L329 4:21 Living Undocumented PDF

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Professor Arar Spring 2020...

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L329 4/21 Living Undocumented LUIS: Honduras ●

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One month to take train and bus and walking to cross border. Looking for better future. Economic. Works construction, building schools and universities. Connect to Massey and Fitzgerald about jobs: What theories in study of migration apply to Luis' experiences? In 2019, we know there was increase of asylum seekers from Central America. But Luis' story is not clear why he left. It's possible that he didn't leave just to find better economic opportunities, but perhaps he was also fleeing violence (push factors). From the context piece (Flores), that job that one has contributes to how social identify is constructed. "Social illegal." Construction work might be related to social illegality. Plus that might affect their wages? Lots of people working in sectors with lots of undocumented people have lower wages. He knew Kenia when they were kids. Here, we see a few different theories from readings: ○ 1. Non-migrants are connected to migrants—transnational ties. Social network ties as well. Gotta tie in these concepts and terms from theory and literature. Cumulative causation —one person migrating might affect other people migrating. Maybe ask about who their family members are at home, whether they have thought about coming. Facilitating movement. Noah: Not biological son. Think about how Luis makes decisions in first episode, not as an individual for themselves, but also making decisions for the family. Kenia: Detained for about 6 weeks now; she was picked up during a traffic stop while sleeping in the car while Luis was driving. She was asked to show ID and then found an order for her. Noah was not taken though. Think about social construction of illegality. One of the lawyer talks about this: who is it most

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likely to be checked for status when car gets pulled over. Lawyer says that she herself has never been pulled over where the officer asks to see everyone's ID, but because of Luis and Kenia's race/ethnicity (Mexican), they get stereotyped and get their ID checked. Imagine how one can deepen understanding of these concepts and theories by looking at people's real-life experiences. Citizenship as inherited property as well: Kenia is pregnant. If Kenia had been undiscovered for longer, she would have been mother to US citizen. It's unclear as whether Noah was born in the US. But imagine how conversation how pinning US citizens vs. undocumented families gets mixed when talking about mixed-citizenship families. Think about the different kind of life where Kenia's child would have if they were born in US vs. Mexico. Think about laws and policies and experiences that people have (Trump made it very hard to win appeals for deportation)

Ron and Karen: Israel ●

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Came to the US to pursue economic opportunities and pursue the American dream, and to flee instability in Israel. Understand how categories applied to migrants can be problematic; they don't always reflect people's experiences. You can't just say "refugee" or "economic migrant," etc. There were multiple reasons for his migration. Also, think about how sociology of how and why people leave can be very different to legal status ascribed to that person. So you can enter US as asylum seeker while also having other issues you need to address, like secure employment. And you can come to US as high skilled migrant with degree etc and seen as "wanted and invited" by the state, but also be fleeing violence and persecution and be a refugee. So analysis is complicated because scholars refer to person differently than how the person refers to themselves or how the law refers to them. TAKEAWAY: Complexity of migration and these people's experiences. AMERICAN DREAM: Limits of the American dream—all it takes is

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hard work? This narrative exists for a reason. It's not to say the narrative is entire false, but if this narrative is propagated, it is gaslighting and ignores social and political and economic barriers towards upward mobility. RON: He and family came on tourist visa, but they came at a time when immigration became really tough (post 9/11). This was unlucky because they couldn't turn tourist visa into permanent visa. So they were just out of luck but hopefully things would change, some kind of amnesty or policy change. That became family strategy: staying low and hidden. IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY: most people undocumented in US are visaoverstayers, and not people who cross illegally. They were given permission to enter. BUSINESS: Ron pays taxes, $2m revenue per year. Ron is not taking advantage of system because he pays taxes. CHILDREN: Oldest child also has no citizenship, but younger children have citizenship. So this is a mixed citizenship family. BRAD: Massey's theory of migration and employers (partners). Relationship between industry and migration. In Brachero program, US employers very much benefiting from migration. Brad says Ron is a good partner in business, yet we see ways in which mixed citizenship status in relationship is negatively affecting people who are Brad. Line of credit has to be on Brad, which means he carries the risk. Undocumented migrants are very much tied to US citizens; they are not isolated and separate. Their lives are very much intertwined with US citizenships, and removing them has consequences that we don't talk about.

Alejandra: Mexico ●

Lives in Florida. Came after being threatened and was migrating for multiple reasons, denied Visa several times. Crossed without permission, used a coyote. Discussion of how they decided to cross border: Important things—(1) Families often go into debt to help members cross the border; these are household decisions, not about gaining remittances or diversifying work, but more about how to protect Alejandra. (2) Age and gender; it would be unsafe, worried about rape so she decides to go up to the border and lie about citizenship to enter instead of other options. (3) She made it through successfully after one failed attempt. There was a law passed later that says if you tried to come in illegally, you can preempted from methods that can get

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you citizenship. E.g. being wife of US veteran. Her two daughters are US citizens. Idea of separating "good and bad migrants" — how goodness or badness is socially ascribed. The family, from observations, believed they were safe because they were different from the "criminals" or immigrants who commit crimes. But they are not. Family separation: KEYWORD. Youngest one goes with Alejandra to be deported. What is "home?" Home isn't Mexico anymore for Alejandra. REFLECTIONS—TYING IT TO THE READINGS:

READING: PARENTING IN THE CONTEXT OF DEPORTATION RISK ●

Basic info on how to read a journal article

LIVING UNDOCUMENTED QUOTES...