Sociology Commons^™

Paths To Belonging: How Chinese Parachute Kids Construct Identity Across Borders, Huiying Chen

Pitzer Senior Theses

Chinese parachute kids, defined as unaccompanied minor who study in foreign countries alone while their parents remain in China, represent a unique segment of international students.This research specifically focusing on Chinese parachute kids studying in the U.S. Grounded in interviews with nineteen individuals who were once parachute kids, this study challenges the popular view that all international students have monolithic experiences especially within the assimilationist framework.

I propose a typology of three orientations (the heritage, the instrumental, and the global) and argue that Chinese parachute kids’ orientation determines their sense of belonging and their approaches to embeddedness in American educational …

Pendulums Of Personhood? Exploring The Multitudes Of Immigrant Womanhood In Spanish-Maghrebi Literature, Kaitlyn C. Sisco

Honors Theses

Often considered articulations of in-between-ness and bearers of fraught selfhoods, the work of Spanish-Maghrebi authors has been widely debated in literary fields, with academics arguing that it constitutes a largely homogenous set of texts about the standard immigrant experience. However, by placing these texts in a single category, such arguments end up erasing the immensely varied identities expressed and represented by Spanish-Maghrebi authors. This thesis seeks to address this issue by paying particular attention to how Spanish-Maghrebi authors negotiate different types of immigrant subjectivities in their writing. Specifically, I analyze the works of three contemporary Spanish-Maghrebi writers, Najat El Hachmi, …

Looking At Latino Communities: Legal Cynicism, Acculturation, And Their Willingness To Cooperate With Police, Shayla Salais

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Numerous studies have examined how acculturation affects Latino neighborhoods and how legal cynicism affects Latino neighborhoods. Acculturation has been linked with low crime levels, meanwhile legal cynicism is attributed to high crime levels. This study aims to address this contradiction in the literature. Based on 1059 surveys, 46 neighborhood clusters were used to examine how legal cynicism and acculturation to Mexico impact a neighborhoods willingness to cooperate with police. A multivariate ordinary least squares (OLS) regression found that acculturation to Mexico results in higher levels of legal cynicism and less willingness to cooperate with police. The OLS regression also found …

Madres, Hijas, Y La Frontera: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Mexican Mothers And Mexican-American Daughters, Arianna Gabriela Razo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this thesis is to investigate the role Mexican mothers play in raising their children and how the border affects their abilities as mothers, looking specifically into the Mother-Daughter relationship, broken down even further into the Mexican mother versus the Mexican-American daughter. To explore this concept, I examine Sandra Cisneros, Caramelo, looking at all the mothers, but specifically into the Reyes matriarchs, and Aaron Bobrow-Strain, The Life and Death of Aida Hernandez, to show how the border has influenced Mexican mothering styles, along with juxtaposing how Mexican immigrants were treated in the 20th century to how politicization of …

On Many Routes: Internal, European, And Transatlantic Migration In The Late Habsburg Empire, Annemarie Steidl

Central European Studies

On Many Routes is about the history of human migration. With a focus on the Habsburg Empire, this innovative work presents an integrated and creative study of spatial mobilities: from short to long term, and intranational and inter-European to transatlantic. Migration was not just relegated to city folk, but likewise was the reality for rural dwellers, and we gain a better understanding of how sending and receiving states and shipping companies worked together to regulate migration and shape populations.

Bringing historical census data, governmental statistics, and ship manifests into conversation with centuries-old migration patterns of servants, agricultural workers, seasonal laborers, …

Inventing America's First Immigration Crisis: Political Nativism In The Antebellum West, Luke Ritter

History

Why have Americans expressed concern about immigration at some times but not at others? In pursuit of an answer, this book examines America’s first nativist movement, which responded to the rapid influx of 4.2 million immigrants between 1840 and 1860 and culminated in the dramatic rise of the National American Party. As previous studies have focused on the coasts, historians have not yet completely explained why westerners joined the ranks of the National American, or “Know Nothing,” Party or why the nation’s bloodiest anti-immigrant riots erupted in western cities—namely Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville, and St. Louis. In focusing on the antebellum …

Leadership From Within: Founders, Advocates, And Organizational Networks Operating In Maine's Immigrant Community, Samuel Robert Kenney

Honors Projects

Much of the discourse surrounding African immigration to Maine has centered on the provision of public services that facilitate community development and integration. This project investigates different types of leadership strategies employed by African individuals in Maine that advance community objectives. When African immigrant leaders are empowered to affect public policy, they re-frame traditional conceptions of aid-dependency and vulnerability commonly applied to African immigrants in media and popular culture. Through leadership in nonprofit and civic spheres, African immigrant community leaders translate grassroots connectivity with informal networks into meaningful influence in the realm of public policy. This project focuses on the …

The Role Of Faith Communities In Improving Supports To Reduce Loneliness And Social Isolation In Immigrants 65+, Reshma Banu, Sirena Liladrie, Behije Noka

The Role of Faith Communities in Improving Supports to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation in Immigrants 65+

This report titled “The Role of Faith Communities in Improving Supports to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation in Immigrants 65+” connects survey findings with the importance of offering programs and services through faith groups and makes recommendations for creative collaborations with them in strengthening the community’s response to unmet needs of older immigrants.

Author Bios: Reshma Banu is a graduate from the Social Service Worker Program – Immigration and Settlement Stream at Sheridan College. Sirena Liladrie is a professor in the Social Service Worker Program at Sheridan College and Principle Investigator of the project. Behije Noka is a graduate of …

Body Weight Self-Perceptions And Experiences Of Nigerian Women Immigrants, Fatimah Binta Ali

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low-income immigrants in the United States experience declining health with increasing length of stay in the country. Their declining health over time has been associated with increased smoking, obesity prevalence, and higher risk for developing diabetes and heart disease. How immigrants perceive their body weight and size, influenced by social interaction, culture, gender, and acculturation is also significant to healthy weight maintenance. Not knowing one's healthy weight could result in body weight misperception and resistance to attaining a healthy weight. The aim of this qualitative study, based on the social constructivist framework, was to understand Nigerian women immigrants' (NWI's) body …

Lessons From The Field: Culturally Competent Support For Family, Friend And Neighbor Caregivers In Seattle, Mergitu Argo, Hueiling Chan, Christina Malecka

Occasional Paper Series

Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA) and Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) both have many years of experience working with Seattle/King County's immigrant communities. ReWA and CISC participate in an initiative to support family, friend and neighbor caregivers and promote the value of kith and kin care. They have learned valuable lessons about culturally respectful, empowering, and meaningful support and communication with caregivers. This paper highlights the nine most important factors they have found for creating a culturally inclusive support program for family, friend and neighbor caregivers.

Zycie W Ameryce: Life In America (Poster), Brett A. Cotter

Summer Research Program

Poster complementing author's summer research project exploring the history of the Polish-American community of Worcester, Massachusetts centered on the parish of Our Lady of Czestochowa and how its members responded to the forces of Americanization. Research in area archives such as the Worcester Historical Museum, the Worcester Public Library, and at Our Lady of Czestochowa’s rectory and its parish school of Saint Mary’s, as well as oral history interviews with past and longtime members of the community test the assumption that the story of Worcester’s Polish community is one of loss and decline. On the contrary, Polish-American efforts to preserve …

Zycie W Ameryce: Life In America, Brett A. Cotter

Summer Research Program

My project explores the history of the Polish-American community of Worcester, Massachusetts centered on the parish of Our Lady of Czestochowa and how its members responded to the forces of Americanization. Like many ethnic groups new to America, Polish-Americans and Polish immigrants in the twentieth century had to adapt in a world that demanded conformity in exchange for social mobility and departure from tradition and community. Over eight weeks, I conducted research in area archives such as the Worcester Historical Museum, the Worcester Public Library, and at Our Lady of Czestochowa’s rectory and its parish school of Saint Mary’s, as …

On Growing Up Finnish In The Midwest: A Family Oral History Project, Ingrid Ruth Nixon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores what oral history interviews with my mother reveal about the familial and community dynamics that influenced Finnish-American children growing up on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula between 1930 and 1950. Close to four hours of oral history interviews were conducted with Viola Nixon, who is second and third-generation Finnish-American on her father’s and mother’s sides, respectively. After conducting a narrative analysis of the interviews, five themes emerged as significant to community function: family, language, education, work and church. I grouped some of these themes together to create three stories informed by materials drawn from the interviews, a cookbook, and …

Catering Hall Harbors Immigrant Families Through Underground Employment, Kimberly J. Avalos

Capstones

A catering hall in Queens serves as a hub of work for immigrant families and holds a collection of Latin American migration stories and insights into illegal immigration in the United States.

The stories of the catering hall workers—younger and older, longtime residents and new arrivals—reflect the different struggles of immigration across the different generations of immigrants who work there. Their stories also show the common bonds for the different generations and the longstanding dreams of America.

immigrantworkers.kimberlyjavalos.com

Fawad And Zakeela, Fawad, Zakeela, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Fawad and his wife, Zakeela, have three children. Zakeela was a beautician, and Fawad was a singer in the Baghlan district in Afghanistan. The music he produced was not in accordance with the strict restrictions of the Taliban. They threatened his life and assaulted him many times, so he decided to leave with his family to Kabul. Fawad’s day job was as an FM radio producer; at night, he moonlighted as a singer and musician. He produced music for ceremonies and weddings, often performing for the women’s part, which the Taliban did not accept. Eventually, his life was again threatened, …

On The Fence, Emily G. Hauck

SURGE

Over a hundred years ago, my great-great grandmother fled Germany by herself to come to the United States to escape the abuse of her father. She had no connections in this country and nowhere to go. That same century my ancestors from Ireland crossed the Atlantic to make a better life in America. They were discriminated against for their religion and for their nationality.

Ana* and her husband, two hardworking Mexicans, paid a coyote to help them cross the Rio Grande into the United States ten years ago. They saw no future for their two young girls in Mexico and …

Sirena

Oral Histories

Age when Interviewed: 35

Date of Interview: Summer 2013

Race: Hispanic

Gender: Female

Keywords: Housing insecurity, Immigrant, Intergenerational poverty, Food insecurity

ACE Factors: Criminal household member, Household substance abuse

Born in the Twin Cities, Sirena is an Hispanic woman who participated in the Voices of Homeless project after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree from St. Catherine University in the summer of 2013. Since infancy she experienced housing insecurity, with her immigrant family moving frequently in the United States and Mexico. In her interview she discusses intergenerational poverty and food insecurity.

Lahens

Oral Histories

Age when Interviewed: 29

Date of Interview: Spring 2013

Race: Haitian

Gender: Male

Keywords: Housing insecurity, Immigrant, Intergenerational poverty, Food insecurity

ACE Factors: Physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Lack of education

Born in Haiti, Lahens is a Black St. Catherine University staff member who participated in the Voices of Homelessness project.. From birth he experienced housing insecurity and spent part of his childhood in an orphanage, begging at times, and living on the streets. At age 12 he was adopted by Sister Andrea Lee (IHM), former President of St. Catherine University, who helped him immigrate to Michigan and then to Minnesota. …

Desde Una Identidad Transnacional A La Hibridez: La Formación De La Nueva Identidad Nikkei En La Población Japonesa En El Perú, Nina Pincus

Scripps Senior Theses

Over the past century, the Japanese community in Peru has grown to be the second largest in South America. Their arrival and subsequent success in small businesses posed a threat to the Peruvian attempt to “whiten” their population. Because of this, racial conflicts arose between the Japanese and Peruvians, leading to the widespread “Yellow Peril” epidemic. Anti-Japanese sentiments caused immigration reduction laws and in the years leading up to WWII, tensions grew. During this time, the Japanese community remained ethnically close, maintaining transnational ties with Japan. This changed after the war, when their sojourner mentality changed to the permanence of …

Helen

Oral Histories

Age when Interviewed: 23

Date of Interview: Fall 2012

Race: Hispanic

Gender: Female

Keywords: Housing insecurity, Immigrant, Frequent moves, Intergenerational poverty, Food insecurity, Domestic violence

ACE Factors: Domestic violence

Born in Florida to an immigrant Hispanic family, Helen participated in the Voices of Homelessness project as a junior at St. Catherine University. From birth she experienced housing insecurity and throughout her life her family moved frequently, often doubling up with friends and relatives. In her interview she discusses intergenerational poverty, food insecurity, and domestic violence.

Does Culture Matter? : Exploring The Relationships Among Parenting A Child With Disabilities, Cultural Identification, And Stress In A Group Of European American And Immigrant Latino Families, Ximena P. Suarez-Sousa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this correlational exploratory study was to delve into the experience of raising a child with disabilities by investigating the parents' level of stress and the role played by culture, acculturation, and various demographic variables suggested by the literature to influence stress were included. A purposive sample composed of 38 primarily undocumented immigrant Latino parents and 32 European American parents of children with disabilities was recruited from community agencies in a Midwest state. The most frequent disabilities were orthopedic impairments, pervasive developmental disorders, and mental retardation.

Data were collected with the Parent Survey, comprised of the Questionnaire on …

Acculturation And Marital Stability Among Nigerian Immigrant Couples In The United States, Anselm I. Nwaorgu

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Christian Madsen- A Dane In The "Wild West", Sybil D. Needham

The Bridge

I never tire of hearing stories about Danish immigrants coming to America in the 1800' s. Their courage fills me with admiration because few of them would ever see their homeland or families again. My own great-grandparents Jens and Kristine Bagge arrived in June of 1863. Kristine died a few years later leaving five small children behind. We know she was lonely for Denmark.

Memories From A Danish American Parsonage, Bodil S. Sorensen

The Bridge

Those of us who grew up in the Danish-American

colonies of the 30' s and 40' s experienced a life that has

now disappeared. It was a rich and unique life. It was a

time of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation immigrants adjusting

to the American culture and at the same time cherishing

their particular brand of Danish heritage.

Sentenced To Be Hanged: The Tragic Story Of A Danish Immigrant, Peter D. Thomsen

The Bridge

Several years ago, Thorvald Hansen who was then in

charge of the Danish Immigrant Archives at Grand View

College, Des Moines, Iowa, asked if I would be interested in

writing the Peter Mathiasen story. I had previously told him

that in my childhood home I had heard bits and pieces of this

tale and that what I remembered most was how intensely it

was discussed by some of the immigrant people with whom

my parents associated. Little did I realize they were talking

about something that happened fifteen years before my

birth.

Danish Immigrant Archival Listing, Arnold Bodtker, Thorvald Hansen

The Bridge

The Danish Immigrant Archival Listing (DIAL) is a reference book, and guide, which will enable scholars, researchers and others to know something of the existence and whereabouts of source material related to the Danish immigrant in America. This 300 page hard-cover book is a comprehensive listing of books, periodicals, manuscripts, pamphlets, letters, documents, scrapbooks, pictures, and similar items.

The Danish-Language Press In America, Marion Marzolf

The Bridge

By the time Sophus F. Neble, a journeyman printer from Stubbekobing, Denmark, emigrated in 1883 to seek his fortune in the farmlands of the American Midwest, there was already a rudimentary Danish press tradition in the United States. But at that point in his life, Neble little cared or even knew much about it. He had thrown over his years of apprenticeship in the printing trade for a dream of becoming a successful American dairy farmer in order to win the hand of the young woman he loved.

The Acculturation Of The Danish Immigrant, Enok Mortensen

The Bridge

In the very first issue of The Bridge Dr. Otto Hoiberg had a perceptive article on the subject of acculturation. He suggested that a logical concern of the fledgling Danish-American Heritage Society might be to examine this process. I was particularly interested in his challenge because I have observed this process in myself and others for some sixty years, and for most of my adult life I have attempted to describe and to interpret this in lectures and in my books - not least in my stories and novels.

The Feilberg Letters: A Danish Family's Reflections On Canadian Prairie Life (Ii), Jorgen Dahlie

The Bridge

Readers of the previous issue of The Bridge (no. 3, 1979) will have made the acquaintance of the Ditlev and Julie Feilberg family. Their arrival in Saskatchewan some seventy years ago and their subsequent experiences in Canada have been documented in a series of letters sent to relatives in Denmark. In eloquent, often poignant language, the letters tell an absorbing story of the immigrant's hopeful expectations - and of the often harsh reality - in a new land.

The Feilberg Letters: A Danish Family's Reflections On Canadian Prairie Life, Jorgen Dahlie

The Bridge

So wrote Aksel Sandemose, noted Danish-Norwegian writer and himself an immigrant to Canada in 1927. When he spoke of iron determination and perseverance, he might well have been describing the Ditlev and Julie Feilberg family, a small part of whose experiences in Canada are recounted in the excerpts which follow. Without making too extravagant a claim for the uniqueness of any one immigrant encounter with a new land, one is nonetheless forced to acknowledge that each individual or family brought with them their own special cultural and intellectual resources. A reading of the Feilberg letters reveals that this family had …