I am a geographer at Middle Tennessee State University. I live in Nashville, Tennessee, and conduct research on the metropolitan area’s immigrant and refugee communities. My research interests include cultural geography, Latin America, transnational approaches to migration scholarship, the role of "place" in the construction and negotiation of identity(ies), cultural landscapes, and postcolonial studies. I’m currently working on a research project that examines the sense of place and reactive ethnicity of Tennessee's Latinx population.
I am an advocate for community engagement. Before coming to MTSU, I was an associate director of a nonprofit organization that worked to empower Latin American immigrants living in New Orleans, Louisiana. I currently serve on the board of Free For Life International, an anti-trafficking organization based in Nashville, Tennessee, where I co-led their trafficking prevention programs in Latin America. Phone: 615-904-8371
Intercultural engagement through short-term faculty-led study abroad: A practitioner’s guide with multidisciplinary perspectives from a public university, 2023
Book chapter in Ananth, P., & Lim, S. J. J. (Eds.). (2023). Intercultural engagement through shor... more Book chapter in Ananth, P., & Lim, S. J. J. (Eds.). (2023). Intercultural engagement through short-term faculty-led study abroad: A practitioner’s guide with multidisciplinary perspectives from a public university. MT Open Press, Middle Tennessee State University Press.
The burgeoning Latinx communities in the U.S. South provide rich case studies for examining the i... more The burgeoning Latinx communities in the U.S. South provide rich case studies for examining the identity formation and group consciousness of children of Latin American immigrants. This paper explores the identities and sense of belonging of 1.5-and secondgeneration Latinxs who have come of age in Tennessee, a Southern state that has experienced a surge in immigration from Latin America in recent decades. In-depth interviews with Latinxs who have grown up in Tennessee reveal how these individuals contemplate their identities in relation to questions of belonging to (and within) U.S. society. A shift toward developing a reactive ethnicity is evident as Latinxs convey how perceived interpersonal discrimination coupled with recent national and local anti-immigrant policies drive ethnic group solidarity. These factors influence individual life choices and encourage participation in social and political activism. Such reactions will have long-term ramifications for local Southern societies.
This study investigates the perceptions and experiences of 1.5- and second-generation Latinxs in ... more This study investigates the perceptions and experiences of 1.5- and second-generation Latinxs in the new immigrant destination of Nashville, Tennessee, with regard to the concepts of belonging, identity, and sense of place. Although much research has examined the arrival, integration, and socioeconomic challenges of Nashville’s first-generation immigrants from Latin America, themes concerning the experiences and incorporation of the subsequent generations who have grown up in the metropolitan area have received less scholarly attention. The multitude of issues that arise from identity negotiation, biculturalism, and discrimination are elucidated through twenty-five in-depth interviews with Latinxs. Our findings reveal how this population navigates through and in between the various communities that encompass their lives while simultaneously balancing social inclusion/exclusion, educational and career aspirations, and marginalization by national and state politics.
This research aims to cast scholarly light on the burgeoning Somali community in Nashville, Te... more This research aims to cast scholarly light on the burgeoning Somali community in Nashville, Tennessee, by examining the residential patterns of Somali refugees. Using a mixed-methods approach that includes in-depth interviews, focus groups, and volunteer agencies, this study reveals that Somali refugees face particular barriers that directly influence the residential processes of Nashville’s Somali refugee community. Some of these barriers are rooted in the Somali community’s interpretation of Islam forbidding the provision or acceptance of loans with interest (ribā) from banks and other lenders, leading many Somalis to feel they are unable to participate in common Western banking practices. These types of barriers can limit both homeownership and entrepreneurial endeavors. Such complex cultural factors shaping Somali refugee resettlement challenge the deterministic model of spatial assimilation theory and underscore the need for more nuanced, group-specific research to understand the residential patterns and spatial outcomes of new refugee and immigrant communities in metropolitan areas in the U.S. South. The findings from this study are of value to local policymakers and community-based organizations interested in crafting legislation and establishing services that help Somali refugees better adapt to their host society.
The geographic situation of New Orleans allowed the city to develop lasting ties to the Hispanic ... more The geographic situation of New Orleans allowed the city to develop lasting ties to the Hispanic and Latino cultures south of the U.S. border. Post-Hurricane Katrina has led to both the revival of these historic connections as well as the development of new communities as migrants initially came in response to rebuilding efforts. This article provides a look at the modern ethnoscape in the changing urban landscape of New Orleans.
This paper examines the historical ties between Cuba and
New Orleans. It makes a summary of the economic relationships
between this country and this U. S. city from the 18th
century until the present day. Additionally, potentially
positive effects these ties could have on New Orleans and
Cuba’s culture and economy when US-Cuba relations are
completely normalized in the future are examined as well.
Resumen
Exploración de los lazos históricos entre Cuba y Nueva
Orleáns. Se ofrece un resumen de las conexiones económicas
entre las dos localidades desde el siglo xviii hasta
hoy. Además, se argumentan las repercusiones positivas
que estos vínculos podrían tener en la cultura y la economía
de Nueva Orleáns y Cuba, cuando las relaciones
cubano-estadounidenses se allanaran en el futuro.
This paper examines the understudied, but socially salient significance of transnational social n... more This paper examines the understudied, but socially salient significance of transnational social networks in the establishment of new migrant destinations in the American South. By comparing two independent migrant groups—one originating from Guanajuato, Mexico and the other from Honduras and Nicaragua—this research explores the structure, scope, and social dynamics of transnational relationships linking Latino migrants in emerging receiving communities to a host of sending communities. Building upon the concepts of migrant networks and social capital this multi-sited, in-depth qualitative research with migrants and their families in Latin America reveal the essential role that certain trailblazing agents operating in transnational networks play in creating and maintaining multi-nodal destinations for migrant groups. This approach calls attention to the micro-level social processes, such as gender dynamics, behind shifting migration patterns. Furthermore, these case studies highlight the tactics and assistance that undocumented migrants rely on to arrive to and find employment in receiving communities as well as demonstrate the agency that migrants often possess to move between different destinations in a recipient country. Findings of this research contribute scholarly insight into the migratory practices of Latinos regarding mobility, informal labor recruitment, gender, and social capital.
In the past two decades, Nashville, Tennessee, has emerged as a new destination for Hispanic immi... more In the past two decades, Nashville, Tennessee, has emerged as a new destination for Hispanic immigrants moving into the American South. Many of these newcomers have chosen to reside in the southeast section of the city in neighborhoods adjacent to two main thoroughfares—Nolensville and Murfreesboro Pikes. Residential clustering has fostered the development of various Hispanic-oriented businesses and services throughout southeast Nashville. In this article, I assert that the concentration of Hispanic residents and businesses in southeast Nashville has formed an ethnic enclave. Based on findings collected through an intensive qualitative approach, I argue that the creation of this enclave, complete with Hispanic businesses, organizations, and churches, interferes with the integration of Hispanics into the local community. The results of this study indicate that many Hispanics immigrants (both authorized and unauthorized) choose to operate almost entirely within this enclave which in turn reduces their involvement with members of the host society and slows down the acquisition of the English language. In many cases, this choice is based on language and perceived differences in culture between Hispanics and Anglos; however, interviews and conversations with younger Hispanic immigrants reveal that discriminatory public policies may lead Hispanic immigrants to adopt a strategy of self-segregation as a means of avoiding police harassment.
The multiplicity of Garifuna identity gives the Garínagu the flexibility to negotiate and shift t... more The multiplicity of Garifuna identity gives the Garínagu the flexibility to negotiate and shift their identity between different ethnic, racial, and national categories. Drawing on in-depth interviews, focus groups, and participant observation with Garifuna transmigrants in post-Katrina New Orleans, this research illustrates the important role a receiving community plays in how the Garínagu frame their identity. Scholarly research on the Garifuna community in New York City depicts a general identification with a global racial Blackness. In New Orleans, however, several factors sway Garifuna transmigrants to identify with the metropolitan area's Latino population and emphasize their Honduran nationality. Thus, this study underscores the importance of place-specific research that focuses on the daily lives and experiences of contemporary immigrants.
This paper addresses the little studied but socially salient processes through which Latino migra... more This paper addresses the little studied but socially salient processes through which Latino migrant laborers travel, find work, and establish immigrant destinations using transnational social networks by analyzing and comparing two migrant nodal networks. The findings of this study elucidate that migrant networks are dynamic and often consist of more than one sending and receiving community. The first migrant group examined comprises a Nashville-Atlanta-Guanajuato, Mexico transnational social network. The second migrant group is part of a tri-national network that links New Orleans, Louisiana and Cookeville, Tennessee to El Paraíso, Honduras and Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua. Although independent of each other, the transnational networks of these two migrant groups geographically overlap in the American South, thus providing a basis for juxtaposition, as well as for understanding their spatial, temporal, and social imbrications in both immigrant sending and receiving communities. The networks presented are highly relevant because they are analogous in their structure and function, yet dissimilar in their origins and migratory histories. Nashville and Atlanta are more established nodes connected to Guanajuato, a long-standing source node of migrants to the United States. New Orleans and Cookeville, however, are recently emergent nodes for migrants from El Paraíso, Honduras and Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua, becoming a destination for contemporary migrant workers only after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This study employs a multi-sited qualitative methodology in order to demonstrate how the interpersonal bonds of transnational migrants develop into networks, influence migratory patterns, and result in place creation.
This article describes experiential-learning approaches to conveying the work and rewards involve... more This article describes experiential-learning approaches to conveying the work and rewards involved in qualitative research. Seminar students interviewed one another, transcribed or took notes on those interviews, shared those materials to create a set of empirical materials for coding, developed coding schemes, and coded the materials using those schemes. Students’ input reveals that these assignments were more effective than readings and discussions in conveying the challenges and rewards of qualitative research. In particular, the coding assignment revealed the labor involved in doing qualitative research, but also the insights qualitative research can lead to. Others are urged to try similar assignments.
Since the 1965 Immigration Act's removal of the national origins quota system there has been a ri... more Since the 1965 Immigration Act's removal of the national origins quota system there has been a rise in immigration to the Unites States from geographic regions such as Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The increasing diversity of immigrant groups continues to prompt new ways of thinking about contemporary migrants' settlement patterns, adjustment to host communities, and identity formation, especially within transnational scholarship. This study explores the identity articulation of transnational Garifuna immigrants from Honduras living in New Orleans. The multiplicity of Garifuna identities gives the Garinagu (the Garifuna people) the flexibility to negotiate and shift their identity between different racial, ethnic, and national categories, such as Garifuna, Black, Hispanic, and Honduran. Drawing on in-depth interviews, focus groups, and participant observation, this research illustrates the important role a receiving community plays in how Garifuna immigrants frame their identity. Scholarly research on the Garifuna community in New York City demonstrates a general identification with a global racial blackness, allowing the Garinagu to participate in a global black culture that embraces Garifuna ethnicity. In New Orleans, however, several factors sway Garifuna immigrants to self-identify with the metropolitan area's Hispanic population and to emphasize their Honduran nationality. Thus, this study underscores the importance of place-specific research that focuses on the daily lives and experiences of contemporary international migrants.
This book (2015) investigates the past and present role of Latinos and Spanish colonists in New ... more This book (2015) investigates the past and present role of Latinos and Spanish colonists in New Orleans, LA. The following link is the companion website to this project: http://sites.google.com/site/nolalatinobook Authors: Andrew Sluyter, Case Watkins, James Chaney, Annie Gibson
Corazón de Dixie is an impressive, ambitious work of scholarship that captures the social history... more Corazón de Dixie is an impressive, ambitious work of scholarship that captures the social history and geography of twentieth century "Mexicano" migration in the U.S. South. It is ideal for those interested in the all-too-often overlooked history of Latino labor migration in southern communities and should serve as a foundation for future studies on Latinos in the so-called “Nuevo” South.
On Monday, President Barrack Obama made a historic visit to Cuba.
Cuba is a fascinating country ... more On Monday, President Barrack Obama made a historic visit to Cuba.
Cuba is a fascinating country as most of it appears to be stuck in the 1950's and 1960's era. Some wonder if that will change as U.S. Citizens are slowly allowed to make travel plans to the country that was once a place where Americans were not allowed to visit unless they were under a special education type visa.
Study groups from MTSU have been to Cuba many times before and Dr. Jim Chaney in Murfreesboro told WGNS that the Art Deco look will likely remain in Cuba when travel is fully opened between America and the foreign country...
While New Orleans is best known for its French culture, a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio progr... more While New Orleans is best known for its French culture, a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio program examines the Hispanic influence on one of America’s most beloved cities.
Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. James Chaney, a lecturer in MTSU’s global studies and cultural geography program, first aired March 7 on WMOT-FM (89.5 and www.wmot.org ).
Intercultural engagement through short-term faculty-led study abroad: A practitioner’s guide with multidisciplinary perspectives from a public university, 2023
Book chapter in Ananth, P., & Lim, S. J. J. (Eds.). (2023). Intercultural engagement through shor... more Book chapter in Ananth, P., & Lim, S. J. J. (Eds.). (2023). Intercultural engagement through short-term faculty-led study abroad: A practitioner’s guide with multidisciplinary perspectives from a public university. MT Open Press, Middle Tennessee State University Press.
The burgeoning Latinx communities in the U.S. South provide rich case studies for examining the i... more The burgeoning Latinx communities in the U.S. South provide rich case studies for examining the identity formation and group consciousness of children of Latin American immigrants. This paper explores the identities and sense of belonging of 1.5-and secondgeneration Latinxs who have come of age in Tennessee, a Southern state that has experienced a surge in immigration from Latin America in recent decades. In-depth interviews with Latinxs who have grown up in Tennessee reveal how these individuals contemplate their identities in relation to questions of belonging to (and within) U.S. society. A shift toward developing a reactive ethnicity is evident as Latinxs convey how perceived interpersonal discrimination coupled with recent national and local anti-immigrant policies drive ethnic group solidarity. These factors influence individual life choices and encourage participation in social and political activism. Such reactions will have long-term ramifications for local Southern societies.
This study investigates the perceptions and experiences of 1.5- and second-generation Latinxs in ... more This study investigates the perceptions and experiences of 1.5- and second-generation Latinxs in the new immigrant destination of Nashville, Tennessee, with regard to the concepts of belonging, identity, and sense of place. Although much research has examined the arrival, integration, and socioeconomic challenges of Nashville’s first-generation immigrants from Latin America, themes concerning the experiences and incorporation of the subsequent generations who have grown up in the metropolitan area have received less scholarly attention. The multitude of issues that arise from identity negotiation, biculturalism, and discrimination are elucidated through twenty-five in-depth interviews with Latinxs. Our findings reveal how this population navigates through and in between the various communities that encompass their lives while simultaneously balancing social inclusion/exclusion, educational and career aspirations, and marginalization by national and state politics.
This research aims to cast scholarly light on the burgeoning Somali community in Nashville, Te... more This research aims to cast scholarly light on the burgeoning Somali community in Nashville, Tennessee, by examining the residential patterns of Somali refugees. Using a mixed-methods approach that includes in-depth interviews, focus groups, and volunteer agencies, this study reveals that Somali refugees face particular barriers that directly influence the residential processes of Nashville’s Somali refugee community. Some of these barriers are rooted in the Somali community’s interpretation of Islam forbidding the provision or acceptance of loans with interest (ribā) from banks and other lenders, leading many Somalis to feel they are unable to participate in common Western banking practices. These types of barriers can limit both homeownership and entrepreneurial endeavors. Such complex cultural factors shaping Somali refugee resettlement challenge the deterministic model of spatial assimilation theory and underscore the need for more nuanced, group-specific research to understand the residential patterns and spatial outcomes of new refugee and immigrant communities in metropolitan areas in the U.S. South. The findings from this study are of value to local policymakers and community-based organizations interested in crafting legislation and establishing services that help Somali refugees better adapt to their host society.
The geographic situation of New Orleans allowed the city to develop lasting ties to the Hispanic ... more The geographic situation of New Orleans allowed the city to develop lasting ties to the Hispanic and Latino cultures south of the U.S. border. Post-Hurricane Katrina has led to both the revival of these historic connections as well as the development of new communities as migrants initially came in response to rebuilding efforts. This article provides a look at the modern ethnoscape in the changing urban landscape of New Orleans.
This paper examines the historical ties between Cuba and
New Orleans. It makes a summary of the economic relationships
between this country and this U. S. city from the 18th
century until the present day. Additionally, potentially
positive effects these ties could have on New Orleans and
Cuba’s culture and economy when US-Cuba relations are
completely normalized in the future are examined as well.
Resumen
Exploración de los lazos históricos entre Cuba y Nueva
Orleáns. Se ofrece un resumen de las conexiones económicas
entre las dos localidades desde el siglo xviii hasta
hoy. Además, se argumentan las repercusiones positivas
que estos vínculos podrían tener en la cultura y la economía
de Nueva Orleáns y Cuba, cuando las relaciones
cubano-estadounidenses se allanaran en el futuro.
This paper examines the understudied, but socially salient significance of transnational social n... more This paper examines the understudied, but socially salient significance of transnational social networks in the establishment of new migrant destinations in the American South. By comparing two independent migrant groups—one originating from Guanajuato, Mexico and the other from Honduras and Nicaragua—this research explores the structure, scope, and social dynamics of transnational relationships linking Latino migrants in emerging receiving communities to a host of sending communities. Building upon the concepts of migrant networks and social capital this multi-sited, in-depth qualitative research with migrants and their families in Latin America reveal the essential role that certain trailblazing agents operating in transnational networks play in creating and maintaining multi-nodal destinations for migrant groups. This approach calls attention to the micro-level social processes, such as gender dynamics, behind shifting migration patterns. Furthermore, these case studies highlight the tactics and assistance that undocumented migrants rely on to arrive to and find employment in receiving communities as well as demonstrate the agency that migrants often possess to move between different destinations in a recipient country. Findings of this research contribute scholarly insight into the migratory practices of Latinos regarding mobility, informal labor recruitment, gender, and social capital.
In the past two decades, Nashville, Tennessee, has emerged as a new destination for Hispanic immi... more In the past two decades, Nashville, Tennessee, has emerged as a new destination for Hispanic immigrants moving into the American South. Many of these newcomers have chosen to reside in the southeast section of the city in neighborhoods adjacent to two main thoroughfares—Nolensville and Murfreesboro Pikes. Residential clustering has fostered the development of various Hispanic-oriented businesses and services throughout southeast Nashville. In this article, I assert that the concentration of Hispanic residents and businesses in southeast Nashville has formed an ethnic enclave. Based on findings collected through an intensive qualitative approach, I argue that the creation of this enclave, complete with Hispanic businesses, organizations, and churches, interferes with the integration of Hispanics into the local community. The results of this study indicate that many Hispanics immigrants (both authorized and unauthorized) choose to operate almost entirely within this enclave which in turn reduces their involvement with members of the host society and slows down the acquisition of the English language. In many cases, this choice is based on language and perceived differences in culture between Hispanics and Anglos; however, interviews and conversations with younger Hispanic immigrants reveal that discriminatory public policies may lead Hispanic immigrants to adopt a strategy of self-segregation as a means of avoiding police harassment.
The multiplicity of Garifuna identity gives the Garínagu the flexibility to negotiate and shift t... more The multiplicity of Garifuna identity gives the Garínagu the flexibility to negotiate and shift their identity between different ethnic, racial, and national categories. Drawing on in-depth interviews, focus groups, and participant observation with Garifuna transmigrants in post-Katrina New Orleans, this research illustrates the important role a receiving community plays in how the Garínagu frame their identity. Scholarly research on the Garifuna community in New York City depicts a general identification with a global racial Blackness. In New Orleans, however, several factors sway Garifuna transmigrants to identify with the metropolitan area's Latino population and emphasize their Honduran nationality. Thus, this study underscores the importance of place-specific research that focuses on the daily lives and experiences of contemporary immigrants.
This paper addresses the little studied but socially salient processes through which Latino migra... more This paper addresses the little studied but socially salient processes through which Latino migrant laborers travel, find work, and establish immigrant destinations using transnational social networks by analyzing and comparing two migrant nodal networks. The findings of this study elucidate that migrant networks are dynamic and often consist of more than one sending and receiving community. The first migrant group examined comprises a Nashville-Atlanta-Guanajuato, Mexico transnational social network. The second migrant group is part of a tri-national network that links New Orleans, Louisiana and Cookeville, Tennessee to El Paraíso, Honduras and Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua. Although independent of each other, the transnational networks of these two migrant groups geographically overlap in the American South, thus providing a basis for juxtaposition, as well as for understanding their spatial, temporal, and social imbrications in both immigrant sending and receiving communities. The networks presented are highly relevant because they are analogous in their structure and function, yet dissimilar in their origins and migratory histories. Nashville and Atlanta are more established nodes connected to Guanajuato, a long-standing source node of migrants to the United States. New Orleans and Cookeville, however, are recently emergent nodes for migrants from El Paraíso, Honduras and Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua, becoming a destination for contemporary migrant workers only after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This study employs a multi-sited qualitative methodology in order to demonstrate how the interpersonal bonds of transnational migrants develop into networks, influence migratory patterns, and result in place creation.
This article describes experiential-learning approaches to conveying the work and rewards involve... more This article describes experiential-learning approaches to conveying the work and rewards involved in qualitative research. Seminar students interviewed one another, transcribed or took notes on those interviews, shared those materials to create a set of empirical materials for coding, developed coding schemes, and coded the materials using those schemes. Students’ input reveals that these assignments were more effective than readings and discussions in conveying the challenges and rewards of qualitative research. In particular, the coding assignment revealed the labor involved in doing qualitative research, but also the insights qualitative research can lead to. Others are urged to try similar assignments.
Since the 1965 Immigration Act's removal of the national origins quota system there has been a ri... more Since the 1965 Immigration Act's removal of the national origins quota system there has been a rise in immigration to the Unites States from geographic regions such as Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The increasing diversity of immigrant groups continues to prompt new ways of thinking about contemporary migrants' settlement patterns, adjustment to host communities, and identity formation, especially within transnational scholarship. This study explores the identity articulation of transnational Garifuna immigrants from Honduras living in New Orleans. The multiplicity of Garifuna identities gives the Garinagu (the Garifuna people) the flexibility to negotiate and shift their identity between different racial, ethnic, and national categories, such as Garifuna, Black, Hispanic, and Honduran. Drawing on in-depth interviews, focus groups, and participant observation, this research illustrates the important role a receiving community plays in how Garifuna immigrants frame their identity. Scholarly research on the Garifuna community in New York City demonstrates a general identification with a global racial blackness, allowing the Garinagu to participate in a global black culture that embraces Garifuna ethnicity. In New Orleans, however, several factors sway Garifuna immigrants to self-identify with the metropolitan area's Hispanic population and to emphasize their Honduran nationality. Thus, this study underscores the importance of place-specific research that focuses on the daily lives and experiences of contemporary international migrants.
This book (2015) investigates the past and present role of Latinos and Spanish colonists in New ... more This book (2015) investigates the past and present role of Latinos and Spanish colonists in New Orleans, LA. The following link is the companion website to this project: http://sites.google.com/site/nolalatinobook Authors: Andrew Sluyter, Case Watkins, James Chaney, Annie Gibson
Corazón de Dixie is an impressive, ambitious work of scholarship that captures the social history... more Corazón de Dixie is an impressive, ambitious work of scholarship that captures the social history and geography of twentieth century "Mexicano" migration in the U.S. South. It is ideal for those interested in the all-too-often overlooked history of Latino labor migration in southern communities and should serve as a foundation for future studies on Latinos in the so-called “Nuevo” South.
On Monday, President Barrack Obama made a historic visit to Cuba.
Cuba is a fascinating country ... more On Monday, President Barrack Obama made a historic visit to Cuba.
Cuba is a fascinating country as most of it appears to be stuck in the 1950's and 1960's era. Some wonder if that will change as U.S. Citizens are slowly allowed to make travel plans to the country that was once a place where Americans were not allowed to visit unless they were under a special education type visa.
Study groups from MTSU have been to Cuba many times before and Dr. Jim Chaney in Murfreesboro told WGNS that the Art Deco look will likely remain in Cuba when travel is fully opened between America and the foreign country...
While New Orleans is best known for its French culture, a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio progr... more While New Orleans is best known for its French culture, a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio program examines the Hispanic influence on one of America’s most beloved cities.
Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. James Chaney, a lecturer in MTSU’s global studies and cultural geography program, first aired March 7 on WMOT-FM (89.5 and www.wmot.org ).
Brigham Young University Communications Department
A rich Central American culture is fast disappearing in the wake of immigration and integration. ... more A rich Central American culture is fast disappearing in the wake of immigration and integration. This film chronicles the challenges and struggles of the Garifuna people to preserve their identity. The story serves as a microcosmic example of the loss of time-honored customs in a world that is increasingly globalizing. This film touches on aspects of transnationalism and identity.
This dissertation addresses the little studied but socially salient processes through which Latin... more This dissertation addresses the little studied but socially salient processes through which Latino migrant laborers find work, travel, and obtain documentation using transnational social networks spanning between their places of origin and destinations in the United States. This project focuses on the creation and maintenance of these transnational linkages with a particular interest in their expansion into locations throughout American South, the region with the highest growth rates of Hispanic populations. The aim is to understand how such migrant-labor processes influence migratory patterns and result in place creation, both in these case studies and more generally.
The case studies in this dissertation are a Nashville-Guanajuato, Mexico transnational social network and a New Orleans-El Paraíso, Honduras-Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua transnational social network. Although independent of each other, the transnational networks of these migrant groups geographically overlap in the American South, thus providing a basis for comparisons and contrasts as well as for understanding their spatial, temporal, and social imbrications in both immigrant sending and receiving communities. The networks presented in this work are highly relevant because they are analogous in their structure and function, yet dissimilar in their origins and migratory histories. Nashville is a more established node connected to Guanajuato, a long-standing source node of migrant workers to the United States. New Orleans, however, is a recently emergent node for immigrants from El Paraíso, Honduras and Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua, becoming a destination for contemporary migrant workers only after Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the city in 2005. Furthermore, compared to Guanajuato, El Paraíso is minor source of migrants to the United States.
I employ a transnational methodology involving extensive qualitative fieldwork in migrant nodes spread across the southern United States, Guanajuato, and the departments of El Paraíso, Honduras and Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua. I call attention to the agency of migrants by underscoring the various strategies and tactics they utilize to be mobile. Likewise, I analyze the interpersonal bonds of transnational migrants and demonstrate how these social linkages are traceable between and among individuals and the locations they inhabit, whether they be dense, sparse, local, or geographically far apart.
The burgeoning Latinx communities in the U.S. South provide rich case studies for examining the i... more The burgeoning Latinx communities in the U.S. South provide rich case studies for examining the identity formation and group consciousness of children of Latin American immigrants. This paper explores the identities and sense of belonging of 1.5- and second-generation Latinxs who have come of age in Tennessee, a Southern state that has experienced a surge in immigration from Latin America in recent decades. In-depth interviews with Latinxs who have grown up in Tennessee reveal how these individuals contemplate their identities in relation to questions of belonging to (and within) U.S. society. A shift towards developing a reactive ethnicity is evident as Latinxs convey how perceived interpersonal discrimination coupled with recent national and local anti-immigrant policies drive ethnic group solidarity. These factors influence individual life choices and encourage participation in social and political activism. Such reactions potentially have long-term ramifications for local Southern societies.
This paper presents the preliminary results of an ongoing study of the various challenges immigra... more This paper presents the preliminary results of an ongoing study of the various challenges immigrant and refugee adolescents face accessing higher education in Rutherford County, a suburban county situated in the Nashville-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN, Metropolitan Statistical Area (Nashville MSA). The Nashville MSA boasts a dynamic, burgeoning refugee and immigrant demographic composition and is home to the state’s largest foreign-born population. Currently, Tennessee ranks 42nd in the U.S. in the number adults with at least an associate’s degree or higher. Consequently, this negatively affects the state’s competitiveness in a global, knowledge-based economy. To increase the percentage of Tennesseans with higher education degrees, the state began offering free attendance in 2015 to Tennessee community colleges for students who graduate high school and meet institutional requirements. Although this policy has made access to higher education attainable to many Tennesseans, immigrant and refugee high school students enrolled in English Language Learner (ELL) programs have been less likely to pursue post-secondary education following graduation. This study explores the obstacles responsible for the low post-secondary degree attainment of Tennessee’s refugee and immigrant population by conducting interviews and focus groups with ELL students and their parents from Rutherford County’s Latino, Arabic-speaking, and Karen communities as well as high school ELL teachers and counselors. The findings of this study elucidate the drastically diverse challenges and perceived barriers ELL students of different ethnicity, nationality, and immigration status contend with regarding the pursuit of higher education in Tennessee. (This paper was presented at the 2018 American Association of Geographers' Annual Meeting in New Orleans)
This paper examines the understudied, but socially salient significance of transnational social n... more This paper examines the understudied, but socially salient significance of transnational social networks in the establishment of new migrant destinations in the American South. By comparing two independent migrant groups—one originating from Guanajuato, Mexico and the other from Honduras and Nicaragua—this research explores the structure, scope, and social dynamics of transnational relationships linking Latino migrants in emerging receiving communities to a host of sending communities. Building upon the concepts of migrant networks and social capital this multi-sited, in-depth qualitative research with migrants and their families in Latin America reveal the essential role that certain trailblazing agents operating in transnational networks play in creating and maintaining multi-nodal destinations for migrant groups. This approach calls attention to the micro-level social processes, such as gender dynamics, behind shifting migration patterns. Furthermore, these case studies highlight the tactics and assistance that undocumented migrants rely on to arrive to and find employment in receiving communities as well as demonstrate the agency that migrants often possess to move between different destinations in a recipient country. Findings of this research contribute scholarly insight into the migratory practices of Latinos regarding mobility, informal labor recruitment, and social capital.
Over the past three decades the American South has emerged as a region of interest in migration s... more Over the past three decades the American South has emerged as a region of interest in migration scholarship. Much of the attention, however, has been directed towards Latino immigration; thus, overlooking the diversity of immigrant and refugee groups creating vibrant communities in southern cities. This study aims to cast scholarly light on the burgeoning Somali refugee community in Nashville, Tennessee. The city became a destination for Somalis in 1996 and shortly after developed into an important node in a network of Somali communities located in several U.S. metropolitan areas. Using a mixed-methods approach that includes in-depth interviews and focus groups, this research explores the geographies of Somali settlement in the greater Nashville region. Findings reveal that although charitable organizations, such as Catholic Charities, initially provide housing for arriving refugees, Somali families and individuals quickly relocate to either one particular neighborhood in the city or to the small city of Shelbyville, Tennessee situated just outside the Nashville MSA. The dynamics behind these patterns of ethnic clustering and relocation are rooted in both sociocultural and economic factors. Interviews illuminate the role that race, religion, and gender as well as tribal traditions and identities play in how Somalis settle in and integrate into a southern host society. Accordingly, this study contributes to the literature on the growing diversity of immigrants in the contemporary American South by analyzing how the sociocultural background of African refugees can influences residential and employment patterns in resettlement communities.
This guide offers supplemental research support for the GEOG 3420 / PS 4850 course, Latin America... more This guide offers supplemental research support for the GEOG 3420 / PS 4850 course, Latin America in the 21st Century: Challenges & New Opportunities, taught by Dr. Chaney and Dr. Morris. The purpose of this guide is to provide a variety of resources representing both facts and differing viewpoints surrounding the U.S. trade embargo / blockade of Cuba.
This course will provide a survey of contemporary Europe with an emphasis on local, national, and... more This course will provide a survey of contemporary Europe with an emphasis on local, national, and supranational sociocultural phenomena, geographies, institutions, policies, and economics. We will chronologically examine Europe’s past and present roles in globalization through general themes, such as colonization, commerce, sociopolitical philosophies, cold war politics, and the formation of the European Union. This course will utilize current theoretical to help students critically engage with key issues and conflicts in Europe that relate to different ideas and concepts about territory, identity, security, governance, commerce, migration, and natural resources and environmental sustainability. A geographical analysis of land and cityscapes will be a reoccurring exercise in order to help students gain a fundamental understanding of the basic geographic commonalities and divisions (both physical and human) that bind the region, yet simultaneously complicate its integration. Russia and former Soviet Union counties that lie east of the Ural Mountains (e.g., The Ukraine, Belarus) as well as Turkey will be included at times in this course’s interpretation of Europe as a region. Course components will include lectures, readings, discussions, films, and possibly a field trip to Nashville.
This research guide was created for Dr. Chaney's GEOG 4360 courses, specifically to support the c... more This research guide was created for Dr. Chaney's GEOG 4360 courses, specifically to support the contemporary immigrant groups assignment. It includes suggestions for background research, finding scholarly articles [tabs at the top of the guide], and a few credible websites.
This course will provide a thorough discussion on domestic and global human trafficking from bot... more This course will provide a thorough discussion on domestic and global human trafficking from both a geographical and theoretical based lens. Mounting global-local inequalities in contemporary societies exacerbate processes of exclusion, coercion, and oppression. Students will explore these processes through scholarly material, fieldwork, and discussions of the similarities and differences between contemporary and historical human trafficking. This approach will enable students to analyze why and how human trafficking is so prevalent today and debate issues of prevention and global responsibility.
https://library.mtsu.edu/GS4000-MALA6040
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This paper examines the historical ties between Cuba and
New Orleans. It makes a summary of the economic relationships
between this country and this U. S. city from the 18th
century until the present day. Additionally, potentially
positive effects these ties could have on New Orleans and
Cuba’s culture and economy when US-Cuba relations are
completely normalized in the future are examined as well.
Resumen
Exploración de los lazos históricos entre Cuba y Nueva
Orleáns. Se ofrece un resumen de las conexiones económicas
entre las dos localidades desde el siglo xviii hasta
hoy. Además, se argumentan las repercusiones positivas
que estos vínculos podrían tener en la cultura y la economía
de Nueva Orleáns y Cuba, cuando las relaciones
cubano-estadounidenses se allanaran en el futuro.
Authors: Andrew Sluyter, Case Watkins, James Chaney, Annie Gibson
migration in southern communities and should serve as a foundation for future studies on Latinos in the so-called “Nuevo” South.
Cuba is a fascinating country as most of it appears to be stuck in the 1950's and 1960's era. Some wonder if that will change as U.S. Citizens are slowly allowed to make travel plans to the country that was once a place where Americans were not allowed to visit unless they were under a special education type visa.
Study groups from MTSU have been to Cuba many times before and Dr. Jim Chaney in Murfreesboro told WGNS that the Art Deco look will likely remain in Cuba when travel is fully opened between America and the foreign country...
Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. James Chaney, a lecturer in MTSU’s global studies and cultural geography program, first aired March 7 on WMOT-FM (89.5 and www.wmot.org ).
This paper examines the historical ties between Cuba and
New Orleans. It makes a summary of the economic relationships
between this country and this U. S. city from the 18th
century until the present day. Additionally, potentially
positive effects these ties could have on New Orleans and
Cuba’s culture and economy when US-Cuba relations are
completely normalized in the future are examined as well.
Resumen
Exploración de los lazos históricos entre Cuba y Nueva
Orleáns. Se ofrece un resumen de las conexiones económicas
entre las dos localidades desde el siglo xviii hasta
hoy. Además, se argumentan las repercusiones positivas
que estos vínculos podrían tener en la cultura y la economía
de Nueva Orleáns y Cuba, cuando las relaciones
cubano-estadounidenses se allanaran en el futuro.
Authors: Andrew Sluyter, Case Watkins, James Chaney, Annie Gibson
migration in southern communities and should serve as a foundation for future studies on Latinos in the so-called “Nuevo” South.
Cuba is a fascinating country as most of it appears to be stuck in the 1950's and 1960's era. Some wonder if that will change as U.S. Citizens are slowly allowed to make travel plans to the country that was once a place where Americans were not allowed to visit unless they were under a special education type visa.
Study groups from MTSU have been to Cuba many times before and Dr. Jim Chaney in Murfreesboro told WGNS that the Art Deco look will likely remain in Cuba when travel is fully opened between America and the foreign country...
Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. James Chaney, a lecturer in MTSU’s global studies and cultural geography program, first aired March 7 on WMOT-FM (89.5 and www.wmot.org ).
The case studies in this dissertation are a Nashville-Guanajuato, Mexico transnational social network and a New Orleans-El Paraíso, Honduras-Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua transnational social network. Although independent of each other, the transnational networks of these migrant groups geographically overlap in the American South, thus providing a basis for comparisons and contrasts as well as for understanding their spatial, temporal, and social imbrications in both immigrant sending and receiving communities. The networks presented in this work are highly relevant because they are analogous in their structure and function, yet dissimilar in their origins and migratory histories. Nashville is a more established node connected to Guanajuato, a long-standing source node of migrant workers to the United States. New Orleans, however, is a recently emergent node for immigrants from El Paraíso, Honduras and Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua, becoming a destination for contemporary migrant workers only after Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the city in 2005. Furthermore, compared to Guanajuato, El Paraíso is minor source of migrants to the United States.
I employ a transnational methodology involving extensive qualitative fieldwork in migrant nodes spread across the southern United States, Guanajuato, and the departments of El Paraíso, Honduras and Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua. I call attention to the agency of migrants by underscoring the various strategies and tactics they utilize to be mobile. Likewise, I analyze the interpersonal bonds of transnational migrants and demonstrate how these social linkages are traceable between and among individuals and the locations they inhabit, whether they be dense, sparse, local, or geographically far apart.
http://libraryguides.mtsu.edu/c.php?g=544289&p=3730837
https://library.mtsu.edu/GS4000-MALA6040