Political Implications of Venezuelan Migration: Identity and Integration

• In Event: Latin American Politics and Populism in Diaspora

Abstract

Venezuela's political and economic crisis has triggered one of the largest migrations in Latin America's recent history. The United States, one of the leading destinations for migrants around the world, has experienced an increase in the arrival of people of Venezuelan origin. This mass migration has generated a set of challenges and opportunities for both U.S. society and the Venezuelan diaspora. Since the worsening of the political crisis in Venezuela in the middle of the last decade, some seven million Venezuelans have sought refuge in different countries in the region. In the United States, the Venezuelan community is mainly located in Florida, Texas, and New York. The growth of this migrant community has impacted local and national politics, sparking a debate on migration policies, asylum, and the role of the Venezuelan diaspora in the country's domestic politics. In its process of integration into U.S. society, the Venezuelan American community has used its recent electoral influence to influence the foreign policy of its adopted country. In this descriptive research we seek to respond the following: What is the role of the Venezuelan diaspora in U.S. politics? What is its capacity to influence as a political actor? Based on the literature on imported ideology (Wals, 2013) and imported socialization (Wals, 2009), this paper will address social integration through the political socialization of Venezuelan immigrants and their electoral role in the Latino//Hispanic electorate in the United States.

Author

• Maria Isabel Puerta, Valencia College