Disenchanting Citizenship

Price (paper): $25.95  
Price (cloth): $72.00  
Subtitle: Mexican Migrants and the Boundaries of Belonging
Written by Luis F.B. Plascencia
Subject: Latina/o Studies, Anthropology
Paper ISBN: 978-0-8135-5280-4
Cloth ISBN: 978-0-8135-5279-8
Pages: 272 pages
Publication Date: June 2012
Series: Latinidad: Transnational Cultures in the United States

Praise for Disenchanting Citizenship:

"In addition to a careful analysis of 'formally and informally authorized' immigrants, Plascencia's book contributes to current scholarship on citizenship by exploring what it means to Mexican nationals who pursue it."
—Caroline B. Brettell, Southern Methodist University

"Using working-class Mexican immigrants as an example, Plascencia explores how race, social class, and nationality affect who is considered a person deserving of U.S. citizenship."
—Martha Menchaca, University of Texas, Austin

Description:

Central to contemporary debates in the United States on migration and migrant policy is the idea of citizenship, and this issue remains a focal point of contention. In Disenchanting Citizenship, Luis F. B. Plascencia examines two interrelated issues: U.S. citizenship and the Mexican migrants' position in the United States.

The book explores the meaning of U.S. citizenship through the experience of a unique group of Mexican migrants who were granted Temporary Status under the "legalization" provisions of the 1986 IRCA, attained Lawful Permanent Residency, and later became U.S. citizens. Plascencia integrates an extensive and multifaceted collection of interviews, ethnographic fieldwork, ethno-historical research, and public policy analysis in examining efforts that promote the acquisition of citizenship, the teaching of citizenship classes, and naturalization ceremonies. He argues that the acquisition of citizenship can lead to disenchantment with the very status desired. In the end, Plascencia expands our understanding of the dynamics of U.S. citizenship as a form of membership and belonging.

LUIS F. B. PLASCENCIA is an assistant professor of anthropology, and affiliated faculty in the School of Transborder Studies and School of Public Affairs, at Arizona State University. He has published articles in numerous journals, including Urban Anthropology and International Migration Review.

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Price (paper): $25.95
Price (cloth): $72.00