Problem Statement

The issue of immigration has been of major concern especially in Europe and the United States (Hogan & Haltinner, 2015). In the US, there are deep concerns about immigrants from Mexico and other Central and South American countries illegally entering the country (Hogan & Haltinner, 2015). There has been a rise of racial nativists who not only oppose immigration but also racially discriminate immigrants (Young, 2017). Immigrants need to be protected by the government and the society against being harmed by the racial nativists. The problem that I will explore is the experiences of Latina/o immigrants in the United States regarding their protection from racial nativists. Racial nativists at times physically and/or verbally attack immigrants (Young, 2017). It is vital to understand Latina/o immigrants’ experience with current protection as they are discriminated a lot in some parts of the US.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of my research is to explore the experience of Latina/o immigrants in the United States regarding their protection from racial nativists. The research will help identify whether immigrants feel well-protected from violent nativists and if not suggest ways of improving their protection. The study might influence the government and society to provide more protection to vulnerable immigrants.

Research Question

“How would you as a Latina/o immigrant living in the United States describe your experience regarding your  protection from racial nativists?”

Qualitative Research Approach

The qualitative research framework that best fits my topic of study is the basic qualitative inquiry approach. The method’s critical focus is on the exploration and description of experiences, and that is the focus of my research (Patton, 2014). I will explore the experiences of Latina/o immigrants in the United States regarding their protection from racial nativists. Procedures that follow from the method such as data analysis procedures fit well with my study.

References

Hogan, J., & Haltinner, K. (2015). Floods, invaders, and parasites: Immigration threat narratives and right-wing populism in the USA, UK and Australia. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 36(5), 520-543.

Patton, M.Q. (2014). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods: Integrating Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications

Young, J. G. (2017). Making America 1920 again? Nativism and US immigration, past and present. Journal on Migration and Human Security, 5(1), 217-235.