Date of Award

5-2023

Document Type

Thesis open access

Department

Spanish

First Advisor

Norma Cantu

Second Advisor

Carol Yoder

Abstract

The number of Venezuelan immigrants living in the U.S. reached 545,000 in 2021, with Venezuelans becoming one of the fastest growing immigrant groups in the U.S. Many Venezuelan immigrants have been driven to leave their country due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, economic collapse, and political instability. This study explores the experiences of Venezuelan immigrants living in the U.S. Data from an online survey and semi-structured interviews was collected from 113 Venezuelan immigrants. The quantitative data was analyzed using systematic methods while the qualitative data was analyzed by identifying key themes and providing sample quotes. Participants were recruited through various methods: university organizations, social media, WhatsApp groups, flyers in local business, and word of mouth. Participants were categorized into four main groups based on their age of arrival and time in the U.S. Acculturation was highest among immigrants who arrived as children and had spent more than seven years in the U.S. Overall, acculturation was described as a necessary but difficult task. However, acculturative stress was relatively low for this population compared to other Latino immigrants. The type and level of acculturative stress differed depending on the age of arrival and time in the U.S. Meanwhile, all participants reported a strong sense of pride and commitment to their ethnic identity with younger immigrants spending more time actively exploring their identity. Findings from the present study highlight the importance of strong social networks and cultural values for Venezuelan immigrants living in the U.S.

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