Pérez conducted research on inequality in America through interviews and analysis of personal experiences. Her background both helps provide insight as someone who has experienced migration, but could also hinder objective analysis. Traditional immigration studies look at one-way movement, while transnational migration accounts for ongoing connections between places. Puerto Rico is interesting to study as migration is ongoing but it is a territory of the US, not an entirely separate nation. Beyond people, ideas and culture circulate through networks of migrants, driven by factors like family relationships and social ties. A gendered reading of Puerto Rican migration examines how gender influences migration experiences, as Maharawal also analyzed for other contexts. Fully understanding migration requires examining gender as well as other social factors

1. Gina Pérez -
Ch.1
Inequality in America
Friday, 1/27/12

2. Methods
How did Pérez conduct her research? What do
you think might be the strengths of her
approach?
In what ways does her personal background
both help and hinder her research?

3. Migration Studies
What is the traditional account of immigration
and how does looking at "transnationl
migration" differ?
What makes Puerto Rico an especially
interesting case to study?
What kinds of things are circulating, besides
just people, in this story? What drives these
circulations? What would Mata say?

4. Gendered Analysis
What does a "gendered reading of Puerto
Rican migration" mean?
How is this related to Maharawal's analysis?
And what social factors, in addition to gender,
are necessary for understanding migration
circuits and experiences?