Mobility Strategies Among Latin American Immigrants in the South

SES-1125539艾琳·A·布朗艾默里大学南方拉丁美洲移民的流动策略本研究调查了种族和民族不平等如何影响亚特兰大多米尼加和墨西哥中产阶级移民父母的流动策略。我们特别要问的是，“歧视在移民父母的决定中扮演了什么角色”，这些决定包括在哪里居住、把孩子送到哪里上学、加入什么组织、培养什么社交网络和开展什么活动？超越黑人/白人歧视的范式，我们确定了当前全国反拉丁裔敌意氛围创造了一种背景，在这种背景下，拉美中产阶级利用资源为他们的孩子争取机会。我们通过对70名墨西哥中产阶级父母和70名多米尼加中产阶级父母进行深入访谈，捕捉到拉美裔群体在歧视、种族/民族认同和流动战略方面的经历和看法的关键差异。我们的项目解决了迅速变化的人口格局中的种族关系和移民融入的紧迫问题，揭示了族裔和阶级边界建设在相互关联的持续进程中将歧视和流动战略联系在一起的方式。通过关注亚特兰大的两个特定的拉丁裔群体，我们深入了解了国家气候是如何通过一个新移民目的地的当地种族、民族和阶级动态来发挥作用的，在那里，历史上的黑人/白人种族关系遭到了遭遇、挑战和潜在的转变。更广泛的影响：我们的研究突出了拉美裔移民人口中的一部分--中产阶级，在国家关于移民的讨论中，他们几乎仍然是被忽视的。我们对这两个群体的比较研究可以教育公众了解美国拉美裔人口的阶级和种族多样性。我们的项目还涉及到政策辩论，即最近在州和地方层面实施的严厉的反移民立法是否也对有记录的拉美裔移民不利，为拉美裔中产阶级成员及其子女制造了障碍。通过确定种族和族裔不平等影响关键流动决定的机制，以及确定拉美裔群体中重要的阶级和国家分裂，我们还希望发现在历史上被剥夺公民权的群体之间进行合作和建立联盟的机会。

SES-1125539Irene A. BrowneEmory UniversityABSTRACTMobility Strategies among Latin American Immigrants in the SouthThis study investigates how race and ethnic inequality influences mobility strategies of middle class Dominican and Mexican immigrant parents in Atlanta. In particular, we ask, "what role does discrimination play in immigrant parents" decisions about where to live, where to send children to school, what organizations to join, what social networks to cultivate and what activities to pursue? Moving beyond the Black/White paradigm of discrimination, we identify the ways that the current national climate of anti-Latino hostility creates a context in which middle class Latinos leverage resources to secure opportunities for their children. We capture key differences in experiences and perceptions of discrimination, racial/ethnic identity and mobility strategies among Latino groups by conducting in-depth interviews with 70 middle class Mexican parents and 70 middle class Dominican parents. Our project addresses the urgent questions of race relations and immigrant incorporation amidst a rapidly shifting demographic landscape, uncovering the ways that ethnic and class boundary construction link discrimination and mobility strategies in reciprocal, ongoing processes. By focusing on two specific Latino groups in Atlanta, we gain insight into how the national climate plays out through the local race, ethnic and class dynamics of a new immigrant destination, where historically black/white race relations are encountered, challenged and potentially transformed. Broader impact: Our study highlights a segment of the Latino immigrant population "the middle class" that remains virtually invisible in national discourse on immigration. Our comparative study of two groups can educate the public about the class and ethnic diversity of the Latino population in the U.S. Our project also speaks to policy debates over whether the harsh anti-immigrant legislation recently implemented at the state and local levels disadvantage Latino immigrants who are documented as well, creating barriers for members of the Latino middle class and their children. By identifying the mechanisms through which race and ethnic inequality influences pivotal mobility decisions, and identifying important class and national cleavages among groups of Latinos, we also hope to discover opportunities for cooperation and coalition-building among historically disenfranchised groups.