View in EDS

Practicing Citizenship: Bolivian Migrant Identities and Spaces of Belonging in Washington DC.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Practicing Citizenship: Bolivian Migrant Identities and Spaces of Belonging in Washington DC.
Authors: Strunk, Christopher
Source: Journal of Intercultural Studies. Oct2015, Vol. 36 Issue 5, p620-639. 20p.
Subject Terms: *Citizenship, *Immigrants, Bolivians, Social marginality, Immigrants' rights, United States immigration policy
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: Using a case study of Bolivian migrants in Washington DC, this article examines the contested nature of citizenship and construction of migrant identities. Bolivian migrants both reinforce and challenge the exclusionary nature of the US citizenship regime through practices and discourses that develop an expanded notion of belonging to communities in Washington DC and Cochabamba. While cultural activities such as soccer and folkloric dance fit easily within a multicultural framework of citizenship, they can also challenge accepted norms through quiet struggles over the control of public space. Bolivians employ language from the US immigrant rights movement that highlights their contributions to the USA and contrasts ‘good’ and ‘bad’ immigrants, but they also depart from mainstream discourses by describing local belonging in terms of transnational connections and contributions to Bolivian villages. Bolivian citizenship practices and narratives demonstrate how identities are always constructed simultaneously in multiple places even while migrant belonging is limited by restrictive immigration policies and irregular legal status. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
Copyright of Journal of Intercultural Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:Using a case study of Bolivian migrants in Washington DC, this article examines the contested nature of citizenship and construction of migrant identities. Bolivian migrants both reinforce and challenge the exclusionary nature of the US citizenship regime through practices and discourses that develop an expanded notion of belonging to communities in Washington DC and Cochabamba. While cultural activities such as soccer and folkloric dance fit easily within a multicultural framework of citizenship, they can also challenge accepted norms through quiet struggles over the control of public space. Bolivians employ language from the US immigrant rights movement that highlights their contributions to the USA and contrasts ‘good’ and ‘bad’ immigrants, but they also depart from mainstream discourses by describing local belonging in terms of transnational connections and contributions to Bolivian villages. Bolivian citizenship practices and narratives demonstrate how identities are always constructed simultaneously in multiple places even while migrant belonging is limited by restrictive immigration policies and irregular legal status. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
ISSN:07256868
DOI:10.1080/07256868.2015.1072910