UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE The Political Incorporation of Children of Refugees: The Experience of Central Americans and Southeast Asians in the U.S. DISSERTATION submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Political Science by Kenneth Chaiprasert Dissertation Committee: Professor Louis DeSipio, Chair Professor Carole Uhlaner Professor Linda Vo 2016 © 2016 Kenneth Chaiprasert DEDICATION To my parents and committee in recognition of their guidance and encouragement my most heartfelt gratitude and appreciation ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES iv LIST OF TABLES v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vi CURRICULUM VITAE vii ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION x CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1 CHAPTER 2: Research Question, Theory, Methodology, 18 and Data Sources CHAPTER 3: Home-Country Politics and the Children 45 of Refugees CHAPTER 4: U.S. Politics and the Children of Refugees 84 CHAPTER 5: Politics and the Children of Refugees: 132 The Cambodian American Experience CHAPTER 6: Politics and the Children of Refugees: 204 The Salvadoran American Experience CHAPTER 7: Conclusion 259 BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES 278 APPENDIX 292 iii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 2.1 Relationship between Existing Scholarship and My theory 22 Figure 2.2 IIMMLA: Home-Country Politics Dependent Variables 24 Figure 2.3 IIMMLA: U.S. Politics Dependent Variables 24 Figure 2.4 IIMMLA: Independent Variable of Interest 25 Figure 2.5 IIMMLA: 1.5 or 2nd Generation Respondents, sorted by 25 Refugee Parentage Figure 2.6 LNS: Home-Country Politics Dependent Variables 27 Figure 2.7 LNS: U.S. Politics Dependent Variables 27 Figure 2.8 LNS: Independent Variable of Interest 28 Figure 2.9 LNS: 1.5 Generation Refugees 28 Figure 2.10 CILS: Home-Country Politics Dependent Variable 29 Figure 2.11 CILS: U.S. Politics Dependent Variable 30 Figure 2.12 CILS: Independent Variable of Interest 30 Figure 2.13 CILS: 1.5 or 2nd Generation Respondents, sorted by Refugee 30 Parentage Figure 2.14 Breakdown of Sample Population for Qualitative Interviews 40 Figure 7.1 Summary of Quantitative Findings 261 Figure 7.2 Overall Qualitative Findings from Interviews 264 iv LIST OF TABLES Page Table 3.1 IIMMLA OLS Regression Results. Interest in Home-Country 47 Politics Table 3.2 LNS OLS Regression Results. Interest in Home-Country 48 Politics Table 3.3 CILS Logistic Regression Results. Knowledge of Home- 57 Country Political Leader Table 3.4 IIMMLA Logistic Regression Results. Participation in Home- 64 Country Political Organization Table 3.5 LNS Logistic Regression Results. Donated to a Home-Country 72 Political Campaign Table 3.6 LNS Logistic Regression Results. Voted in a Home-Country 76 Election Table 4.1 IIMMLA Logistic Regression Results. Registered to Vote in the 86 U.S. Table 4.2 CILS Logistic Regression Results. Registered to Vote in the 87 U.S. Table 4.3 LNS Logistic Regression Results. Registered to Vote in the U.S. 88 Table 4.4 IIMMLA Logistic Regression Results. Voted in the 2003 97 California Gubernatorial Recall Election Table 4.5 LNS Logistic Regression Results. Voted in the 2004 U.S. 98 Presidential Election Table 4.6 IIMMLA Logistic Regression Results. Contacting the U.S 105 Government in the Past Year Table 4.7 LNS Logistic Regression Results. Ever Contacted the U.S. 106 Government Table 4.8 IIMMLA Logistic Regression Results. Participated in a Political 114 Gathering in the U.S. Table 4.9 IIMMLA Logistic Regression Results. Participated in Protest in 121 the U.S. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to my dissertation committee chair, Professor Louis DeSipio, whose feedback, advice, guidance, and encouragement were crucial to the completion of this dissertation. His course on U.S. ethnic politics sparked my interest in the intergenerational politics of immigrants and inspired my own curiosity about the politics of refugees and their children. His feedback while serving as a reader on my first qualifying paper helped lead me on the path to this dissertation. In addition, having been his student and teaching assistant for many years, I will always be inspired by his knowledge, expertise, teaching skill, and supportive nature. His mentorship helped me throughout the many years that I was a graduate student, a teaching assistant, and eventually an instructor. My heartfelt thanks go to him for nurturing my research pursuits as well as my love of teaching. I also extend my gratitude and appreciation to my dissertation committee member, Professor Carole Uhlaner, whose feedback and guidance were also essential to the completion of this dissertation. I thank her for the things that she taught me when I was a student in her course on political participation, her thorough feedback when she served as a reader for my initial qualifying paper (from which this dissertation eventually grew), and her advice throughout the many years that I have known her. My gratitude and appreciation also go to my dissertation committee member, Professor Linda Vo, whose feedback and support were also key to the completion of this dissertation. Her feedback and guidance when she served as a reader for my final qualifying paper helped to inspire my exploration into the Cambodian American refugee experience in this dissertation. I thank her for introducing me to incredible literature and scholars from outside political science and for encouraging me to present at the Southeast Asians in the Diaspora Conference. Moreover, I wish to thank Professor Matthew Beckmann and Professor Claire Kim, whose support and kindness while serving as readers for my qualifying papers and as members of my candidacy/advancement committee helped me get to where I am today. My overall tremendous thanks and appreciation also go to my home university, the University of California, Irvine (UCI). UCI and everyone at UCI—my fellow Anteaters—have helped to make every one of my academic and pedagogical dreams come true. Last, but definitely not least, my ultimate thanks, appreciation, and love go to my dedicated parents, Victor Vivat Chaiprasert and Tiffany Tarntip Chaiprasert. Although I was born and raised in the U.S., I never forgot how my parents are immigrants from Thailand, and this helped to inspire my many interests and pursuits in life. Most importantly, I can never thank my parents enough or sufficiently repay them for their years of unending and unequivocal love, sacrifice, support, and dedication for their only child. I thank them profusely for not getting mad upon learning that I still wanted to go to graduate school in political science (essentially, going back to school…again) even after I had already graduated from law school. I am truly grateful to my parents for instilling in me determination and diligence. In my opinion, they are the best parents, role models, advisors, and friends that any child could ever hope for. Simply put, I am truly blessed to have them as parents. vi CURRICULUM VITAE Kenneth Chaiprasert Education September 2016 Ph.D. in Political Science, University of California, Irvine Title of Dissertation: The Political Incorporation of Children of Refugees: The Experience of Central Americans and Southeast Asians in the U.S. May 2009 J.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, Law School December 2004 B.A., University of California, Los Angeles Summa Cum Laude in Political Science and History; Phi Beta Kappa Fields/Subjects of Interest Immigrants and Refugees; U.S. Ethnic Politics; American Politics (Political Institutions; Political Behaviors; U.S. Constitutional Law); Political Theory (Classic and Modern Works) Teaching Awards and Distinctions 2014 Recipient of the “Teaching Excellence & Service to the Academic Community” Award. Presented by the Division of Undergraduate Education, University of California, Irvine. 2013 As a Ph.D. student, competitively selected to be a Pedagogical Fellow and recipient of the Pedagogical Fellowship from the Teaching, Learning & Technology Center (TLTC), University of California, Irvine. 2013 As a Ph.D. student, competitively selected to be in the California Community College Internship Program (CCCIP) to train select Ph.D. students in becoming future community college faculty 2012-2015 Recipient of multiple “Commendation for Outstanding Teaching” awards from the Department of Political Science, University of California, Irvine Teaching Experience 2014-2016 Instructor (Part-Time) of Political Science, Santa Ana College vii 2014 Summer Session Instructor of Political Science, University of California, Irvine 2010-2015 Graduate Student Teaching Assistant of Political Science, University of California, Irvine 2014 Guest Lecturer (invited to speak in various courses), Santa Ana College 2013 Pedagogical Fellow/Trainer for the Teaching Assistant Professional Development Program (TAPDP) at the Teaching, Learning & Technology Center (TLTC), University of California, Irvine 2012-2013 Guest Lecturer (invited to speak in various courses), University of California, Irvine Teaching Preparation and Professional Development 2013-2014 Internship through the California Community College Internship Program (CCCIP), a program to train select Ph.D. students to become future faculty members at community college. Trained at Santa Ana College 2013-2014 Enrollment in University Studies 390A, 390B, 390C (Advanced College Teaching/Pedagogy), classes at the University of California, Irvine to train select Ph.D. students in advanced pedagogy and teaching excellence Service Activities 2015 Co-Instructor of a professional development workshop