Leila Rodriguez | University of Cincinnati (original) (raw)

Papers by Leila Rodriguez

Research in Economic Anthropology, 2016

This chapter highlights the agency of Nigerian immigrant business owners in constructing their bu... more This chapter highlights the agency of Nigerian immigrant business owners in constructing their business-related social networks. Literature on immigrant business owners emphasizes their social network embeddedness as a key explanatory factor in their economic integration. I show here ways in which members of one immigrant group purposely shape these networks into the most advantageous form: impersonal/socially distant suppliers, personal/socially close employees, and impersonal/socially distant customers. Methodology/approach À Data for the chapter come from 36 semistruc-tured qualitative interviews conducted in New York City with Nigerian small business owners and participant observation in their businesses.

Latin American Perspectives, 2018

Salaried domestic labor in private homes in Latin America is informal, precarious, and exploitati... more Salaried domestic labor in private homes in Latin America is informal, precarious, and exploitative, but for thousands of women who have no other options it is their occupation and the sustenance of their families. The results of a study based on 400 surveys of paid domestic workers in Guayaquil, Ecuador, about social protection and labor rights show that workers possess a high level of knowledge about their labor rights but the majority do not belong to the social security system and many do not enjoy any of the benefits guaranteed them by law. Understanding the situation and experiences of these workers is a precondition for creating strategies to recognize the importance of their work and to guarantee their labor rights. En América Latina, el trabajo remunerado en casas privadas es informal, precario, y explotador; para miles de mujeres que no tienen otras opciones, es su ocupación y el sus-tento de su familia. Los resultados de un estudio basado en 400 encuestas de la protección social y derechos laborales de las mujeres trabajadoras remuneradas del hogar de Guayaquil, Ecuador, demuestran un alto nivel de conocimiento de los derechos laborales entre las trabajadoras. Sin embargo, la mayoría de las participantes no estaba afiliada al sistema de seguro social, y muchas no gozaban de ninguno de los beneficios garantizados por la ley. Entender la situación y las experiencias de las trabajadoras del hogar es necesario para crear estrategias que reconozcan la importancia de la reproducción social y defiendan los derechos laborales.

Studies in Law, Politics and Society, 2018

In the United States, much of our social life is shaped by how we address and manage cultural dif... more In the United States, much of our social life is shaped by how we address and manage cultural difference. Perhaps nowhere is the management of multi-culturalism more important than in legal proceedings. While there are many ways in which cultural accommodations are made at trials (e.g., see Berk-Seligson, 2002, regarding the use of interpreters during judicial proceedings), this special issue is concerned with just one: the use of cultural expert testimony as evidence in legal conflicts that invoke cultural difference. The articles in this issue address six aspects of its implementation which must be resolved to improve its efficacy: knowing the role of expert testimony in a cultural defense, reconciling the job of expert witness with other professional roles, relating to defendants vs. informants, employing legal concepts that have little anthropological acceptance, producing testimony in changing historical and political contexts, and helping judges understand culture.

Revista Uruguaya de Antropología y Etnografía, 2017

Los peritajes cultural-antropológicos son pruebas judiciales en el marco de un conflicto legal. F... more Los peritajes cultural-antropológicos son pruebas judiciales en el marco de un conflicto legal. Forman un importante recurso disponible en muchos países latinoamericanos para garantizar mejor acceso a la justicia a poblaciones minoritarias. Este artículo recopila la información dis-cutida en un taller internacional de antropólogos culturales que fungen como peritos culturales o investigan el tema. En primera instancia, se reseñan los marcos legales de cada país que permiten la realización de los peritajes cultural-antropológicos. Seguidamente, señala la diversidad de casos y poblaciones para las cuales se han solicitados estos peritajes. Terceramente, se hace una comparación de la producción, circulación y uso de los peritajes. Por último se consideran algunas tendencias comunes de los peritajes cultural-antropológicos en la región, y se hacen algunas recomendaciones para maximizar el uso de esta herramienta legal.

Revista Centroamericana De Ciencias Sociales, 2008

Center For Comparative Immigration Studies, Aug 1, 2004

In this paper, we investigate the ways in which migrant households in rural Oaxaca, Mexico use re... more In this paper, we investigate the ways in which migrant households in rural Oaxaca, Mexico use remittances. We use data from a survey and ethnographic research in 12 rural communities in the central valleys of the state to examine three investment strategies: those made in the local (village) commercial economy, those made in the agricultural/dairy sector, and those made in Oaxaca's tourism industry. In our discussion, we examine the challenges that surround such local efforts and ask whether such patterns increase dependency, or create opportunities. Finally, we ask, can the investment of remittances mitigate future migration?

Practicing Anthropology, 2014

Applying Respondent Driven Sampling to Migrant Populations, 2014

ABSTRACT Respondent Driven Sampling is an innovative sampling method that utilizes social network... more ABSTRACT Respondent Driven Sampling is an innovative sampling method that utilizes social networks to identify, survey and provide representative estimates of hard-to-reach populations. Most widely used in public health research of HIV high risk populations, RDS has, in recent years, expanded into other fields, including migration research. While the methodology in many ways is well suited for studying migrants, there are a number of unique challenges when applying this method to this population. This book provides a thorough introduction to the theoretical and practical aspects of RDS methodology by drawing upon the experiences of experts in the field as well as pioneers that have applied RDS methodology to migrant populations. The book consists of seven substantive chapters covering the various phases of survey planning, implementation and analysis. Examples from surveys already conducted among migrant populations are used to illustrate the key opportunities and challenges faced when using RDS in this population. Overall, this book is an essential tool for those interested in exploring the use of RDS to sample and analyse data from migrant populations.

Social Science Quarterly, 2006

Objective. This study examines how racial/ethnic self-identity interrelates with language ability... more Objective. This study examines how racial/ethnic self-identity interrelates with language ability, skin tone, and years in the United States and with indicators of socioeconomic attainment for Dominican immigrants in Reading, Pennsylvania, a new destination city that had a nearly 800 percent increase in the Dominican population between 1990-2000. Methods. In-depth ethno-surveys conducted with a sample of 65 Dominican-origin adults are the basis for the descriptive analysis. Results. Based on open-ended responses, nearly 43 percent of immigrants described themselves with a specific ethnic identifier (Dominican) and 41 percent use a more general panethnic identifier (Hispanic or Latino). Panethnic self-identity is interrelated with stronger language ability, lighter skin tone, and more years in the United States, and with better indicators of socioeconomic status. Conclusion. Race/ethnic identity is an important component of Dominican immigrant assimilation in this new destination context.

Population, Space and Place, 2005

International Migration, 2005

In this paper, we examine the role that social networks have played in the migration and settleme... more In this paper, we examine the role that social networks have played in the migration and settlement of Russian and other former Soviet immigrants to Costa Rica. This group of immigrants is of particular interest in that it is an example of migration from a former communist nation to a Third World country, not to the first world (Europe or the United States). Furthermore, a group of Soviet women who married Costa Rican men beginning in the late 1970s set this migration in motion. The objective of our research was to examine the structure and meaning of these immigrants' social networks, and the role that they play in the migration process and during settlement. The findings suggest there is a significant difference in the form and function of the social networks of those immigrants who arrived prior to 1991 (during the Soviet era), and those who came post-1991 and following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

International Migration, 2008

In this paper, we examine the gendered nature of international and internal migration that origin... more In this paper, we examine the gendered nature of international and internal migration that originates in the central valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. Our goals are to define migration patterns and outcomes for Oaxacan women from the central valleys region and note the differences that mark migrant men and women. We use ethnographic data from anthropological research in 12 of Oaxaca's central valley communities to argue that local concepts of what defines correct behaviour (for both men and women) are critical to the outcomes and the differences that exist in the practices of migrant men and women.

This article is based on a descriptive research project about the perception that residents of a ... more This article is based on a descriptive research project about the perception that residents of a rural Costa Rican town have about the effects of international migration on their community. Specifically , it examines the moral economy – the moral evaluation that current community members make in the face of the socioeconomic changes that emigration brings about. Based on qualitative interviews with non-migrants and return migrants, the results show that the most widely accepted migratory pattern is temporary, short-term, and that generates remittances that are invested in productive activities in the community. I conclude that the moral economy developed reproduces the idealized script of an egalitarian rural community reproduced by the traditional family.

Africans represent a small but rapidly growing immigrant population in the United States. Nigeria... more Africans represent a small but rapidly growing immigrant population in the United States. Nigerians, who constitute the largest group, form a well-organized community with numerous ethnic, hometown and social associations. Through some of these organizations, many Nigerians have successfully intervened in the economic and social development and the political processes of their hometowns. Their political involvement in the U.S. is less. In this article I use quantitative and qualitative data to analyze the motivations that Nigerian immigrants have for political involvement in Nigeria or the U.S., the means that enable this participation, and the constraints to participating. Findings suggest the importance of gender, class and acculturation for shaping political participation.