today by illustrating how increased knowledge and awareness of immigration can lead to
solutions in shifting pessimistic viewpoints to more amicable responses. Additionally, special
emphasis will be placed upon the role of employment based immigration and exchange student
programs. The project seeks to address the psychological perspectives on immigrants in America
through exploration of past and present encounters and experiences relating to an immigrant’s
place in society.
Context
In consideration of a controversial topic like immigration, the words on the Statue of Liberty are
brought to mind, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled …show more content…
Such attempts to reject a certain group from the nation
Johnson 2
furthers the theory that creation of a stigma is like dehumanization; both negative factors
contributing to each other in a vicious cycle of misconceived perceptions of right and wrong.
In light of this, there remains varying views toward citizenship in the United States. Study of
naturalized citizens’ perspectives surrounding the citizenship process supports the notion that,
even after becoming “American,” immigrants may still feel like outsiders in society
(Bloemraad). This postulation supports a theory that citizenship may have psychological factors
attached to it. Perhaps naturalization takes the form of membership to a country, nurturing a
feeling of belongingness and exclusion for new citizens. Although naturalization presents a much
more mutually advantageous substitute to deportation, it can often appear as if there remains a
divide between the two categories of citizenship (DeSipio).
Objective/Research Questions
A heightened awareness of the benefits arising from an immigrant population is essential for
fostering amicable responses from citizens. The main goal of this project is to communicate …show more content…
★ Deportation and discrimination
○ Workplace inequality, gender bias, etc.
○ How does the stigma of immigration impact future generations (including
those born in the U.S.)?
○ Do people discriminate differently “on paper” versus in person? (ex.
written description of an immigrant vs. a photo of them)
Research Design
The proposed honors in action project seeks to erase a stigma surrounding immigrants in the
local community through compiling an art exhibition showcasing portraits of various immigrants
and non-citizens in the Houston area. Negative perspectives may be shifted by associating a face
with such a controversial topic as immigration affects all of us whether intentionally or not. In
connection to the exhibition, interviews with immigrants would be conducted to supplement
findings on the research questions/topics. Additionally, the project would possibly involve
coordination of a panel of individuals who have immigrated to America, providing them with a
platform to share their stories and discuss their experiences with the aforementioned subjects.
Both the exhibition and panel would increase awareness of immigration on campus while working to extinguish a negative connotation interconnected with such