Kitty Calavita onderzoekt de wisselwerking tussen politieke, ideologische en economische factoren bij de implementatie van immigratiewetgeving en de behandeling van white-collar crime. Haar werk onthult wat deze dynamieken ons vertellen over machtsverhoudingen en staatsprocessen. Ze onderzoekt de dagelijkse dilemma's van immigratie-inspecteurs en tegenstrijdige aannames over ras, klasse en identiteit. Haar onderzoek verkent ook de implementatie van immigratiebeleid in Italië en Spanje.
Exploring the conflict between immigrants' legal status and the government's push for integration, this book delves into the complexities faced by immigrants navigating societal expectations and legal frameworks. It highlights the challenges and contradictions inherent in policies that seek to unify diverse populations while simultaneously imposing restrictive legal barriers. Through insightful analysis, the author sheds light on the broader implications for social cohesion and identity within immigrant communities.
Documents the internal decision-making processes of the US Immigration and Naturalisation Service - one of the federal government's most secretive agencies and one with huge discretionary powers. This work aims to analyze the links between abstract theories and real-life political institutions.
Reagan's 1986 immigration reform law presented a mix of contradictory measures: while sanctions limited the employment of undocumented workers, other programs increased labor supply. This theme of contradictions and unmet goals persists in today's immigration law. By examining a century of U.S. immigration legislation—from early industrialization to the quota system—Calavita highlights the hypocrisy, subtext, and racism surrounding the influx of European labor. In the Second Edition, the author provides a materialist theory of the state to explain the inconsistent policies that both encouraged and sought to control immigration. A new 2020 Preface contextualizes the historical record within contemporary discussions, particularly in light of the portrayal of immigrants as violent criminals. Susan Bibler Coutin's Foreword emphasizes the relevance of Calavita's analysis to current immigration debates, noting that throughout much of U.S. history, officials actively recruited immigrants despite public calls for restrictions. The motivations were not rooted in social justice or human rights but aimed at economic expansion, wage suppression, and countering unionization. This work is accessible to both new students and established scholars, with a rich documentary record illuminating how current dynamics were established.
