Bordered Identities: Class, Ethnicity and Trans-National Social Networks
(University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
The performance, production, and reproduction of class and ethnic identities are integrated cultural processes that influence and are influenced by transnational social practices. Theories of transnationalism, border studies, and assimilation have failed to adequately address how Mexican American identities are negotiated and expressed at the intersection of class, ethnicity, and transnational social networks. My paper will discuss the importance of looking at these intersections by illustrating how middle-class second generation Mexican Americans in Las Vegas, Nevada shape their identities. Through case studies composed from interviews, social network analysis, and participant observations, this presentation will address a gap in the literature on middle-class second generation Mexican Americans and present a method for exploring the symbiotic relationship between identity and social practices.