View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ASU Digital Repository Doralzuelan: An Emerging Identity of the Venezuelan Immigrant in Southern Florida by Blanca Romero Pino A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Approved June 2018 by the Graduate Supervisory Committee: Karen Adams, Chair Matthew Prior Doris Warriner ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY August 2018 ABSTRACT The steady influx of Venezuelan immigrants to the United States has resulted in the creation of a close-knit community of these immigrants in the city of Doral, Florida, now nicknamed Doralzuela given the strong imprint Venezuelan have left in this city. This study aimed at gaining understanding on how the process of immigration and settlement in the context has affected Venezuelan immigrants’ identity, their perception and use of English and Spanish in daily interactions, and how, or if, their bonds with the home country has affected their incorporation to the host society. The study followed a qualitative design. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed following Riessman’s (2008) notion of dialogic narrative analysis. Six themes emerged from the data; (re)configuration of the self, the role of social networks, negotiating identity through language, issues of assimilation, transnational identity, and Doralzuela, the new Venezuela. These themes were discussed, and multiple and distinct views on each theme were identified. i DEDICATION To my family, for giving me their unconditional love To Shea, for being my rock To Venezuela, for being my source of inspiration ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I owe my eternal gratitude to so many people who have helped me, not on the completion of this thesis, but throughout my entire master’s program. First of all, I would like to thank my family and friends from Venezuela, as well as my wonderful partner Shea Wilson, for their undying love and support. I would not have made it without any you. Second, my deepest gratitude to Dr. Karen Adams, my thesis chair, advisor, and great supporter in this journey through Academia in the United States. Dr. Adams’ confidence in me is both daunting and extremely gratifying. In addition, I would like to acknowledge Drs. Doris Warriner and Matthew Prior for their willingness to be part of my committee, the time invested in my work, and the very helpful and enlightening feedback I received from them. In a similar way, I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Magaly Sanchez from Princeton University for guiding me in the initial stages of my research. I would also like to show my appreciation to the Fulbright International Students Association at ASU, and to Mrs. Joy White for their support and for creating a space for international students and Fulbright scholars to exchange ideas and talk about our experiences in this country. Along with them, I would like to thank the Fulbright Program and the United States Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, for giving me the opportunity to grow personally and professionally, and represent my country in front of the academic community in the United States. The Fulbright Program has changed my life forever. A huge thanks to the Venezuelan community in Doral, Florida, and the people who made it possible for me to collect the necessary data and learn more about the place that has become a second home to many of my fellow Venezuelans. Muchísimas Gracias! iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................ 8 A history of Venezuelan migration ........................................................................... 8 The Venzuelan diaspora 2002-2016 ....................................................................... 11 Migration to the United States of America ............................................................ 13 Characteristics of the Venezuelan population in Doral, FL .................................. 14 Identity and immigration ......................................................................................... 15 Transnational identities ............................................................................................ 21 Venezuelan identity ................................................................................................. 23 3 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................ 28 Research design ........................................................................................................ 28 Participants ............................................................................................................... 29 Context of study ....................................................................................................... 35 Data collection .......................................................................................................... 37 Data analysis ............................................................................................................. 40 Narrative and identity .............................................................................................. 43 Ethical considerations .............................................................................................. 44 Researchers’ positionality ....................................................................................... 44 Limitations ................................................................................................................ 46 iv Page CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS .................................................................................. 47 (Re)Configuration of the self .................................................................................. 47 The role of social networks ..................................................................................... 50 Negotiating identity through language ................................................................... 54 Issues of assimilation ............................................................................................... 57 Transnational identity .............................................................................................. 60 Doralzuela, the new Venezuela ............................................................................... 64 5 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................ 69 Speakers’ Positionalities … ................................................................................. 69 Final reflexive remarks ............................................................................................ 94 NOTES ..................................................................................................................................... 101 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 104 APPENDIX A DISTRIBUTION OF THE VENEZUELAN DIASPORA .................................. 123 B POEM, THE DISCOURSE OF PRIVILEGE (SPANISH VERSION) ............... 125 C MAP OF THE CITY OF DORAL ......................................................................... 129 D VENEZUELAN RESTAURANTS IN DORAL .................................................... 131 E PASEO DE LAS ARTES ........................................................................................ 134 F INTERVIEW GUIDES.............................................................................................. 136 G IRB APPROVAL FORM ......................................................................................... 141 H RECRUITMENT LETTER ..................................................................................... 143 v I CONSENT FORM ................................................................................................... 145 J EXTRACTS FROM INTRVIEW ............................................................................. 148 K INTERVIEWER RESPONSES ................................................................................ 153 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH................................................................................................... 158 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Demographic information of participants ................................................................. 34 2. Participants’ mobility in the United States since arrival ......................................... 35 vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The number of Venezuelan citizens immigrating into the United States has increased dramatically since 1990, going from 35 thousand immigrants to 170 thousand as per the 2013 census (Lopez, 2015). As of 2013, Venezuelan-origin immigrants (both foreign and U.S-born) comprised the thirteenth largest population of Latin American immigrants in the United States, and they accounted for 0.5% of the overall Latin population in the United States (Pew Hispanic Center, 2013). According to the 2013 American Community Survey, the majority of Venezuelans were located in the South of the United States (69%), with 42% living in Florida. Over the past couple of decades, this population has clustered mainly in southern Florida, particularly