Researcher ORCID Identifier

0009-0001-2180-4732

Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Sociology

Reader 1

Denise Ambriz

Reader 2

Tessie Prakas

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Rights Information

2025 Elena R Trajano

Abstract

Extensive sociological scholarship examines U.S. immigration and integration frameworks with a predominant focus on Latin American populations, yet less is known about how Filipino Americans fit, or rather diverge, from these models. This study explores second and third generation Filipino Americans’ notions of legal and cultural citizenship and their experiences with integration in U.S. society. Through a semi-structured interview process conducted in March and April 2025, I examined participants’ reflections on family immigration histories, sense of belonging, and perceptions of prevailing immigration narratives. Findings reveal that existing literature supports many Filipino American experiences, particularly regarding tension between ethnic identity and U.S. integration, and the grief associated with the loss of cultural markers. Participants also express a distinct awareness of the racialized targeting of Latin American immigrants in public attitudes and federal policy. Notably, second generation respondents report challenging their naturalized first generation parents’ conservative attitudes toward Latin American immigration, advocating for expanded protection and naturalization opportunity for immigrants over restriction. This research, alongside the limited immigration scholarship on the Filipino diaspora, demystifies how Filipino Americans are positioned in relation to dominant, Latin American-focused narratives of citizenship and integration.

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