UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title The role of social media in second-generation Central American youth’s perception of belonging and citizenship: A Southern California case study Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2b96h894 Author Reyes, Christian Antonio Publication Date 2021 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSTIY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles The role of social media in second-generation Central American youth’s perception of belonging and citizenship: A Southern California case study A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education by Christian Antonio Reyes 2021 Ó Copyright by Christian Antonio Reyes 2021 i ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION The role of social media in second-generation Central American youth’s perception of belonging and citizenship: A Southern California case study by Christian Antonio Reyes Doctor of Philosophy in Education University of California, Los Angeles, 2021 Professor Edith S Omwami, Chair This study explored how U.S.-born children of Central American immigrants develop a sense of belonging through their engagement on social media. With young people already using technology as a tool for individual expression and political engagement (Jenkins et al., 2009; Kahne et al., 2016), this study sought to understand how belonging is developed and maintained within online spaces. The need to belong fulfills a basic desire to maintain attachments and relationships, but its absence can lead to a number of negative physical and psychological effects (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Understanding the factors that encourage or hinder feelings of belonging for children of Central American parents is necessary as their community has been routinely vilified, particularly on social media. With more young people likely to be exposed to divisive anti-immigrant rhetoric online as more people flee violence and corruption in Central America, this study focused on how participants perceive of themselves and shape their sense of belonging from these online experiences at a time of rising nationalism and xenophobia. ii This study addressed the following research questions: 1) What types of immigration- related content do children of Central American parents confront on social media, 2) how do they respond and engage with this content, and 3) how do these interactions shape their sense of belonging as U.S. citizens and members of an ethnic community. These questions were guided by Nira Yuval-Davis’s politics of belonging framework (2006) which identifies the social locations, personal identifications, and attachments where belonging is constructed and maintained. My study diverged from her framework by including online spaces as locations where belonging is also constructed. I also drew on James Banks’s failed citizenship framework (2015) to understand how participants’ sense of belonging or exclusion can produce different conceptions of citizenship. While fully recognized and accepted citizens develop strong attachments with the nation-state, those who experience failed citizenship feel alienation if they are excluded based on their race or culture. These feelings can however lead to different actions such as the pursuit of social justice and equality through civic action (2015). Interviews were conducted with 10 participants, five male and five female, over the age of 18 who were born in the United States to two foreign-born parents of Central American heritage. Participants were recruited from organizations serving the Central American community in the Southern California area and from student-led college clubs. The findings show that participants’ engagement on social media has had an impact on their sense of belonging, helping them maintain stronger ties to their ethnic communities while negatively affecting their identification with the nation. While this suggests an example of failed citizenship, participants are using social media to engage in acts of transformative citizenship, solidarity, and activism to counter common narratives within the immigration debate and increase the visibility of the Central American community. iii The dissertation of Christian Antonio Reyes is approved. Teresa L. McCarty Marjorie E Orellana Carola E Suarez-Orozco Edith S Omwami, Committee Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2021 iv DEDICATION PAGE In loving memory of Rubén Darío Reyes v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION ....................................................................................... ii DEDICATION PAGE .................................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... viii VITA ............................................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 My journey to the project .......................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Statement of research ................................................................................................................................ 6 Research Questions ................................................................................................................................... 8 Dissertation Structure ................................................................................................................................ 8 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ..................................... 14 Literature Review .................................................................................................................................... 14 Belonging ................................................................................................................................................ 15 The children of immigrants ..................................................................................................................... 19 Technology Usage Among Children of Immigrants ............................................................................... 23 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................................... 27 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODS ...................................................................................... 31 Positionality ............................................................................................................................................ 31 Study Participants ................................................................................................................................... 34 Methods Overview .................................................................................................................................. 36 Data Analysis .......................................................................................................................................... 39 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................................................... 39 CHAPTER 4: DEFINING AND EXPRESSING BELONGING ................................................. 41 Defining Belonging ................................................................................................................................. 41 Language ................................................................................................................................................. 44 Cultural Heritage/Markers ...................................................................................................................... 55 Parental Relationships ............................................................................................................................. 62 Education ................................................................................................................................................ 69 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................................................... 75 CHAPTER 5: UNDERSTANDING IMMIGRATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA ............................ 77 Viewing Immigration-Related Content ................................................................................................... 77 Types of online engagement ................................................................................................................... 80 vi Chapter Summary ................................................................................................................................... 86 CHAPTER 6: BELONGING, IMMIGRATION, AND CITIZENSHIP ...................................... 88 Identity, Belonging, and Citizenship .....................................................................................................