Becoming A Citizen in the Age of Trump: Citizenship Motivations of Latinx Residents in Texas

• In Event: 1407 - Immigrant Inclusion and Exclusion during the Trump and Obama Eras

Abstract

This community-based participatory research project partners with a nonprofit organization to investigate the motivations and barriers to naturalization for Latinx legal permanent residents (LPRs) in Texas. Mexican immigrants are the largest group of LPRs in the US yet have one of the lowest rates of naturalization. This is especially puzzling given that Latinx immigrants in general, and Mexican immigrants in particular, are at an increased risk of deportation. What accounts for low naturalization rates among Latinx in an era of increased deportation threat? For the residents who are naturalizing, what motivates their decision to naturalize now? Based on 36 phone surveys and 21 Spanish and English semi-structured interviews conducted in 2017-2018, we examine how subjects' perceptions of contemporary immigration policy affect their motivations to naturalize. We find four primary motivations: Proactive (right to vote), Pragmatic (expedite family reunification, access better jobs and benefits), Defensive (protect against deportation), and Emotional (formalize sense of belonging). While most interview subjects believed the current political climate hostile to immigrants, defensive motivations are the least common, even among LPRs who belong to mixed status families (MSFs).

Authors

• Nancy Plankey-Videla, Texas A&M University-College Station

• Mary Elizabeth Campbell, Texas A&M University

• Diana Mercado, Texas A&M University

• Alejandro Salas, Texas A&M University