Millar, Michael

English

Via Sapientiae: The Institutional Repository at DePaul University

Diálogo Volume 8 Number 1 Article 25 2004 Fragmented Ties, Salvadoran Immigrant Networks in America Michael Millar Follow this and additional works at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/dialogo  Part of the Latin American Languages and Societies Commons Recommended Citation Millar, Michael (2004) "Fragmented Ties, Salvadoran Immigrant Networks in America," Diálogo: Vol. 8 : No. 1 , Article 25. Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/dialogo/vol8/iss1/25 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Latino Research at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in Diálogo by an authorized editor of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact digitalservices@depaul.edu. Fragmented Ties, Salvadoran Immigrant Networks in America Cover Page Footnote This article is from an earlier iteration of Diálogo which had the subtitle "A Bilingual Journal." The publication is now titled "Diálogo: An Interdisciplinary Studies Journal." This book review is available in Diálogo: https://via.library.depaul.edu/dialogo/vol8/iss1/25 Fragmented Ties, Salvadoran Immigrant Networks in Americaby Cecilia MenjívarReviewed by Michael Millar Western Michigan UniversityCecilia Menjivar's book challenges previous notions of im m igrant social networks as cohesive and unified collectivities by examining the instability of informal networks o f Salvadoran immigrants in San Francisco. Building on an extensive bib liography of research on social networks, Menjivar moves beyond an understanding of such networks as predetermined structures to  examine them as dynamic processes effected both by social forces and the individuals involved. She convincingly argues against academic overemphasis on the resilience, strength and cohesiveness of such networks through analysis o f the destabilizing effects of both macrostructural forces and internal differentiations such as social class, political views, generation and gender.The framework of Menjivar's sociological study is shaped around the experiences of f if ty  Salvadoran immigrants, all of whom were over the age of eighteen when they left El Salvador and had been in the United States fewer than five years at the time of her study. Additionally, the author includes data collected th rough a survey of 150 other immigrants and notes the importance of informal discussions, observation and personal experiences as a Salvadoran- American herself. This combination of quantitative research w ith  qualita tive analysis results in a w e ll-w ritten  and engaging text that introduces readers to  the multifaceted experiences of Salvadoran immigrants and provides concrete evidence of the problematic nature of the social and family networks on which they often depend.The author's focus on Salvadoran immigrants in San Francisco fills a great need fo r the social and cultural differentiation of Central American populations in the United States. Menjivar's study helps shed light on what Guatemalan author and scholar Arturo Arias described in a recent article as the invisibility of the Central American diaspora in the United States despite its overwhelming presence. Indeed, the lives of Central American immigrants lie on the margin even of those groups tha t Pérez Firmat claims live "on the hyphen", and according to  Arias, "a Latino is oftentimes constructedthrough the abjection and erasure o f the Central American- American" (48). Studies such as Menjivar's are essential to a greater understanding and reconceptualization of the Central American populations in the United States that grew so rapidly as a direct result o f U.S. intervention and Cold War foreign policy in the region. Another such text, Hamilton and Chinchilla's Seeking Community in a Global City (2001) also examines the processes and conditions of reconstructing a sense of community amid rapid global economic restructuring. Its focus on Guatemalans and Salvadorans living in Los Angeles provides fu rthe r insight in to the lives o f the expanding Central American diaspora in the U.S. It is, in this reviewer's mind, encouraging to see this type of serious scholarship being produced in response to many years of social and academic marginalization. No longer reduced to  a section of a chapter, or excluded altogether, the Salvadoran population is the central focus of Cecilia Menjivar's entire study that sheds light not only on their complex situation but on the contemporary migrant experience as a whole.Menjivar begins her study w ith  a discussion of social networks scholarship and a critique of both the historical-structural frameworks approach and the social networks perspective. She contends that idealized representations of social networks conceal the multiple tensions and conflicting interests w ithin them. According to  the author, issues such as the socioeconomic status of the receiving population and its possible undermining effects on social and family networks remain conspicuously absent from most studies of immigrant social networks She continues w ith a discussion of El Salvador, providing a brief and necessarily limited periodization of its history and the events leading up to  the institutionalized terror, psychosocial trauma and mass emigration of the 1980's. Another chapter is dedicated to  the expensive and often perilous journey, or transmigración, of most Salvadorans through Guatemala, across Mexico and eventually into the United States. It becomes clear to readers in the first half of the book that the reasons fo r leaving El Salvador are quite different than the reasons fo r traveling all the way to theU n i t e d  S t a t e s ;  t h i s  p o i n t  p r o v i d e s  a n  i m p o r t a n t  s e g u e  t o  t h e  c e n t r a l i t y  o f  i n f o r m a l  s o c i a l  n e t w o r k s  t o  t h e  g r o w t h  o f  t h e  S a l v a d o r a n - A m e r i c a n  p o p u l a t i o n .M e n j i v a r  c o n t i n u e s  h e r  d i s c u s s i o n  o f  s o c i a l  n e t w o r k s  b ye x a m i n i n g  t h e  c o n t e x t  o f  r e c e p t i o n  f a c i n g  i m m i g r a n t s  a n d  i t se f f e c t s  o n  t h e  s t r u c t u r e s  o f  o p p o r t u n i t y  a v a i l a b l e  t o  t h e m .S h e  b e g i n s  w i t h  a n  e x p l a n a t i o n  o f  g o v e r n m e n t  p o l i c y  t o w a r dS a l v a d o r a n s  a n d  t h e  s i g n i f i c a n c e  o f  t h e  d e c i s i o n  t o  t r e a t  t h e ma s  e c o n o m i c  i m m i g r a n t s ,  r e f u s i n g  t h e m  r e f u g e e  s t a t u s  a n dr a r e l y  g r a n t i n g  a s y l u m .  T h e  i m p o r t a n c e  o f  l e g a l i t y  a n d  e f f o r t st o w a r d s  g a i n i n g  r e s i d e n c y  a r e  b u t  o n e  f a c t o r  a m o n g  m a n y  f o rt h e  a u t h o r ,  b u t  s u c h  p r o c e s s e s  a r e  f u r t h e r  s t u d i e d  i n  S u s a nC o u t m s  b o o k  L e g a l i z i n g  m o v e s :  S a l v a d o r a n  i m m i g r a n t s  s t r u g g l e  f o r  U . S .  r e s i d e n c y  p u b l i s h e d  t h e  s a m e  y e a r .  M e n j i v a r  c o n t i n u e s  w i t h  a n  a n a l y s i s  o f  t h e  e f f e c t s  o f  l o c a l  e c o n o m i c  c o n d i t i o n s  o n  n e w l y  a r r i v e d  i m m i g r a n t s  a n d  t h e n  m o v e s  i n t o  a  d i s c u s s i o n  o f  t h e  r e c e i v i n g  c o m m u n i t y ,  e x p l a i n i n g  t h a t  i t  " c h a n n e l s  t h e  e f f e c t s  o f  m a c r o l e v e l  f o r c e s  t o  t h e  l i v e s  o f  i m m i g r a n t s  a n d  l i n k s  t h e  m i c r o l e v e l  w o r l d  o f  e v e r y d a y  l i f e  t ob r o a d e r  f o r c e s "  ( 7 8 ) .  I t  i s  i n  t h i s  s e c t i o n  o f  t h e  b o o k  t h a t  t h e  a u t h o r  s u c c e s s f u l l y  s u p p o r t s  t h e  n o t i o n  t h a t  a s s u m p t i o n s  o fi m m i g r a n t  u n i t y  b a s e d  o n  a  c o m m o n  n a t i o n a l i t y  a r e  s i m p l y  a  m i s r e p r e s e n t a t i o n  o f  t h e  s i t u a t i o n .  F a c t o r s  s u c h  a s  s o c i o e c o n o m i c  b a c k g r o u n d ,  p o l i t i c a l  a f f i l i a t i o n  a n d  r e l i g i o u s  b e l i e f s  c a n  s e r v e  a s  a  m e a n s  o f  a s s o c i a t i o n ,  b u t  t h e y  c a n  a l s o  b e c o m e  a  s o u r c e  o f  t e n s i o n  a n d  i n s u r m o u n t a b l e  d i f f e r e n c e s  w i t h i n  t h e  i m m i g r a n t  c o m m u n i t y .A t  t h i s  p o i n t ,  M e n j i v a r  r e m i n d s  r e a d e r s  t h a t  t h e  e x i s t e n c e  o f  s u c h  n e t w o r k s  c a n  b e  r e n d e r e d  m e a n i n g l e s s  i f  m e m b e r s  d o  n o t  h a v e  a c c e s s  t o  d e s i r a b l e  i n f o r m a t i o n  o r  r e s o u r c e s .  B u i l d i n g  o n  B o u r d i e u ' s  c o n c e p t  o f  s o c i a l  c a p i t a l ,  t h e  a u t h o r  d i s c u s s e s  t h e  m a n y  w a y s  i n  w h i c h  t h e  p r o d u c t i o n  o f  s u c h  s o c i a l  c a p i t a l  i s  u n d e r m i n e d .  S h e  p r o v i d e s  s e v e r a l  e x a m p l e s  o f  h o w  t h e  i n a b i l i t y  t o  r e p a y  d e b t s  u n d e r m i n e s  e v e n  t h e  c l o s e s t  n e t w o r k s  a n d  o f t e n  t h e  e x p e c t a t i o n s  o f  n e w c o m e r s  a n d  t h e  e s t a b l i s h e d  c o m m u n i t y  l e a d  t o  d i s a p p o i n t m e n t .  S u c h  d e t e r i o r a t i o n  o f  s o c i a l  n e t w o r k s  n e c e s s i t a t e s  t h e  t y p e  o f  a n a l y s i s  f o u n d  i n  M e n j i v a r ' s  s t u d y ,  o n e  t h a t  s e e k s  t o  u n d e r s t a n d  t h e  s t r u c t u r e s  o f  o p p o r t u n i t y  a v a i l a b l e  t o  i m m i g r a n t  p o p u l a t i o n s  a s  i n t e g r a l  t o  b o t h  t h e  s t a b i l i t y  a n d  v i a b i l i t y  o f  t h e i r  s o c i a l  n e t w o r k s .T h e  m o s t  d i s t i n g u i s h i n g  c o n t r i b u t i o n  o f  M e n j i v a r ' s  b o o k  c o m e s  i n  t h e  l a t e r  c h a p t e r s  i n  w h i c h  s h e  d i s c u s s e s  t h e  s i g n i f i c a n t  e f f e c t s  o f  g e n d e r  a n d  g e n e r a t i o n  o n  t h e  p e r p e t u a l  r e n e g o t i a t i o n  o f  s o c i a l  n e t w o r k s .  H e r  a n a l y s i s  h i g h l i g h t s  t h e  t r a n s f o r m a t i v e  e f f e c t s  o f  i m m i g r a t i o n  o n  t r a d i t i o n a l  g e n d e r  r o l e s  i n  t h e  S a l v a d o r a n  c o m m u n i t y  f r o m  a  n u m b e r  o f  d i f f e r e n t  p e r s p e c t i v e s .  T h e  a u t h o r  c o n t i n u e s  w i t h  a  p r o f e s s i o n a l ,  y e t  e m o t i o n a l l y  c h a r g e d  e x a m i n a t i o n  o f  t h e  e f f e c t s  o f  m a t e r i a l  a n d  s o c i a l  c o n d i t i o n s  o n  a g e  e x p e c t a t i o n s  a n d  r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s  t r a d i t i o n a l l y  r o o t e d  i n  s o c i o c u l t u r a l  n o r m s .  T h i s  p r o v i d e sr e a d e r s  w i t h  a  v a l u a b l e  u n d e r s t a n d i n g  o f  t h e  c o m p l e x  a n d  d i f f i c u l t  c i r c u m s t a n c e s  f a c i n g  S a l v a d o r a n  i m m i g r a n t s .c o m m o n  e x p e r i e n c e  l i v i n g  o n  t h e  m a r g i n s  o f  U . S .  s o c i e t y .  T h e r e  r e m a i n s  n o  d o u b t  h o w e v e r  t h a t  t h i s  b o o k  i s  a  v a l u a b l e  c o n t r i b u t i o n  t o  b o t h  t h e  f i e l d  o f  s o c i a l  n e t w o r k s  r e s e a r c h  a n d  t o  a  g r e a t e r  u n d e r s t a n d i n g  o f  o n e  o f  t h e  f a s t e s t  g r o w i n g  m i n o r i t y  c o m m u n i t i e s  i n  t h e  U n i t e d  S t a t e s ,  a  c o m m u n i t y  t o o  o f t e n  o v e r l o o k e d  b y  r e s e a r c h e r s  a n d  s o c i e t y  i n  g e n e r a l .- B e r k e l e y :  U n i v e r s i t y  o f  C a l i f o r n i a  P r e s s ,  2 0 0 0 .Michael rvdsP.DfomtUnyg20and isowAtPrfeSphmcuWMgUvy.lkIHbCxCentral AmicdspohUS.@wum m m sm m . ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■  m m s  ' :. ■ :; s a s  " x &A r i a s ,  A r t u r o .  " C e n t r a l  A m e r i c a n - A m e r i c a n s ?  R e - m a p p i n g  L a t i n o / L a t i n  A m e r i c a n  S u b j e c t i v i t i e s  o n  B o t h  S i d e s  o f  t h e  G r e a t  D i v i d e . "  E x p l i c a c i ó n  d e  t e x t o s  l i t e r a r i o s .  V o l  X X V I I I  -  1 & 2 .  S a c r a m e n t o ,  C a l i f o r n i a :  C a l i f o r n i a  S t a t e  U n i v e r s i t y ,  1 9 9 9 - 2 0 0 0 :  4 7 - 6 3 .B o u r d i e u ,  P i e r r e .  " T h e  F o r m s  o f  C a p i t a l . "  H a n d b o o k  o f  T h e o r y  a n d  R e s e a r c h  o f  t h e  S o c i o l o g y  o f  E d u c a t i o n ,  e d .  J o h n  C . R i c h a r d s o n .  N e w  Y o r k :  G r e e n w o o d  P r e s s ,  1 9 8 6 :  2 4 1 - 2 5 8 .C o u t i n ,  S u s a n  B i b l e r .  L e g a l i z i n g  m o v e s  : S a l v a d o r a n  i m m i g r a n t s '  s t r u g g l e  f o r  U .S .  r e s i d e n c y .  A n n  A r b o r :  U n i v e r s i t y  o f  M i c h i g a n  P r e s s ,  2 0 0 0 .H a m i l t o n ,  N o r a  a n d  N o r m a  S t o l t z  C h i n c h i l l a .  S e e k i n g  C o m m u n i t y  i n  a  G l o b a l  C i t y :  G u a t e m a l a n s  a n d  S a l v a d o r a n s  i n  L o s  A n g e l e s .  P h i l a d e l p h i a :  T e m p l e  U n i v e r s i t y  P r e s s ,  2 0 0 1 .M e n j i v a r ,  C e c i l i a .  F r a g m e n t e d  T i e s , S a l v a d o r a n  I m m i g r a n t  N e t w o r k s  i n  A m e r i c a .  B e r k e l e y :  U n i v e r s i t y  o f  C a l i f o r n i a  P r e s s ,  2 0 0 0 .P e r e z - F i r m a t ,  G u s t a v o .  L i f e  o n  t h e  H y p h e n :  T h e  C u b a n - A m e r i c a n  W a y .  A u s t i n :  U n i v e r s i t y  o f  T e x a s  P r e s s ,  1 9 9 4 .T h o u g h  M e n j i v a r  d e s c r i b e s  h e r  s t u d y  a s  a  " d e v i a n t "  a n d  " a n o m o l o u s "  c a s e ,  s h e  f a i l s  t o  c o n v i n c i n g l y  d i s t i n g u i s h  t h e  S a l v a d o r a n  i m m i g r a n t  e x p e r i e n c e  f r o m  t h a t  o f  o t h e r  i m m i g r a n t  g r o u p s  n o t  a f f o r d e d  r e f u g e e  s t a t u s  a n d  f a c i n g  d i f f i c u l t  s o c i o e c o n o m i c  c o n d i t i o n s .  I t  i s  d i f f i c u l t  t o  i d e n t i f y  t h i s  p o i n t  a s  e i t h e r  a  s t r e n g t h  o r  a  s h o r t c o m i n g  o f  t h e  b o o k .  O n  t h e  o n e  h a n d ,  h e r  s t u d y  p r o v i d e s  v a l u a b l e  i n s i g h t  c o n c e r n i n g  t h e  d y n a m i c  c o m p l e x i t y  o f  s o c i a l  n e t w o r k s  i n  g e n e r a l ,  b u t  i t  a l s o  s u g g e s t s  t h a t  t h e  S a l v a d o r a n  c o m m u n i t y  i s  j u s t  o n e  a m o n g  m a n y  w h o  s h a r e  aR e f e r e n c e s

Fragmented Ties, Salvadoran Immigrant Networks in America

https://via.library.depaul.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1135&context=dialogo

Fragmented Ties, Salvadoran Immigrant Networks in America

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Via Sapientiae: The Institutional Repository at DePaul University