Marshallese Liminal Legality in Rural Ohio

• In Event: International Migration Section Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): 22. Racialization and reactive ethnicity

Abstract

This project aims to answer the following questions: (1) What are the experiences of Marshallese citizens in Celina OH with liminal legality? (2) How is their experience with liminal legality informed by their social networks, sense of community and life satisfaction, and level of assimilation into their local communities? While prior research highlights the impacts of liminal legality on various immigrant groups and Marshallese scholars address the complicated post-colonial relationship between the Marshall Islands and the U.S., little research has been done to integrate both realms to understand Marshallese citizens experiences within the framework of liminal legality. Drawing from the work of Cecilia Menjivar and building upon liminal legality literature, I hope to address this gap by extending the theoretical framework of liminal legality and immigrant well-being to conceptualize the influence of The Compact of Free Association (COFA) and the in-between status it imposes on the Marshallese community in the U.S. and how they integrate into the broader American population through 30 in-depth interviews conducted with Marshallese residents in Saint Marys and Celina Ohio.

Author

• Anna Louise Jacob, The Ohio State University