race and ethnicity, rather than religion, as potential social divides. The focus on Latin Americans in Europe also contributes to the study of Latin American migration, which has been overwhelmingly focused on immigration to the United States. Finally, despite Spain?s relative prominence as a receiving country within Europe, most research on Europe has focused on Northern and Western Europe. This study?s focus on Spain will therefore contribute to the regional diversity of immigration research and improve understanding of a key immigrant receiving area.