| This thesis describes the process of immigrants' naturalization via a powerful state institution, the U.S. military. It reveals how the immigrant soldiers participating in this study underwent the process of naturalization using diverse practices of both integration/assimilation and resistance. The study presents the life stories of three immigrants soldiers: Lily, an immigrant from Romania who serves in the Air Force; Alexa, an immigrant from Paraguay, who is an Army veteran; and Vinod, an Indian immigrant serving in the Army's active duty forces. Each life story shows why the participant in question joined the U.S. military, and to what extent did she/he became a full member of the military and host society. This study empowers us to understand the naturalization process from within, through the lived experiences of the immigrant soldiers who participated in this research.;My work relies on several qualitative/interpretative methods: life stories, theoretical and historical analysis, ethnography and participant observation. As a result of this methodological approach, I unearthed three distinct discoveries. First, contrary to intuition, the three immigrant soldiers did not simply integrate or assimilate. They engaged in various seemingly contradictory practices of integration/assimilation and resistance in order to find a place for themselves in the host country. Second, the participants joined the American armed forces to obtain recognition of their identity and to access economic resources. Third, the contemporary institution of the U.S. military faces a set of divergent and competing demands for unity and diversity of its personnel, especially regarding foreign-born soldiers. Together, these discoveries portray a unique version of the immigrants' naturalization process. |
