1.5-Generation Undocumented Immigrants and Alternative Paths for Inclusion
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University of Nevada, Reno “I Ain’t Tied to No Law:” 1.5-Generation Undocumented Immigrants and Alternative Paths for Inclusion A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology by Erienne Overli Dr. Deborah Boehm/Thesis Advisor December, 2016 ii Copyright by Erienne B. Overli 2016 All Rights Reserved iii THE GRADUATE SCHOOL We recommend that the thesis prepared under our supervision by ERIENNE OVERLI Entitled “I Ain’t Tied to No Law:” 1.5-Generation Undocumented Immigrants and Alternative Paths for Inclusion be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Deborah Boehm, Ph.D., Advisor Mikaela Rogozen-Soltar, Ph.D., Committee Member Emily Hobson, Ph.D., Graduate School Representative David W. Zeh, Ph.D., Dean, Graduate School December, 2016 i Abstract 1.5-generation undocumented immigrants, those who were brought to the United States as minors, use a variety of methods to counter their exclusion from U.S. citizenship and membership. Through participant-observation in online communities of 1.5-generation immigrants and in a statewide coalition of immigration activists in Nevada, as well as semi-structured interviews with immigrants from around the country, I explore the varied uses of social media and activism in the United States in the years since 2010 when the DREAM Act failed to pass through Congress. Today, immigrants use social media and activism to advance community solidarity, to move away from the rhetoric associated with the DREAM Act, and to advocate for immigrant rights. Due to a growing understanding that immigration reform is unlikely in the near future, young undocumented immigrants seek alternative ways to live without legal citizenship. They have done this by creating strong communities that foster inclusion and to resist legal exclusion. Such communities provide networks of support for 1.5-generation immigrants. I argue that, by forming community, 1.5-generation immigrants create the inclusivity that a lack of access to citizenship denies them. Thus, community formation suggests an alternative path to inclusion: by directly and indirectly resisting immigration law, 1.5 generation immigrants emphasize the importance of cultural citizenship over legal citizenship. ii Thank you to my collaborators in this project. It is their voices, their ideas, and their stories; I am merely putting it on paper. Their strength and their bravery in crafting inclusive communities, fighting for their friends and families, and working towards a better world for all of us is beyond commendable. As an ally, it is my sincerest hope that I represented them to the best of my ability, ensured that their voices were at the forefront, and that my work can provide some benefit to them and their community. I am in their debt. Alejandra Angelica Araceli Christi Dulce Henry Isaisa Ivan Natalia Nora Mecir Monserrat Ricardo Sam Sofia Vanessa Victor iiiiii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are simply too many people who have made it possible for me to get to this point that it is difficult to know where to begin. The order of these acknowledgements do not reflect the level of appreciation I have, for all these groups and individuals have made this research and thesis possible in their own special way. First, I would like to thank the educators I have worked with in my college career. No amount of words could ever express the effect that Dr. Deborah Boehm, my advisor and the chair of the committee, has had on my life. Her sincerity, kindness, and love for humanity has inspired me from the first day I met her. I knew within weeks of meeting of her that she was who I wanted to be when I grew up. She constantly made me feel that I was good enough and smart enough to accomplish anything I set my mind to, even when I felt most defeated by graduate school. Her dedication to using academia as a source of positive change in the world is beautiful, and it deserves the utmost recognition. I would also like to thank Dr. Emily Hobson and Dr. Mikaela Rogozen-Soltar, my other committee members, for their support and guidance, for continually providing me invaluable advice and resources, and for always having an open door when I needed someone to speak with about my research. I am incredibly lucky to have chosen and been provided with such an incredible committee. Additionally, this research would never have been possible if it were not for my collaborators: the groups, organizations, and individuals who allowed me to use their words, ideas, and spaces to support my thesis and arguments, who allowed me into their inner circles, and who treated me as a friend and equal in everything they did. A major aspect of the 1.5-generation undocumented immigrant movement is the idea of “coming iv out,” of choosing to not be afraid or stigmatized due to one’s immigration status. Despite this essential aspect of their movements and identities, the individuals in my research allowed me to use pseudonyms for them, so as to remain in line with ethical research guidelines and UNR’s Internal Review Board. As such, I cannot fully thank those who made this research and thesis possible, but I hope they will know that they are truly special people. They make me proud to be a part of this country because it has given me the opportunity to share in their experiences, even if our country cannot find a way to fully accept them. They are the backbone of this country, and I have never met, and do not expect to ever meet, more exceptional people. I can only hope that my thesis reflects their beauty and that it provides meaningful resources to their community to help ensure that they are provided with the rights that they have so desperately fought for and have more than earned. Furthermore, thank you to my parents, Danielle and Scott Overli, who have shown me what it means to have a loving and supportive family. They may not always agree with me, or even understand me, but that has never once stopped them from loving me unconditionally, providing me with whatever support I needed or asked for, and showing me what it means to be a family. They inspire me every day. They have made it possible for me to love and be loved. Thank you to my husband, James Bertoldi, my best friend and the love of my life. He makes me a better person every day, and there is no amount of thanks that I can give for that gift. Through every grumpy, sleepless week, he supported me in my quest for a master’s degree. I cannot imagine how I could possibly be luckier. Thank you to my brother, Morgan Overli, who instilled kindness and love in me since we were children, and who is likely the first person who taught me the v importance of social justice and the value that difference brings to our communities. Finally, thank you to my sister, Jasmine Overli, one of my closest friends and my lifelong partner in crime. Penultimately, I would like to thank all the people in the department who I can now call my friends. Teddy Rodrigue, thank you for becoming one of my closest friends and always providing me emotional and academic support whenever I needed it. To Erica Wirthlin, Lisa Lee, Caulder Temple, Melody Zionch, Lauren Walking, Kristina Crawford, Madalina Alama, Diana Malarchik, Amanda Williams, Raimundo Alcalde, Victoria Swenson, Leo Demski, and Lynn Wagener for providing me support and friendship throughout graduate school. I have always been an awkward person, and as such, making friends has always been difficult for me, but the people in the anthropology department provided me with constant support and inclusion. I couldn’t have asked for better people to go through this experience with. And finally, to the anonymous person who left this message on a post-it note in AB531 when I most needed it: You are ENOUGH You have ENOUGH You do ENOUGH Relax! It was exactly what I needed to hear, exactly when I needed to hear it. I am one of the most privileged and most lucky people alive to have these people in my life. I can only ask that I never forget the blessings I have been provided with. This thesis is only one result of that incredible system of love and support that I have been provided with, and I can only hope that I can someday be as wonderful a friend, vi collaborator, family member, and colleague as these people have been to me. From the very depths of my heart and soul, thank you. vii Table of Contents Introduction: Community as Resistance .........................................................................1 Community Through Cultural Citizenship .......................................................................4 The Creation of a Community ..........................................................................................9 The Study of Community ...............................................................................................12 Overview of Chapters .....................................................................................................17 Chapter 2: Undocumented-Led Wins and Moving Forward ......................................21 The Cultivation of the “Model Immigrant” Argument...................................................24 DREAM Act Rhetoric .................................................................................................28 Deferred Actions, Legal Liminality, and Caste Systems ...............................................35 Theoretical Frameworks .................................................................................................40 “Il/legality”