Laying Low: Fear and Injustice for Latino Migrants to Smalltown, USA

Abstract

Latinos migrate to Smalltown (pseudonym), USA in search of the American Dream. Instead, they face an oppressive situation in which they struggle to make ends meet. This paper presents focused findings from an ethnographic study with a migrant Latino community in North Carolina. Analyses of participant observations and semi-structured interviews revealed that migrants to Smalltown experience fear, discrimination, and exploitation due to government policies and anti-immigrant sentiment. Section 287(g) and the REAL ID Act cause migrants to face the possibility of detention and deportation when driving. Mistrust in government institutions and law enforcement precipitate a climate of fear that prevents migrants from accessing services or seeking help. The persistent threat of deportation causes migrants to withdraw from meaningful occupations and to alter their engagement in required occupations. Feelings of hopelessness discourage self-advocacy and encourage exploitation by employers. Migrants lay low and stay out of sight and thereby experience occupational deprivation and imbalance. The paper suggests that occupational scientists should engage political arenas to highlight the unanticipated effects of government policies on occupational participation. The paper provides a critique of occupational justice concepts and presents a rationale for applying an occupational perspective to analyze the socio-political implications of public policy.

Keywords:

• Policy
• Justice
• Migration
• Occupational deprivation
• Occupational imbalance

Acknowledgements

This paper is based on data and findings from my dissertation research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; an ethnography with a migrant Latino community in North Carolina (Bailliard, 2011). I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Latino community in Smalltown for their warm welcome and personal stories. I admire their tremendous strength in the face of hardship. I would also like to thank my mentor Dr. Virginia Dickie and dissertation committee (Dr. Altha Cravey, Dr. Malcolm Cutchin, Dr. Glenn Hinson, and Dr. Ruth Humphry) for their wise guidance and unfaltering encouragement.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. In 2003, the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was dissolved into three new entities under the Department of Homeland Security: US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the US Customs and Border Protections (CBP).