EXPLORING THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF UNDOCUMENTED LGBTQ LATINO PERSONS AKA UNDOCUQUEER LATINOS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY A THESIS Presented to the School of Social Work California State University, Long Beach In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Social Work Committee Members: Thomas Alex Washington, Ph.D. (Chair) Jo Brocato, Ph.D. Eileen Mayers Pasztor, D.S.W. College Designee: Nancy Meyer-Adams, Ph.D. By Cristina Chavez Duarte B.A., 2015, California State University, Long Beach May 2016 ProQuest Number: 10102599 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ProQuest 10102599 Published by ProQuest LLC (2016). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 ABSTRACT EXPLORING THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF UNDOCUMENTED LGBTQ LATINO PERSONS, AKA UNDOCUQUEER LATINOS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY By Cristina Chavez Duarte May 2016 The focus of this qualitative study was to explore the intersectionalities of the different identities of an undocumented LGBTQ Latino. The study explored the narratives of seven UndocuQueer Latinos from Los Angeles County using face-to-face interviews. The aim was to dissect the identities of holding an undocumented status, their LGBTQ identity, and how they intersect with one another. Grounded Theory Approach was used to analyze the data. Participants reported experiences of conflicting values, onset of internal homophobia, feelings of identity-based pride, and stressors behind the impact of policies such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the Marriage Equality Act. Each participant reported valuing education and civic engagement and is either pursuing a higher education or has received a bachelor’s degree. Although not a required criteria in order to participate in the study, participants developed a sense of autonomy and were highly engaged in their diverse communities and educating others about their multiple identities. ii AKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost I would like to thank my family: Mami, Papi, Jaime, Jesus, and Santos for their unconditional love and support towards accomplishing a great feat in my development as a professional and as a person. Due to my parents’ hard work and determination in accomplishing the American Dream, I quote Julio Salgado, “My parents are courageous and responsible, that’s why I am here.” Thank you for sacrificing so much in giving me the opportunities you never had. Esto está dedicado a ustedes, son mi orgullo y los quiero mucho! This is also dedicated to the seven brave and inspirational participants who agreed to participate in this study. I am humbled and blessed in having the opportunity to hear your stories and I only hope to give justice to your words. I want to also thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Thomas Alex Washington for his endless support and feedback and for unknowingly assuring me when I was questioning myself multiple times. Thank you to the committee members as well for their helpful comments and instruction. Lastly, this study could not have been possible without the support and motivation from my peers, friends, and social networks that shared my flyers and told their friends about my study (especially you Richard Borjas). Thank you to my supervisor and practicum colleagues at Star View Community Services for all the support and motivation you all gave me to continue pushing. Si se pudo! iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................ iii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ v 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 2. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................. 6 3. METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................... 19 4. RESULTS ......................................................................................................................... 23 5. DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................... 48 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................. 54 A. ORAL SCRIPT ................................................................................................................ 55 B. INFORMED CONSENT FORM ...................................................................................... 58 C. INTERVIEW GUIDE AND DEMONGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRE .......................... 68 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 75 iv LIST OF TABLES 1. Demographic Characteristics ........................................................................................ 24 v CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION There are approximately 11.3 million undocumented immigrants in the United States being affected by immigration reform (Gates, 2013). According to Gates (2013), undocumented immigrants who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer or questioning (LGBTQ) are being affected as well. It is estimated that there are 904,000 LGBTQ adult immigrants in the United States today. Thirty percent of these individuals or approximately 267,000 are also undocumented LGBTQ adults. Of these undocumented LGBTQ adults, 71% are Hispanic or Latino (Gates, 2013). However, due to the fear of marginalization associated with coming out as undocumented and/or LGBTQ within the Latino/Hispanic culture and within the main stream American culture, the numbers are estimated to be a lot higher. Being part of two already marginalized communities plus being an ethnic minority makes undocumented LGBTQ Latino individuals a much more vulnerable population than being either LGBTQ, or holding an undocumented status, alone. Coming out is the process of publically identifying as LGBTQ and, for many individuals, this includes accepting internally their own sexuality (Fedders, 2006). LGBTQ individuals face the burden of being discriminated against and oftentimes rejected by their families and social communities (Fedders, 2006). Similarly, individuals who hold an undocumented status within the United States face barriers and risk when coming out and proclaiming their undocumented status as part of their identity. More and more LGBTQ undocumented persons are coming out not only once but two times, embracing their identities and immigration status in order to tell the universal truth about immigrant experiences in this country (Vargas, 2011). Undocumented 1 LGBTQ persons under this characteristic have begun to identify under the term “UndocuQueer,” representing the intersection of being both undocumented and queer (Lal, 2013). The term UndocuQueer was devised by the National Immigrant Youth Alliance (NIYA) as a political identity. The movement of immigrant youth coming out as undocumented, unafraid, and unapologetic, came about as a project founded by artist and activist Julio Salgado in 2012. The project’s aim was to help better understand the experiences of UndocuQueer individuals and take part in the immigrant’s rights movement (Lal, 2013). For many Latino UndocuQueer individuals, the experiences of coming out not only once, but twice, as LGBTQ and being undocumented in relation to their cultural background, is an even greater feat. As a member of a culture that is centered on the traditional values and gender roles, Latino individuals who come out as LGBTQ to their families are often times more at a disadvantage in the U.S. society being undocumented. As two major parts of their identities, UndocuQueer Latinos have taken a major part in the fighting for immigrant rights and LGBTQ rights due to the intersectionality of being part of two marginalized groups. Statement of Purpose Given the marginalization of both the LGBTQ community and undocumented status, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of undocumented LGBTQ Latino individuals who also politically identify as UndocuQueer. The following objectives will focus more in detail dissecting the three areas of an UndocuQueer Latino’s identity and their individual experiences: 1. Explore the experiences of being an undocumented Latino in the United States. 2. Explore the experiences of being an LGBTQ individual in the United States. 2 3. Explore the overarching experiences with the intersections of identifying as both an undocumented immigrant and LGBTQ Latino or UndocuQueer Latinos. The results from this study are expected to provide better knowledge on the experiences and struggles of a marginalized group that is essentially a double minority in the United States of America. The results will also contribute to the research on UndocuQueer individuals, their experiences and struggles. The full intention of this study is to bring awareness to a double marginalized community within the United States and promote the opportunity for program development and policy changes that affect hundreds of thousands of individuals in the country. This study may also contribute to a better understanding of the impact of polices that specifically affect UndocuQueer Latinos and may inform trainings for social workers and other professionals who work with UndocuQueer individuals. Definitions of Terms Intersection- Refers to the interconnection of different social categorizations such as race, class, and gender that is applied to a given individual or group. In this study, the connection between being a Latino, holding an undocumented status, and identifying as LGBTQ will all be observed. LGBTQ- Words or acronyms commonly used in American English for LGBT issues. This acronym refers to individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning. There are additional identities as well such as asexual, ally, pansexual, and many more, however this study will utilize LGBTQ to refer to the population studied as described above. Latino and Hispanic- Anyone who identifies as coming from a Latin American country as stated in the 1976 law for data collection by the U.S Congress, tracing their origin or descent 3 from countries such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South America, and other Spanish-speaking countries (Passel & Taylor, 2009) Undocumented immigrant- Identifies a foreign born individual who entered the United States without proper inspection and subsequently did not obtain any right to remain in the United States or overstayed beyond the expiration date of a visa or other status (Nolo, 2015). Undocumented immigrants have also been referred to as “unauthorized immigrants,” “illegal immigrants” and “illegal aliens,” negative connotations that illustrate the lack of support towards individuals who are under this characteristic. The stigma behind being undocumented in the United States is deeply rooted by the negative ideas that undocumented individuals are criminals and do not deserve to be given their human rights or be provided with their basic human needs. UndocuQueer is a relatively new term used by persons who identify as LGBT and hold an undocumented status in order to bring awareness to the intersection of being part of two different marginalized communities. UndocuQueer is known to be used among activists who identify as both and therefore is known as a new political identity. Other terms that can also be used to identify undocumented LGBT individuals are “LGBT immigrant,” or the former. For the purpose of this research, UndocuQueer will be the term used. Multicultural Relevance As one of the fastest growing populations in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013), Latino immigrants have been subjected through media, political, and social ideology as an undeserving population (Gonzalez , Suárez-Orozco, & Dedios-Sanguineti, 2013). When adding the characteristics of LGBTQ and an undocumented status, this already vulnerable population has limited resources and support. UndocuQueer individuals encounter the simultaneous impact of being a triple minority by being an ethnic minority, a sexual minority, and holding an 4