Major and Classification
Sociology
Faculty Mentor
C. Brady Potts, Ph.D.
Department
Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
McNair Project
“The Effects of Transnational Prejudice on Incorporation and Identity Formation of Oxacans in the U.S.”
Project Abstract
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.