Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Calixte Beyala Ou La Réécriture De La Littérature Coloniale Française, Frieda Ekotto

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

This article shows how Calixthe Beyala, in Le petit prince de Belleville (1992) and Maman a un amant (1993), presents the character of the child as producer of sociopolitical and historical discourse. By using the child as narrator, Beyala rewrites the colonial literature of the interwar period extending from Francis Carco to Mac Orlan from a less noble perspective. As producer of certain racist discourses, the child is singled out as the one who represents life and assures the future of the community.

Borders And Barriers: Perspectives On Aging And Alternative Medicine Among Transnational North Indian Immigrants, Kanan B. Mehta

Anthropology Theses

This study explores the practice of alternative medicine among a group of senior, transnational Indian immigrants. I analyze how cross-cultural ideologies influence aging and immigrant experiences in healthcare. I explore the ways in which transnational networks nurture social relations and aid in acquiring healthcare resources. This study also examines the developments that alternative medicine underwent during the colonial rule and how those developments affected the trajectory of biomedicine. I focus on the practice of alternative medicine as a significant contributor to immigrant health. Finally, I argue that we need to strive for a symbiosis between alternative medicine and Western biomedicine …

The Limits Of Social Capital: An Examination Of Immigrants' Housing Challenges In Calgary, Alina Tanasescu, Alan Smart

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A common explanation of immigrants' under-representation among the homeless population in Canada is that kinship and community networks act as a buffer to absolute homelessness. There are indications that immigrant homelessness is, however, increasing, suggesting that the buffering capacity of social networks reaches a limit. Further, evidence of precarious housing situations indicates that we should approach this form of housing provision with some caution. This paper draws on a larger study of housing difficulties among immigrants in Calgary to address the ways in which social capital serves a buffering role, and under what conditions it loses its ability to prevent …

Where Justice Meets Compassion: A Christian Assessment Of Illegal Immigration, Kevin Twain Lowery, Courtney Fuqua

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

This presentation examines the multifaceted problems created by illegal immigration, both those impacting United States citizens and those encountered by the immigrants themselves. Two main areas of focus are the economic and sociological effects of illegal immigration. Although there are many injustices surrounding illegal immigration that need to be rectified, Christian ethics demands that compassion be given precedence. In the end, we identify key issues that need to be addressed for a holistic solution to be reached.

Parental Absence And Academic Achievement In Immigrant Students, Chrysalis L. Wright

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic achievement and educational expectations as a function of parental absence were examined among 268 newly immigrant elementary, middle, and high-school students from Spanish-speaking countries. Data collected as part of a longitudinal study of adaptation and achievement in newly immigrant students were analyzed. Participants had varying experiences with parental absence, in terms of length of absence, gender of absent parent, and reason for absence. Reasons for parental absence included parental divorce, parental death, and serial migration, a cause unique to immigrant children. Students who experienced parental absence reported lower educational expectations. Students who experienced the death of a parent had …

November Roundtable: Multiculturalism And Integration Introduction

Human Rights & Human Welfare

An annotation of:

“Germany's Integration Blinkers. What's So Bad About Parallel Societies?” by Henryk M. Broder, Spiegel Online, November 20, 2010

and

“Angela Merkel: German Multiculturalism has Utterly Failed,” by Matthew Weaver, The Guardian, October 17, 2010

A Protection Post-Mortem On The "Death" Of Multiculturalism In Germany, Erin Mooney

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Noticeably absent from the recent pronouncements of the “death” of multiculturalism in Germany, including Chancellor Angela Merkel’s own conclusion that the policy had “utterly failed,” has been any interest to seriously examine, let alone address, the reasons for such a failure.

Multiculturalism And The Struggle Of National Normative Challenges, Marc Alexander C. Gionet

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Globalization has not translated into a set of universal monolithic values. As populations relocate for various reasons, increasingly less effort is required not only to stay connected, but to remain within the home community via satellite television, radio, telecommunications, and locally concentrated diaspora. Henryk M. Broder has described such a phenomenon as the development of “ parallel societies, ” which result from immigrants’ failure or lack of interest in integrating into a host community. The question that many commentators have attempted to answer is: does the development of parallel societies, or even additional cultural diversity, represent a threat or a …

Citizenship, Rights, And Culture, Alison Brysk

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Shortly after German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s repudiation of multiculturalism, the Soros Foundation announced the winners of its Fellowships for New Americans—an award for graduate study for foreign-born students whose career paths show initiative, accomplishment, and “commitment to the values expressed in the U.S. Constitution.” Dozens of America’s best and brightest are pursuing degrees in law, medicine, public policy, business, and the arts that will immensely enrich our national and global communities.

European Identity Struggles In The Age Of Austerity, Par Engstrom

Human Rights & Human Welfare

The economic crisis has coincided with a discernible rise of right-wing populist parties in a number of European countries. This was most recently seen in elections in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Right-wing populist parties also hold parliamentary seats in Austria, Denmark, Finland, and Norway, and they have been part of coalition governments in Italy and Switzerland for some time. In France, Jean-Marie Le Pen’s National Front, although not represented in parliament, wields considerable political influence, and may receive an additional electoral boost should Le Pen’s daughter, Marine Le Pen, inherit the party leadership. True, these parties still enjoy only …

Peruvians In The United States 1980—2008, Laird Bergad

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report examines demographic and socioeconomic factors concerning Peruvians in the United States between 1980 and 2008.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: The Peruvian population of the U.S. increased dramatically between 1980 and 2008 from about 70,000 to over 550,000 people. Migration increased in each decade and there is no reason to believe that migration from Peru will decrease in …

Puerto Ricans In The United States, 1900—2008: Demographic, Economic, And Social Aspects, Laird Bergad

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report examines demographic and socioeconomic factors concerning Puerto Ricans in the United States between 1990 and 2008.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: By 2008 there were as many Puerto Ricans living in the United States — about 4 million — as living in Puerto Rico. About two-thirds of all Puerto Ricans in the United States were born on the …

An Exploration Of The Dual Liminal Space :The Cultural And Developmental Process Of South American Latino Adolescents Post Immigration : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, Erika Hajati

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative, retrospective study aimed to explore the ways in which South American Latino Adolescents navigated through a dual liminal space (e.i developmental and cultural) post immigration. In other words, this study explored the intersection of the experience of being an adolescent and an immigrant in the United States. The research question for this exploratory study was: How do South American Latino adolescents move through the cultural and developmental liminal spaces post immigration? The sample for this study included 12 South American Latino immigrants who came to the United States during their adolescence, and have been in the country for …

The Ties That Binds: Colonies , Culture And Education Among Immigrants, David Ortmeyer, Aaron Jackson, Michael A. Quinn

Economics Faculty Publications

There is concern among many policy makers of a dual problem: too many immigrants overall but not enough highly-skilled immigrants. Using recently available data we examine the factors which influence both the quantity and average educational level of immigrants in OECD countries in 1990 and 2000. We find that geographic proximity and former colonial relationships positively influence the overall number of immigrants but are negatively related to immigrants’ average educational level. By contrast, variables such as greater economic freedom, more generous asylum policies, and a common language and religion increase both the quantity and educational level of immigrants. More highly …

The U.S.-Mexico Border Fence: An Exploration Of The Effectiveness Of This Immigration Policy, Froylan Garza

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the effectiveness of the U.S./Mexico border fence for illegal immigration. This topic is important because the recent mandate by Congress in 2006 to construct fencing along the southwest border between the U.S. and Mexico was met with great resistance from the border communities Texas that are directly affected by its construction (Haddal, et al. CRS, 2009). Border communities of the southwest region of the United States are ethnically diverse and rich in history and culture. Many of them hold annual celebrations in which their Latin culture, traditions, and history are honored. The …

Immigration And Intimate Partner Violence: Exploring The Immigrant Paradox, Emily M. Wright, Michael L. Benson

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Recent evidence indicates that contrary to some criminological theories, immigrants are less violent than native-born Americans. The relationship between immigrant status and reduced violence appears to hold at both the individual and neighborhood levels of analysis. This phenomenon has been referred to as the immigrant or Latino paradox. It has been suggested, although rarely examined, that cultural differences and strong social networks among immigrants account for their lower violence rates. These factors even appear strong enough to counterbalance the crime-promoting effects of economic disadvantage. This study investigates whether such patterns extend to intimate partner violence. Consistent with research on other …

Rethinking Geographies Of Assimilation, Caroline Nagel

Caroline R. Nagel

This commentary argues for a reconsideration of the concept of assimilation in geographical research. Whereas critics of assimilation theory have often misrepresented assimilation research, those working within the assimilation framework have seldom explored societal understandings of “sameness.” This commentary advocates that geographers look at assimilation not only in terms of spatial patterns but also in terms of the discursive and material practices through which dominant and subordinate groups negotiate the terms of social membership. The need to arrive at a richer understanding of assimilation becomes more pressing as the assimilability of migrants becomes an increasingly salient topic of debate.

Hidden Minorities And The Politics Of ‘Race’: The Case Of British Arab Activists In London, Caroline Nagel

Caroline R. Nagel

This paper uses a case study of activists in London's Arab communities to address the marginalisation of certain groups in academic analyses of 'race' and ethnicity. Theorisation of 'race' has become increasingly sophisticated, emphasising the fluidity of racial identities and the contextual specificity of racial ideologies and racialised practices. Yet very few empirical analyses of 'race' stray from the rigid categories of 'race' and ethnicity found in censuses and other official sources. The implication is that only certain groups 'count' as 'racial' and should be analysed in terms of 'race'. Using evidence gathered from intensive interviews with Arab community activists, …

Geopolitics By Another Name: Immigration And The Politics Of Assimilation, Caroline Nagel

Caroline R. Nagel

In this introduction to the special issue on the geopolitics of migration, I discuss some of the problematic elements of current approaches to migration studies. In particular, I comment on the concept of ‘transnationalism’ as it has been applied to immigrant communities, and argue that claims about immigrant transnationalism resemble contemporary and historical polemics on the non-assimilation of immigrants. I propose that our understanding of the dynamics of immigrant-host society relationships must begin with an understanding of the geopolitical contexts in which migration takes place. I illustrate my argument using the case of Arab Americans in the aftermath of September …

Diaspora In Global Development: First Generation Immigrants From Kenya, Transnational Ties, And Emerging Alternatives, Maria M. Kioko

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Transnational ties form an important aspect of immigrants' experiences. Using ethnographic accounts of 38 first generation immigrants from Kenya this study analyzed (a) why and how participants maintain ties, (b) characteristics of the ties, and (c) the degree to which ties influence immigrants' experiences. Findings revealed that participants connected to Kenya through social, economic, and political transnational practices. Ties took on a U-shaped curve with the highest intensity at points of arrival and after extended stay in the United States. While participants had moved spatially, their values and attitudes remained static resulting in "particularistic" development efforts. This demonstrated how ethnicity, …

Key Dynamics Of Assimilation Among First-Generation Turkish Immigrants Residing In Romania, Hasan Aydin

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

The purpose of this study was to examine the consequences of integration and assimilation of first-generation young adults (over 18 years old) who are Turkish immigrants in Romania. This is a qualitative study with 31 first-generation Turkish immigrants in two different Romanian cities. The participants were interviewed and were asked open-ended questions relating to their culture, religion, and language. The comparative analyses of the two cities indicate that the processes and intensity of assimilation differ widely. The participants' degree of assimilation or integration was related to various things, such as histories prior to migration, reason for relocation, and particular characteristics …

Cubans, ¡Si!; Haitians, ¡No!: U.S. Immigration Policy, Cultural Politics, And Immigrant Eligibility, Michele Zebich-Knos

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

No abstract provided.

Becoming American: The Socio-Economic And Cultural Landscape Of Kenyan Immigrants In Chicago, Il, Cyril O. Wilson, Chapurukha M. Kusimba

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This study reports the emerging patterns of migration and settlement of Kenyans into the Chicago metropolitan area. Like most African immigrant communities in North America, economic downturn, political instability, and socio-economic polarization in African countries necessitated an appreciable quantum of emigration of Kenyans following the attainment of Africa's political independence in the 1960s. Most of the findings on housing characteristics, education, employment, patterns of family life, socio-cultural interaction, challenges encountered by new immigrants, and related phenomena evince parallels with other studies on African immigrants in North America.

Je E(S)T L’Autre, Nadia Duchêne

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

Immigration and otherness represent core concerns in contemporary society and, as such, give rise to debate and discussion in many disciplines. the question of otherness also arises as a recurrent and key subject in the field of literature. Tahar Ben Jelloun’s novel Partir is replete with the ambivalence of otherness: attraction/aversion; difference/similarity; lack/exile; native/foreigner; close/distant; normal/deviant and as such provides a laboratory where the expression of otherness in discourse can be dissected. We will examine the perception and the issue of otherness in the novel as well as the strength of its representations.

Reconstructing Citizenship In A Global Economy: How Restricting Immigrants From Welfare Undermines Social Rights For U.S. Citizens, Rupaleem Bhuyan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Scrutiny of immigrants' use of public benefits is a reoccurring theme in U.S. politics. Yet while the tough stance on immigrants taps into popular anti-immigrant sentiment, the consequences of such scrutiny are shared by all welfare recipients. Drawing upon interpretive policy frames, I examine how new requirements to verify citizenship and identity for Medicaid directly impacts social entitlements for both citizen and non-citizen populations. Analysis of state reports and policy studies of citizenship verification requirements for Medicaid illustrate that verification costs may exceed the costs of fraudulent misuse by unqualified immigrants. I argue that devolutionary shifts in welfare and immigration …

Think Outside The Cell: Are Binding Detention Standards The Most Effective Strategy To Prevent Abuses Of Detained Illegal Aliens?, Federico D. Burlon

Political Science Honors Projects

In the last twenty years the U.S. government has increasingly utilized detention to control illegal immigration. This practice has become controversial because it has caused numerous in-custody abuses and deaths of immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees and even citizens. Immigrant rights advocates have called for the passage of binding detention standards to prevent in-custody abuses. This thesis’s policy analysis reveals, however, that while they may finesse the practice of immigration detention, such binding standards would be ineffective in protecting immigrants’ rights. Instead this policy analysis calls for and explains the feasibility of discontinuing the practice of mass immigrant detention.

The Politics Of Immigration: A Representation Of The Unconscious Mind, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the concept of an illegal immigrant from different psychological perspectives.

Illegal Immigration And Immigration Reform: Protecting The Employment Rights Of The American Labor Force (The Native Born And Foreign Born) Who Are Eligible To Be Employed, Vernon Briggs, Jr.

Vernon M Briggs Jr

[Excerpt] Ever since the latter half of the 19th Century when the United States began to use its lega l system as a means to regulate both the size and the composition of the flow of foreign-born persons into its population and labor force, policymakers have had to confront the issue of what to do about those who defy the ensuing limitations, restrictions, and exclusions. As a consequence, the subject of illegal immigration has made frequent appearances on the nation’s political reform agenda. For while the United States claims to be a “a nation of immigrants,” it also boasts that …

The Recent Migration Slowdown And America's Changing Regional Demographics, William H. Frey

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

America's regional demographics have been strongly influenced by persistent migration flows from the sunbelt to snowbelt, inward from the coasts, and immigration from abroad. Fast growing metropolitan areas like Las Vegas have ridden the waves of these flows. This presentation will discuss how past migration patterns has created sharp regional distinctions, and how the recent migration slowdown has affected them.

Does Cultural Distance Hinder Trade In Goods? A Comparative Study Of Nine Oecd Member Nations, Roger White, Bedassa Tadesse

Economics

We examine the effect of cultural distance, a proxy for the lack of a minimum reservoir of trust necessary to initiate and complete trade deals, on bilateral trade flows. Employing data for 67 countries that span the years 1996– 2001, we estimate a series of modified gravity specifications and find that cultural dissimilarity between nations has an economically significant and consistently negative effect on aggregate and disaggregated trade flows; however, estimated effects vary in magnitude and economic significance across measures of trade and our cohort of OECD reference countries. The consistently negative influence of cultural distance indicates that policymakers may …