People

Crossing the Line Between IMMIGRANT and AMERICAN

MICHAEL JONES-CORREA

PART I

By definition, immigrants come into the U.S. as outsiders. They become insiders when their differences no longer affect the ways they interact with others, the opportunities they have for themselves and their families, and how they participate in politics.

There is no clear dividing line between being an insider and an outsider. Individuals and groups whose families have spent many generations in the U.S. may feel some of both. However, three things set immigrants apart.

The first of these is having a legally defined status and a pathway toward legal citizenship. Being a citizen does not automatically mean that individuals or groups are perceived as being insiders, but it is impossible to be an insider without having legal status as a person and at least the potential to be a citizen.

The second is taking part in a shared language. Without a shared language, it is difficult to engage in the range of discussions with others that shape our lives, including the social, the economic and the political.

The third is immigrants’ perceptions of inclusion by the larger society. If immigrants are grudgingly only tolerated as residents, they are very unlikely to feel they are full members of society. This may result in their pulling back from social and political engagement, or it could fuel the opposite reaction, with immigrants pressing their demands when threatened, as many did in the 2006 marches in the United States for immigrants’ rights.

These three things mark immigrants as outsiders, but it is harder to define what truly makes people insiders. At the very least, we know that as long as people remain outsiders, they will never feel, or truly be, insiders.

The author is Professor of Government at Cornell University, and a co-author of "Latino Lives in America: Making It Home."

CONTINUED TOMORROW ... Part II

[Courtesy: New York Times]

November 16, 2012

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