Candidate emergence in times of threatening rhetoric: a critical race analysis of the lived experiences of women of immigrant origin

Abstract

Historical patterns of the intersecting systems of oppression of women have been woven into the U.S. social fabric. For decades, the manifestation of those patterns have also been present in both the feminist and anti-racism movements. Women of Color have often been left without the representation of their intersectional needs and have been denied the recognition of their work in both movements. Women of immigrant origin have also been rendered invisible throughout history, but their involvement in community-based organizations has created increasing opportunities for them to claim their political voice; this has been no easy feat given the obstacles they continue to face due to their immigrant, gendered, and racial/ethnic identities. Nevertheless, women of immigrant origin have taken the reins to find solutions to the troubling political environment their communities have faced following the candidacy and Presidency of President Trump. Past studies have focused on the motivation of specific groups such as women or immigrants in running for political office, but there is a lack of research concentrating directly on women who migrated to the United States or daughters of immigrants to the U.S. In particular, few have examined candidate emergence of women while applying an intersectional analytical lens. Building on prior research which has mostly taken a quantitative analysis through large scale surveys, this study focuses on a qualitative methodology in analyzing women’s narratives to help fill in the gaps of understanding how immigration experiences, race/ethnicity, and gender are at play for women of immigrant origin as they emerge as political candidates. Taking a closer look at women of immigrant origin living in the Northwest U.S. state of Oregon, this thesis will analyze the following research question: In the post-2016 era, what are the narratives of women of immigrant origin as they emerged as political candidates in the United States? Sub-questions include: 1.) What are the discourses of immigrant, racial/ethnic, and gendered experiences of women in the United States that have marked their lives? and 2.) What are the immigrant, racial/ethnic and gendered discourses behind women’s motivation to run for elected political office post-2016? Through in-person qualitative interviews, findings reveal how immigrant history, race/ethnicity, and gender drive motivations to run for political office during times when political rhetoric targets candidates’ identity groups. In the post-2016 political environment, in which racial discrimination, xenophobic rhetoric, and threats to women’s rights were pervasive, women of immigrant origin believed that the cost of not running for office outweighed the race-, immigrant- and gender-based obstacles to attaining office. This dissertation is taking up the call to give voice to a small but growing elected group of leaders who are defying the odds of winning their elected seats. It challenges readers to reexamine the candidate emergence process in the United States by evaluating the immigrant experience within an intersectional framework. Thus, incorporating an intersectional analysis will reveal a broader understanding of the candidate emergence process for women of immigrant origin.