Description
This thesis provides an analysis of how social constructions present within immigration policy have an impact the identity and membership of undocumented immigrant youth residing in the U.S. Through an exploration of the experience of applying for President Obamas 2012 executive action Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the messages that undocumented youth learn about membership are examined in reflection of this temporary policy. By problematizing the ongoing relationship that undocumented youth have with policies that recognize them, but grant them limited means to gain permanent residency, this research provides insight into the ways that living in this halfway point is impacting undocumented youth as social citizens and residents in the United States. The analysis relies on qualitative data gathered from interviews with 20 undocumented youth in California. The goal of this research is to describe the experience of membership of undocumented youth as they are framed within a space of liminal legality, the ways in which shifting social constructs of public policies work to define a new social construction of DACA applicants and what undocumented youth infer about the quality of the membership in the U.S. as a result of this policy. This thesis offers explanations about how within a context that simultaneously implies inclusion and exclusion, views held about personal identity and belonging within the undocumented immigrant youth population can be understood as reflections of their interactions with the state. This perspective offers policymakers a way to understand questions of membership and citizenship among target populations that are recipients of government decisions, but may not hold the formal political power to participate in or challenge those decisions.
