Synopses & Reviews
Central to contemporary debates in the United States on migration and migrant policy is the idea of citizenship, andandmdash;as apparent in the continued debate over Arizonaandrsquo;s immigration law SB 1070andmdash;this issue remains a focal point of contention, with a key concern being whether there should be a path to citizenship for andldquo;undocumentedandrdquo; migrants. In
Disenchanting Citizenship, Luis F. B. Plascencia examines two interrelated issues: U.S. citizenship and the Mexican migrantsandrsquo; position in the United States. and#160;
The book explores the meaning of U.S. citizenship through the experience of a unique group of Mexican migrants who were granted Temporary Status under the andldquo;legalizationandrdquo; provisions of the 1986 IRCA, attained Lawful Permanent Residency, and later became U.S. citizens. Plascencia integrates an extensive and multifaceted collection of interviews, ethnographic fieldwork, ethno-historical research, and public policy analysis in examining efforts that promote the acquisition of citizenship, the teaching of citizenship classes, and naturalization ceremonies. Ultimately, he unearths citizenshipandrsquo;s root as a Janus-faced construct that encompasses a simultaneous process of inclusion and exclusion. This notion of citizenship is mapped on to the migrant experience, arguing that the acquisition of citizenship can lead to disenchantment with the very status desired. In the end, Plascencia expands our understanding of the dynamics of U.S. citizenship as a form of membership and belonging.
Review
"A Place to Be is a must-read for everyone interested in religion and transnational communities. The book's innovative focus on lived religion and collective mobilization considerably advances theories of both international migration and religion."
Review
"A cutting edge contribution that focuses on non-traditional places of settlement, models new methods for analyzing religious geographies, and highlights the important role of space, place, and time in immigrant incorporation and mobilization."Peggy Levitt, author of God Needs No Passport: Immigrants and the Changing American Religious Landscape
Review
"A cutting edge contribution that focuses on non-traditional placesof settlement, models new methods for analyzing religious geographies, andhighlights the important role of space, place, and time in immigrantincorporation and mobilization."
Review
"This volume makes important contributions to immigration studies as well as to the study of 'lived religion' and its intersection with the livelihoods of Latin American immigrants in Florida."
Review
andquot;Plascencia deepens and expands our understanding of citizenship and how its promises and limitations directly impact peoples' lives.andquot;
Review
andquot;...an important book for those interested in the operation of citizenship and citizenship education in the United States.andquot;
Review
andquot;In addition to a careful analysis of 'formally and informally authorized' immigrants, Plascencia's book contributes to current scholarship on citizenship by exploring what it means to Mexican nationals who pursue it.andquot;
Review
andquot;Using working-class Mexican immigrants as an example, Plascencia explores how race, social class, and nationality affect who is considered a person deserving of U.S. citizenship.andquot;
Synopsis
A Place to Be is the first book to explore migration dynamics and community settlement among Brazilian, Guatemalan, and Mexican immigrants in America's new South. The book adopts a fresh perspective to explore patterns of settlement in Florida, including the outlying areas of Miami and beyond. The stellar contributors from Latin America and the United States address the challenges faced by Latino immigrants, their cultural and religious practices, as well as the strategies used, as they move into areas experiencing recent large-scale immigration.
Contributors to this volume include Patricia Fortuny Loret de Mola, Carol Girón Solórzano, Silvia Irene Palma, Lúcia Ribeiro, Mirian Solfs Lizama, José Claúdio Souza Alves, Timothy J. Steigenga, Manuel A. Vásquez, and Philip J. Williams.
Synopsis
Synopsis
Synopsis
Luis F. B. Plascenciaandrsquo;s Disenchanting Citizenship explores two interrelated issues: U.S. citizenship and the Mexican migrantsandrsquo; position in the United States. Through an extensive and multifaceted collection of interviews, ethnographic fieldwork, ethno-historical research, and public policy analysis, Plascencia probes the ways in which citizenshiop discourses are understood and taken up by individuals. The book uncovers citizenshipandrsquo;s root as a Janus-faced and#160;construct that encompasses a simultaneous process of inclusion and exclusion. This notion of citizenship is mapped on to the migrant experience, arguing that the acquisition of citizenship can lead to disenchantment with the very status desired. Using the experience of Mexican migrants, Plascencia expands the understanding of the dynamics of U.S. citizenship as a form of membership and belonging.
and#160;
About the Author
LUIS F. B. PLASCENCIA is an assistant professor of anthropology and affiliated faculty in the School of Transborder Studies and the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. and#160;He has published articles in numerous journals, including Urban Anthropology and International Migration Review.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I. Transnational Lives
Beyond Homo Anomicus
From Jacaltenango to Jupiter
Solidarities among Mexican Immigrants in Immokalee
Part II. Collective Mobilization and Empowerment
Transnationalism and Collective Action among Guatemalan and Mexican Immigrants in Two Florida Communities
Immigrant Regime of Production
Part III. Identities and Lived Religion
Lived Religion and a Sense of Home
Looking for Lived Religion in Immokalee
Brazilian and Mexican Women
A Place to Be