The state of confusion: Reflections on Central American asylum seekers in the Bay Area

This article explores the problematic assumptions at play in the asylum applications of Central American asylum seekers in northern California. I address the disjuncture between the legal parameters under which asylum is granted and the perceptions and knowledge about the process of all those involv...

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Autor Principal: Ordonez Roth, Juan Thomas
Formato: Artículo (Article)
Lenguaje:Inglés (English)
Publicado: SAGE Publications 2008
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://repository.urosario.edu.co/handle/10336/27103
https://doi.org/10.1177/1466138108088948
id ir-10336-27103
recordtype dspace
spelling ir-10336-271032020-08-19T14:41:00Z The state of confusion: Reflections on Central American asylum seekers in the Bay Area El estado de confusión: Reflexiones sobre los solicitantes de asilo centroamericanos en el Área de la Bahía Ordonez Roth, Juan Thomas Asylum seekers Asylum application Immigration United States Guatemala El Salvador This article explores the problematic assumptions at play in the asylum applications of Central American asylum seekers in northern California. I address the disjuncture between the legal parameters under which asylum is granted and the perceptions and knowledge about the process of all those involved. For `undocumented' immigrants, claiming asylum establishes a formal relationship to the state, in which they must learn to reformulate their identity and memory to fit the legal definition of refugee. Poverty, marginality, lack of education, and fear, however, make the situation difficult to grasp. Uncertainty and confusion increase during the asylum interview, where officer's interpretations of the situation lead to essentialized notions of ethnicity, poverty, and violence. Ultimately, positive outcomes depend on applicants' ability to learn to navigate the process and access the categories established in a political economy of suffering. The power relations inherent in the application reflect the greater social framework of exclusion within which `undocumented' subjects are positioned. Thus, for many, the asylum application ensures further misunderstandings and marginality, even if the claim is granted. 2008-03-01 2020-08-19T14:41:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion ISSN: 1466-1381 EISSN: 1741-2714 https://repository.urosario.edu.co/handle/10336/27103 https://doi.org/10.1177/1466138108088948 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf SAGE Publications Ethnography
institution EdocUR - Universidad del Rosario
collection DSpace
language Inglés (English)
topic Asylum seekers
Asylum application
Immigration
United States
Guatemala
El Salvador
spellingShingle Asylum seekers
Asylum application
Immigration
United States
Guatemala
El Salvador
Ordonez Roth, Juan Thomas
The state of confusion: Reflections on Central American asylum seekers in the Bay Area
description This article explores the problematic assumptions at play in the asylum applications of Central American asylum seekers in northern California. I address the disjuncture between the legal parameters under which asylum is granted and the perceptions and knowledge about the process of all those involved. For `undocumented' immigrants, claiming asylum establishes a formal relationship to the state, in which they must learn to reformulate their identity and memory to fit the legal definition of refugee. Poverty, marginality, lack of education, and fear, however, make the situation difficult to grasp. Uncertainty and confusion increase during the asylum interview, where officer's interpretations of the situation lead to essentialized notions of ethnicity, poverty, and violence. Ultimately, positive outcomes depend on applicants' ability to learn to navigate the process and access the categories established in a political economy of suffering. The power relations inherent in the application reflect the greater social framework of exclusion within which `undocumented' subjects are positioned. Thus, for many, the asylum application ensures further misunderstandings and marginality, even if the claim is granted.
format Artículo (Article)
author Ordonez Roth, Juan Thomas
author_facet Ordonez Roth, Juan Thomas
author_sort Ordonez Roth, Juan Thomas
title The state of confusion: Reflections on Central American asylum seekers in the Bay Area
title_short The state of confusion: Reflections on Central American asylum seekers in the Bay Area
title_full The state of confusion: Reflections on Central American asylum seekers in the Bay Area
title_fullStr The state of confusion: Reflections on Central American asylum seekers in the Bay Area
title_full_unstemmed The state of confusion: Reflections on Central American asylum seekers in the Bay Area
title_sort state of confusion: reflections on central american asylum seekers in the bay area
publisher SAGE Publications
publishDate 2008
url https://repository.urosario.edu.co/handle/10336/27103
https://doi.org/10.1177/1466138108088948
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score 12,131701