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The Borders of Privilege

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Because whiteness is not a given for Brazilians in the U.S., some immigrants actively construct it as a protective mechanism against the stigma normally associated with illegality. In The Borders o...
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  • 07 January 2025
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Because whiteness is not a given for Brazilians in the U.S., some immigrants actively construct it as a protective mechanism against the stigma normally associated with illegality. In The Borders of Privilege, Kara Cebulko tells the stories of a group of 1.5-generation Brazilians to show how their ability to be perceived as white—their power without papers—shapes their everyday interactions. By strategically creating boundaries with other racialized groups, these immigrants navigate life-course rituals like college, work, and marriage without legal documentation. Few identify as white in the U.S., even as they benefit from the privileges of whiteness. The legal exclusion they feel as undocumented immigrants from Latin America makes them feel a world apart from their white citizen peers. However, their constructed whiteness benefits them when it comes to interactions with law enforcement and professional advancement, challenging narratives that frame legality as a "master-status." Understanding these experiences requires us to explore interlocking systems of power, including white supremacy and capitalism, as well as global histories of domination. Cebulko traces the experiences of her interviewees across various stages of life, applying a "power without paper" lens, and making the case for integrating this perspective into future scholarship, collective broad-based movements for social justice, and public policy.

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Price: $28.00
Pages: 250
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Imprint: Stanford University Press
Series: Articulations: Studies in Race, Immigration, and Capitalism
Publication Date: 07 January 2025
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9781503641532
Format: Paperback
BISACs:

"Merging sophisticated theory with compelling storytelling, The Borders of Privilege vividly illustrates how young Brazilian immigrants strategically emphasize race, class, and nationality to navigate an ever-expanding landscape of immigration exclusion. Kara Cebulko's impeccably researched and incredibly insightful analysis is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersections of immigration, illegality and race." —Alexis Silver, Purchase College, State University of New York
Kara B. Cebulko is Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Providence College. She is the author of Documented, Undocumented and Something Else (2013).
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Deportability: Navigating Power Without Papers in Everyday Interactions
2. Transitions Out of High School: Navigating Higher Education and Work
3. Love Lives: Romance and Marriage
4. Sense of Belonging: American and Ethno-Racial Identities
Conclusion
Appendix: Reflections on Methodology
Notes
References
Index