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...
Autor Principal: | |
---|---|
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 |
_version_ |
1676074342358712320 |
score |
12,131701 |