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

这篇论文的研究将研究受过高等教育的外国出生的黑人（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)尽管美国存在种族不平等，但仍决定移民到美国；(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)融入社会各阶层。数据是通过背景调查、深度访谈、社会网络分析和对居住在马里兰州的尼日利亚和加纳移民的“影子”观察收集的。这些数据将由关于原籍社会社会结构的档案研究加以补充，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，与其他非白人移民和本土出生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有着更广泛的影响。一是促进教、训、学，将研究设计、方法、实证结果、理论建构整合到移民、种族与民族、社会不平等、研究方法等课程中。其次，这项研究可能会为如何扩大代表性不足群体的参与提供信息。最后，本研究的发现可以为美国、尼日利亚和加纳关于移民、种族和民族的政策辩论提供信息。

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.