Southern California Conferences for Undergraduate Research

Southern California Conferences for Undergraduate Research

The Effects of Transnational Prejudice on Incorporation and Identity Formation of Oxacans in the U.S.

Author:

Monica Valencia

Mentor:

Dr. Jody Agius-Vallejo, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Southern California

This research project is about the Oaxacan immigrant experience in the United States. Specifically, my study explores processes of transnational prejudice experienced by Oaxacans in Mexico and in the United States, tracing how this prejudice shapes their pathways of incorporation and racial identity in the United States in both social and labor sectors. The methodology for this study includes interviews of Oaxacan and non-Oaxacan Mexican immigrant field laborers in southern California, as well as participant-observation of their interaction with each other while working in the fields. Findings indicate that indigenous Oaxacan communities in the United States face double marginalization – by Americans and by their Mexican counterparts. This research fills a gap in current immigration literature and points the way to a greater understanding of the heterogeneous complexity of Mexican immigrants to the United States.


Presented by:

Monica Valencia

Date:

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Time:

3:30 PM — 3:45 PM

Room:

Bell Tower 2572

Presentation Type:

Oral Presentation

Discipline:

Sociology
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