<p>This dissertation examines the transnational
realities of Russian immigrants in the United States. Drawing insights from
personal accounts, I discuss immigrants’ motives to immigrate to the United
States and to stay connected to their homeland. I illustrate that political and
economic factors, as well as the goals to enhance professional and personal
lives, have shaped immigrants’ decisions to come to the United States. At the
same time, I show that determined to fulfill their social and civic
responsibilities, Russian immigrants maintain ties to their families and
friends back in Russia and also remain civically engaged in Russian society.</p><p></p>
<p>This dissertation also illustrates that a
more intricate understanding of Russian immigrants today cannot be achieved in
isolation from the political relations between Russia and the United States
that have been rapidly deteriorating since 2014. There are different ways that
Russian immigrants respond to the geopolitical divide between the two nation-states.
Some Russian immigrants, for example, condemn Russia’s foreign policy and
global political behavior. Their criticism is often met with hostilities from
Russians who have not emigrated. Other Russian immigrants, on the other hand,
disapprove U.S. actions toward Russia and Russian society and consequently
encounter antagonisms in the United States. These immigrants recount their
experiences of exclusion from the U.S. social fabric. There are also those
Russian immigrants who question international acts of the political leaders of both
countries. Coping with antagonistic attitudes from Russian and U.S. societies toward
their political views and/or ethnic background, these individuals emphasize a
growing detachment from both nations. Based on individual accounts, I argue
that the contemporary tensions that have emerged between the two nations-states
create a barrier to the development of a transnational identity among Russian
immigrants. Specifically, living in a hostile political environment, Russian immigrants
do not share a simultaneous sense of belonging in relation to Russia and the
United States. </p>
<p>By focusing on Russian immigrants’
experiences with U.S.-Russia relations, this dissertation also brings to light individual
efforts to contest confrontations that shape the political landscape between
Russia and the United States. As transnational subjects with cross-border ties
and lives, Russian immigrants utilize their transnational positions and
cultural competencies to impact international views of Russian and U.S.
nationals. They frequently resort to transnational dialogues and socio-cultural
acts to raise social awareness and sympathies between their home and host
nations. By developing and investing their efforts into improving U.S.-Russia
ties, the ultimate goal that Russian immigrants seek to achieve is to
discourage members of Russian and U.S. societies from seeing each other as
enemy nations. </p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/12543515 |
| Date | 23 June 2020 |
| Creators | Annagul Yaryyeva (9012302) |
| Source Sets | Purdue University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis |
| Rights | CC BY 4.0 |
| Relation | https://figshare.com/articles/RUSSIAN_IMMIGRANTS_TRANSNATIONALISM_IN_THE_CONTEXT_OF_U_S_-RUSSIA_RELATIONS_SINCE_2014/12543515 |
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