RACIALIZING THE MIGRATION PROCESS: AN ETHNOGRPAHIC ANALYSIS OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN THE UNITED STATES A Dissertation by HILARIO MOLINA II Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2011 Major Subject: Sociology Racializing the Migration Process: An Ethnographic Analysis of Undocumented Immigrants in the United States Copyright 2011 Hilario Molina II RACIALIZING THE MIGRATION PROCESS: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN THE UNITED STATES A Dissertation by HILARIO MOLINA II Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Rogelio Saenz Committee Members, Joe Feagin Nadia Flores Marco Portales Head of Department, Mark Fossett August 2011 Major Subject: Sociology iii ABSTRACT Racializing the Migration Process: An Ethnographic Analysis of Undocumented Immigrants in the United States. (August 2011) Hilario Molina II, B.S., The University of Texas at Pan-American; M.S., The University of Texas at Pan-American Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Rogelio Saenz From the exterior, the United States has extracted natural resources and transformed the social dynamics of those living on the periphery, contributing to the emigration from Mexico and immigration to the United States. This, in turn, creates the racialization of the Mexican immigrant, specifically the undocumented immigrant—the “illegal alien.” I argue that this unilateral interaction operates with a racial formation of the Mexican immigrant created by elite white (non-Hispanic) males. The anti-Mexican immigrant subframe and “prowhite” subframe derive from the white racial frame, which racializes the undocumented immigrant in the United States. In addition, the subframes are evident in the three stages of migration. The three stages consist of threefold factors: First, the exploitation of Mexican resources (natural and human) and racialized immigration policies; second, the social networks and smugglers, called coyotes, who assist the undocumented immigrant to bypass barriers; and third, the discrimination undocumented immigrants encounter in the United States by other people of color. This iv dissertation relied on the migration experience of thirty Mexican male day-laborers, living in Texas, to examine the white racial framing of undocumented immigrants. The findings demonstrate how the U.S. immigration policies and members of the host society persistently exhibit the white racial frame and its subframes. This study is essential, because, aside from noting the issues of unauthorized migration, it demonstrates how elite white males shape the dialogue on the discourse and all that surrounds the migration process. v DEDICATION I dedicate this accomplishment, first and foremost, to my best friend and wife Mirella Roman-Molina. Your encouragements, sacrifices, support, and most importantly, endurance of hardships through the graduate program, has made this ride worthwhile. Secondly, I dedicate this dissertation to the past and future generations of Molinas. If it were not for the stubborn gene that flows in my blood, I do not know where I would be right now. So, with this said, my nieces and nephews the door is ajar, so I challenge you to take our people, our culture, and our family name to the next level. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee chair, Dr. Rogelio Saenz, and my committee members, Dr. Joe Feagin, Dr. Macro Portales, Dr. Nadia Flores, for their guidance and support throughout the course of this research and my academic career. In this category of mentors, I would be committing an injustice if I did not acknowledge the person who instilled in me the crazy idea of getting a Ph.D, Dr. Rafael Balderrama. Thank you sir. Thanks also go to my friends and colleagues and the department faculty and staff (Christi, Mary, and Brenda) for making my time at Texas A&M University a great experience. I also want to extend my gratitude to two of my closest friends, my officemate and friend Rob, whom I have known since the start of the program, and Carlos, who is a good friend and a bright social statistician. With all sincerity, I want to thank the undocumented immigrant, men who risk their lives in crossing the untamed waters of the Rio Grande or the deadly heat of the dessert, to provide for loved ones in their country of origin. Without the willingness of these men to share their migration experience with me, this study would not have happened. I would also like to thank my in-laws for their prayers and emotional support. Finally, thanks to my mother for her unconditional love and my father who is now in the presence of the Great Architect. I love you, old man. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................. iii DEDICATION .......................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................................................................... vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1 Background of the Study................................................................ 1 False Perceptions: The Enforcement of the Border Land .............. 8 Significance of Study: Understanding the White Racial Frame on Immigration Networks .............................................................. 9 Theoretical Orientation: The Undocumented Immigrant and the Anti-Mexican Subframe .................................................... 11 The Empirical Analysis: An Ethnographic Approach.................... 20 Chapter Organization of the Dissertation....................................... 22 II LITERATURE REVIEW..................................................................... 23 Introduction: Some Early History of Marginalization ................... 23 Stage One in the Migration Process: Core-periphery Relations and a Brief History of the U.S. and Mexico................................... 27 Stage Two in the Migration Process: Social Networks and Immigrants Dealing with Barriers.................................................. 33 Stage Three in the Migration Process: The Anti-Mexican Immigrant Subframe ...................................................................... 42 Shortcomings of the Current Literature.......................................... 55 viii CHAPTER Page III METHODOLOGY............................................................................... 59 Introduction .................................................................................... 59 The First Three Interviews ............................................................. 65 Relevance of the Methodological Approach to Scientific Claim... 79 IV ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION ............................................. 81 Introduction .................................................................................... 81 Stage One of the Migration Process: Structural Factor for Emigration and Immigration .......................................................... 84 Stage Two of the Migration Process: Social Networks and Coyotes……................................................................................... 91 Stage Three of the Migration Process: The Undocumented Immigrant in the U.S...................................................................... 104 Final Remarks ................................................................................ 118 V DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS................................................. 121 Summary ........................................................................................ 121 Level of Analysis: Critical Race Theory, Immigration Theory, and Ethnography............................................................... 122 Shortcomings: The In-depth Interviews......................................... 124 The Undocumented Immigrant and Racial Issues in Contemporary America.................................................................. 124 Projects for Future Research: A Coyote’s Role and Role of Social Status ................................................................................... 130 Contribution to the Social Sciences ............................................... 131 REFERENCES.......................................................................................................... 133 APPENDIX 1 ............................................................................................................ 143 APPENDIX 2 ............................................................................................................ 144 VITA ......................................................................................................................... 145 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Background of the Study For decades, relationships between core and peripheral countries1 have contributed substantially to the push-pull dynamic of labor migration. Economic factors of production in core countries’ economies have been a major contributing factor in the escalation of migration from peripheral countries (Massey 2008). The movements of skilled and unskilled labor are contained within and flow between