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theses

This study analyzes the integration experience of Central American immigrants (Salvadorans, Hondurans and Nicaraguans) under Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Created in 1990 by the US Congress to clarify the procedural process to aid citizens of countries suffering human and natural strife, TPS first designation was intended to correct the discriminatory application of the 1980’s refugee act to people fleeing political violence from El Salvador. Denial of asylum rights however, was most severely applied to Hondurans and Guatemalans who despite being equally situated, were excluded from original designation. TPS eventually completely transformed itself into a humanitarian relief program and the original intent of remedying the discriminatory treatment of Salvadorans was eventually forgotten. It is the main premise of this research study that the initial discriminatory application of the Refugee Act of 1980 to Central American (CAs) nationals created a hostile regulatory legal framework that trapped this community into a context of long-term discrimination as members of American society. The denial of access to citizenship rights to CAs meant the denial of rights to equal access of opportunity which truncated their ability to build traditional political opportunity structures (i.e. voting) to enable them to advocate for rights for their future co-nationals. Set within the complexities of the current immigration debate, this study applies current political science theory to analyze the experiences of this specific class of CAs. Utilizing social movement theory, this study tracks the group’s political activism and proposes a new model of integration defined as Bounded Integration (BI). BI captures their integration experience within time limits that confine and restrain their daily lives. Using ethnographic analysis of 29 participant interviews, the study focuses on the evaluation of the group’s subjective integration, seeking to understand if this population has adopted a positive or negative view of their own integration. Findings demonstrate that this group holds a positive sense of their own integration and after many years in legal limbo, they have developed a sense of belonging to American culture. Despite the lack of access to citizenship rights, members of the group feel they have become American.

ETD_10161

Ph.D.

Includes bibliographical references

doi:10.7282/t3-grmk-bb70

ETD doctoral

The author owns the copyright to this work.