We've weaponized immigration rhetoric, from chain migration to Dreamers
We've weaponized immigration rhetoric, from chain migration to Dreamers
- January 31, 2018
- Op-ed by Leo Chavez, anthropology, via Los Angeles Times and The San Diego Union-Tribune
-----
A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but that logic doesn't apply to immigration-related rhetoric. Political leaders and activists have weaponized specific words in an ongoing battle for the hearts and minds of the American public.
Take "chain migration," an academic term that has recently been overlaid with negative connotations.
Chain migration has, since the 1960s, referred to the process by which migrants from one city or town follow each other to a new destination, possibly in another country. Thanks to chain migration, even low-income families can create or maintain social networks and access a wealth of social capital. Early arrivals support newcomers with a place to stay, resources and information about the local labor market, schools and culture. Chain migration facilitates cultural integration.
For the full story, please visit http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-chavez-chain-migration-20180131-story.html
-----
Would you like to get more involved with the social sciences? Email us at communications@socsci.uci.edu to connect.
Related News Items
- Careet RightHow the federal government is painting immigrants as criminals on social media
- Careet RightIn the New Mexico desert, volunteers find a migrant graveyard at the edge of the American Empire
- Careet RightThe Latino Threat (podcast)
- Careet RightAfter 28 years, O.C. man self-deports to Tijuana in search of a better life
- Careet RightThe Latino Threat