New Destination Dreaming : Immigration, Race, and Legal Status in the Rural American South

New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles have long been shaped by immigration. These gateway cities have traditionally been assumed to be the major flashpoints in American debates over immigration policy—but the reality on the ground is proving different. Since the 1980s, new immigrants have increasingly settled in rural and suburban areas, particularly within the South. Couple this demographic change with an increase in unauthorized immigrants, and the rural South, once perhaps the most culturally and racially "settled" part of the country, now offers a window into the changing dynamics of immigration and, more generally, the changing face of America.__New Destination Dreaming__ explores how the rural context impacts the immigrant experience, how rapid Hispanic immigration influences southern race relations, and how institutions like schools and law enforcement agencies deal with unauthorized residents. Though the South is assumed to be an economically depressed region, low-wage food processing jobs are offering Hispanic newcomers the opportunity to carve out a living and join the rural working class, though this is not without its problems. Inattention from politicians to this growing population and rising black-brown tensions are both factors in contemporary rural southern life.Ultimately, Marrow presents a cautiously optimistic view of Hispanic newcomers' opportunities for upward mobility in the rural South, while underscoring the threat of anti-immigrant sentiment and restrictive policymaking that has gripped the region in recent years. Lack of citizenship and legal status still threatens many Hispanic newcomers' opportunities. This book uncovers what more we can do to ensure that America's newest residents become productive and integrated members of rural southern society rather than a newly excluded underclass. New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles have long been shaped by immigration. These gateway cities have traditionally been assumed to be the major flashpoints in American debates over immigration policy—but the reality on the ground is proving different. Since the 1980s, new immigrants have increasingly settled in rural and suburban areas, particularly within the South. Couple this demographic change with an increase in unauthorized immigrants, and the rural South, once perhaps the most culturally and racially "settled" part of the country, now offers a window into the changing dynamics of immigration and, more generally, the changing face of America. New Destination Dreaming explores how the rural context impacts the immigrant experience, how rapid Hispanic immigration influences southern race relations, and how institutions like schools and law enforcement agencies deal with unauthorized residents. Though the South is assumed to be an economically depressed region, low-wage food processing jobs are offering Hispanic newcomers the opportunity to carve out a living and join the rural working class, though this is not without its problems. Inattention from politicians to this growing population and rising black-brown tensions are both factors in contemporary rural southern life. Ultimately, Marrow presents a cautiously optimistic view of Hispanic newcomers' opportunities for upward mobility in the rural South, while underscoring the threat of anti-immigrant sentiment and restrictive policymaking that has gripped the region in recent years. Lack of citizenship and legal status still threatens many Hispanic newcomers' opportunities. This book uncovers what more we can do to ensure that America's newest residents become productive and integrated members of rural southern society rather than a newly excluded underclass. Contents 8 List of Illustrations 10 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction: Immigrant Incorporation in Rural New Destinations 18 Part I. Geography 38 1. “I’m a Person Who Likes Tranquility a Lot”: Southern Region and Rural Space in the Hispanic Newcomer Experience 40 Part II. Economy 68 2. “The Americans Give You the Opportunity to Work and Grow”: Stability and Short-Distance Mobility in the New Rural Southern Economy 70 3. “It’s Not Like If You Work in a Big Place and You Can Move up the Ladder”: Insecurity and Stagnation in the Old Rural Southern Economy 100 Part III. Race and Citizenship 130 4. “The Blacks Don’t Like Us, and It’s Worse Than with the Whites”: Class Structure, Black Population Size, and the Threat of Social Leapfrogging 130 5. “The White Americans Have Always Been Very Friendly”: Discrimination, Racial Expectations, and Moral Hierarchies in the Black-White Binary 159 Part IV. Politics and Institutions 194 6. “We’re Here to Serve Our Residents”: Service-Inspired Responsiveness to Hispanic Newcomers in Education and Health 196 7. “If I Didn’t Trust You Before, I Don’t Even Want to See You Now”: Regulatory Ambivalence in Law Enforcement and the Courts 226 Conclusion: Promises and Pitfalls in the Rural American South 248 Appendix: Terminology and Methodology 286 Notes 298 References 332 Index 380 This study of Hispanic immigrant inclusion and exclusion in the modern rural South, Marrow (sociology, Tufts U.) draws on interviews with Hispanic newcomers and non-Hispanic natives in two North Carolina counties in the mid-2000s: one a mostly Black county representing the old rural Southern economy, and one a mostly white county representing the new rural Southern economy. The study brings together strands of the literature on immigrants' economic, social, and political incorporation, within the 'context of reception' approach described in the sociological literature. The study sheds light on the Hispanic influence on Southern race relations, class structure and social leapfrogging, and policy implications of anti-immigrant sentiment in the area. The book includes b & w population maps, eight b & w photos from eastern North Carolina in the mid-2000s, an appendix on terminology and methodology, and extensive chapter notes New Destination Dreaming examines how the rural South, as a "new destination" far from the traditional American immigrant urban gateways, affects Hispanic newcomers' patterns of economic, sociocultural, and political incorporation. Annotation This title explores how the rural context impacts the immigrant experience, how rapid Hispanic immigration influences southern US race relations, and how institutions deal with unauthorized residents