Books by Julie A. Dowling
With Mexican Americans constituting a large and growing segment of U.S. society, their assimilati... more With Mexican Americans constituting a large and growing segment of U.S. society, their assimilation trajectory has become a constant source of debate. Some believe Mexican Americans are following the path of European immigrants toward full assimilation into whiteness, while others argue that they remain racialized as nonwhite. Drawing on extensive interviews with Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants in Texas, Dowling’s research challenges common assumptions about what informs racial labeling for this population. Her interviews demonstrate that for Mexican Americans, racial ideology is key to how they assert their identities as either in or outside the bounds of whiteness. Emphasizing the link between racial ideology and racial identification, Dowling offers an insightful narrative that highlights the complex and highly contingent nature of racial identity.
In the United States, immigration is generally seen as a law and order issue. Amidst increasing a... more In the United States, immigration is generally seen as a law and order issue. Amidst increasing anti-immigrant sentiment, unauthorized migrants have been cast as lawbreakers. Governing Immigration Through Crime offers a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the use of crime and punishment to manage undocumented immigrants.
Presenting key readings and cutting-edge scholarship, this volume examines a range of contemporary criminalizing practices: restrictive immigration laws, enhanced border policing, workplace audits, detention and deportation, and increased policing of immigration at the state and local level. Of equal importance, the readings highlight how migrants have managed to actively resist these punitive practices. In bringing together critical theorists of immigration to understand how the current political landscape propagates the view of the "illegal alien" as a threat to social order, this text encourages students and general readers alike to think seriously about the place of undocumented immigrants in American society.
Papers by Julie A. Dowling
Migraciones internacionales, Jan 1, 2008
Aunque hay estudios que muestran la adaptación exitosa de los exiliados cubanos en Miami, en ning... more Aunque hay estudios que muestran la adaptación exitosa de los exiliados cubanos en Miami, en ninguno se han examinado las experiencias de los inmigrantes cubanos recientes en lugares de refugiados del suroeste de Estados Unidos. Entre estos inmigrantes cubanos se incluye una gran cantidad de afrocubanos. En áreas donde la mayoría de la población es blanca o de origen mexicano, y donde el grupo de afroestadunidenses es pequeño, la adaptación de los afrocubanos crea confl ictos de identidad cuando luchan por encontrar un lugar en el gran sistema trirracial blanco/negro/café del suroeste. Con base en 45 entrevistas con afrocubanos en Austin y Albuquerque, exploramos la identifi cación racial y étnica de este grupo. Nuestro estudio emplea un enfoque construccionista y explora las formas en que las identidades raciales y étnicas se forman en diálogo con la autoevaluación y con la clasifi cación externa. Los resultados revelan la complejidad de los procesos de identifi cación cuando los afrocubanos intentan mantener su identidad como "cubanos" y como "negros" al oponer resistencia a la clasifi cación diferenciativa de "negro" o "hispano". Ellos no quieren elegir entre uno y otro término de identifi cación.
Social Science Quarterly, Jan 1, 2012
Objective. In recent years, immigration has become a central focus of political scrutiny. Much of... more Objective. In recent years, immigration has become a central focus of political scrutiny. Much of the negativity directed toward the largely Mexican immigrant population asserts that they do not wish to learn English and acclimate to the dominant culture of the United States. Very little research, however, has explored how Mexican immigrants or Mexican Americans assess the value of English proficiency. Methods. Utilizing the Survey of Texas Adults, we examine attitudes regarding the importance of English. We explore the attitudes of Mexican-origin persons compared to other racial/ethnic groups, as well as explore within-group differences based on citizenship, nativity, and language use. Results. Our findings reveal the high importance that Spanish speakers, as well as many non-U.S. citizen Mexican immigrants, place on English proficiency. Furthermore, the results indicate that Spanish speakers are actually most likely to stress the importance of English. Conclusions. Our research contradicts accounts of the largely Spanish-speaking Mexican immigrant population as not valuing the English language. In so doing, our work contributes to larger scholarly efforts to better understand immigrants in general and Mexican immigrants in particular.
Latino Studies, Jan 1, 2010
This study examines the experiences of Afro-Cuban immigrants in non-traditional settlement sites ... more This study examines the experiences of Afro-Cuban immigrants in non-traditional settlement sites in the Southwest. Drawing on 45 interviews with Afro-Cubans in Austin, Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico, we explore how our respondents position themselves relative to the local Mexican-origin population. Specifically, we focus on the implications of ''Hispanic'' identity in these cities as a category that is heavily tied to Mexican origin, ''brownness,'' and the suspicion of illegality. As Afro-Cubans, our respondents face a different racialization process than many non-black Latino immigrants, in that their blackness marks them as outside the bounds of regional constructions of Hispanic identity. Furthermore, the absence of significant numbers of Afro-origin immigrants creates an immediate association with citizenship that accompanies blackness in these locales. Our respondents recognize that they are assigned very different identities than the Mexican immigrants who work alongside them. Moreover, as they articulate identities in a US context, many of our respondents look to Miami Cubans as an example of their anticipated trajectory. Contrasting their perceptions of the success of Miami Cubans with the problems they perceive in the local Mexican-origin community, our respondents further distance themselves from a stigmatized Hispanic identity.
Southwest Journal of Linguistics, Jan 1, 2005
Previous research on racial/ethnic labeling among Latino populations in the U.S. has explored the... more Previous research on racial/ethnic labeling among Latino populations in the U.S. has explored the continuing salience of racial/ethnic identities, and how these identities vary considerably by factors such as language use, national origin, generational status, region, and social context. However, while research has explored the role of language fluency (English or Spanish-speaking ability) in Latinos' racial/ethnic labeling choices, very little research has explored how language itself may transform the meaning of a particular racial/ethnic label. Drawing on interviews with fifty-two Mexican Americans from five Texas communities, I explore the divergent meanings of the labels MEXICAN vs. MEXICANO/A, and TEXAN vs. TEJANO/A. While these words reflect a literal translation from English to Spanish, they elicit very different responses from participants in the study. These findings highlight the need for more in-depth research exploring the role of linguistic context in the meanings attached to particular racial/ethnic labels.
Sociological Perspectives, Jan 1, 2007
Although studies document the successful adaptation of Cuban exiles in Miami, little research has... more Although studies document the successful adaptation of Cuban exiles in Miami, little research has examined the settlement experiences of recent Afro-Cuban immigrants. Many of these Afro-Cubans have settled in relocation sites throughout the United States, including the Southwest. The adjustment of these immigrants in areas with mostly White and Mexican-origin populations, and a smaller African American group, creates identity conflicts as these immigrants struggle to find their place in this largely white/black/brown triracial system. Drawing on interviews with forty-five Afro-Cubans in Austin, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, this study employs a constructionist approach, exploring the ways in which racial and ethnic identities are formed in dialogue with both self-appraisal and external classification from others. Findings reveal the complicated identification processes involved as Afro-Cubans attempt to maintain identification as both "Cuban" and "Black" in the face of external classification as either "Black" or "Hispanic."
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Books by Julie A. Dowling
Presenting key readings and cutting-edge scholarship, this volume examines a range of contemporary criminalizing practices: restrictive immigration laws, enhanced border policing, workplace audits, detention and deportation, and increased policing of immigration at the state and local level. Of equal importance, the readings highlight how migrants have managed to actively resist these punitive practices. In bringing together critical theorists of immigration to understand how the current political landscape propagates the view of the "illegal alien" as a threat to social order, this text encourages students and general readers alike to think seriously about the place of undocumented immigrants in American society.
Papers by Julie A. Dowling
Presenting key readings and cutting-edge scholarship, this volume examines a range of contemporary criminalizing practices: restrictive immigration laws, enhanced border policing, workplace audits, detention and deportation, and increased policing of immigration at the state and local level. Of equal importance, the readings highlight how migrants have managed to actively resist these punitive practices. In bringing together critical theorists of immigration to understand how the current political landscape propagates the view of the "illegal alien" as a threat to social order, this text encourages students and general readers alike to think seriously about the place of undocumented immigrants in American society.