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Helen B. Marrow

Associate Professor of Sociology; Visiting Researcher, Russell Sage Foundation, Tufts University
Chapter Member: Boston SSN

About Helen

Marrow is a sociologist of immigration, race and ethnicity, social class, health, and inequality and social policy. Her work explores Latin Americans' incorporation trajectories and racial and ethnic identities in the United States and Europe, the impact of immigration on social life and race relations in the rural American South, variation in public bureaucracies' approaches to unauthorized immigration (especially in education, law enforcement, and health care), the relationship between immigrant-host contact, threat, trust, and civic engagement, and Americans' emigration aspirations.

In the News

"Why Anti-Immigrant Policies Matter for Population Health," Tiffany D. Joseph (with Helen B. Marrow), Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science, April 8, 2019.
Helen B. Marrow quoted by Vikki Ortiz Healy, "Immigration Activist Arellano Allowed to Remain in United States for Another Year" Chicago Tribune, March 15, 2017.
Helen B. Marrow quoted on sanctuary cities by Robert Katz, "Somerville Mayor Pledges to Stand with Immigrant Community after Sanctuary City Executive Order" Tufts Daily, February 8, 2017.
Helen B. Marrow quoted by Shannon Larson, "Massachusetts Officials Denounce Trump's Executive Orders" The Daily Free Press (Boston University), January 31, 2017.
"How the ACA’s Repeal Will Hurt North Carolina," Helen B. Marrow, The News & Observer, January 10, 2017.
Helen B. Marrow quoted by Jei-Jei Tan, "Somerville, Medford Reaffirm Commitment to Undocumented Immigrants" The Tufts Daily, December 12, 2016.
Helen B. Marrow quoted by Charles Bunnell, "Professors from Across Fields Discuss Future of Country, World Under Trump Presidency" The Tufts Daily, December 2, 2016.
Helen B. Marrow quoted by Julia Doyle and Sahar Roodehchi, "What Makes a Sanctuary?" Tufts Observer, November 30, 2016.
Helen B. Marrow quoted by Marcela Valdes, "'We're Looking at a New Divide Within the Hispanic Community'" The New York Times Magazine, November 15, 2016.
Guest to discuss the experience of Mexican immigrants in the U.S. on WBUR Radio, Helen B. Marrow, 2015.
Helen B. Marrow quoted by Taylor McNeil, "Past, Present, and Future of Race and Inequality" Tufts Now, March 2, 2015.
"The President’s Executive Order: What Difference Will It Make for Immigrants?," Helen B. Marrow, The Conversation, November 21, 2014.
"Mexican American Mobility," Helen B. Marrow (with Tomás Roberto Jiménez), Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2013.
"When We All Become the Immigration Police," Helen B. Marrow, Latino Decisions: Everything Latino Politics, December 19, 2011.
"Latinos in Dixie," Helen B. Marrow, Interview with Marjorie Howard, Tufts Now, October 5, 2011.
"Access Not Denied? The Role Localities Can Play," Helen B. Marrow, ACCESS DENIED: A Conversation on Unauthorized Im/migration and Health, May 18, 2010.
Helen B. Marrow quoted on immigrant populations in major suburbs, "'Away from Cities, into Suburbs' Infographic" New York Times, April 16, 2009.
"County’s Language Ban Could Backfire on It," Helen B. Marrow, Washington Daily News, February 28, 2007.
Helen B. Marrow's research on Brazilian-American identity discussed by Casey Woods, "U.S. Label-Frenzy Leaves Brazilians in Identity Limbo," Miami Herald, June 4, 2006.
Helen B. Marrow's research on the dynamics of black-Hispanic race relations in the rural South discussed by Ashley Pettus, "Friction at the Entry Level," Harvard Magazine, May/June 2007.

Publications

"Welcoming, Trust, and Civic Engagement: Immigrant Integration in Metropolitan America " (with Linda R. Tropp and Dina G. Okamoto). The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 690, no. 1 (2020): 61-81.

Uses survey data and in-depth interviews with Mexican and Indian immigrants in Atlanta and Philadelphia to examine how interactions between immigrants and the U.S.-born contribute to immigrant integration. Discusses when immigrants feel welcomed by U.S.-born Whites and Blacks, they report higher levels of trust in and greater interest in knowing Whites and Blacks, plus higher civic involvement.

"Hope Turned Sour: Second-Generation Incorporation and Mobility in U.S. New Immigrant Destinations" Ethnic and Racial Studies 43, no. 1 (2020): 99-118.

Examines a stark turn toward more restrictionist enforcement and policy-making in “new immigrant destinations”, especially in the U.S. South, after 2005. Overviews how this shift has negatively affected adult first-generation immigrants from Latin America over the last 15 years, and then considers the the implications for the Latino “second generation” – their children.

"How Does Interacial Contact Among The U.S.- Born Shape White and Black Receptivity Toward Immigrants?" (with Linda R. Tropp, Dina G. Okamoto, and Michael Jones-Correa). Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race (Forthcoming).

Takes a relational lens to examine how contact between U.S.-born Blacks and Whites shapes both groups’ attitudes toward immigrants. Draws on an original representative survey in Atlanta and Philadelphia, we show that when Whites have more frequent contact with Blacks, they are more receptive toward both Mexican and South Asian Indian immigrant newcomers

"Modeling American Migration Aspirations: How Capital, Race, and National Identity Shape Americans’ Ideas about Living Abroad" (with Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels). International Migration Review 54, no. 1 (2018).

Uses an original, nationally-representative online survey to show that fully one-third of American citizens aspired to live abroad in 2014, primarily for the purpose of exploration. Shows that these aspirations are structured by cultural capital, Americans' social networks with prior migrants, and strength of national attachment.

"Immigrant Perceptions of Native-Born Receptivity and the Shaping of American Identity" (with Michael Jones-Correa, Dina G. Okamoto, and Linda R. Tropp). RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences 4, no. 5 (forthcoming): 47-80.

Examines how Mexican and South Asian Indian immigrants' perceptions of being welcomed by U.S. born whites and blacks temper the relationship between the former's ascriptive characteristics—namely language and race and skin tone—and their identification as American. Shows how these linkages have important downstream consequences, with stronger perceptions of being welcomed increasing Indian immigrants' likelihood of naturalization and decreasing Mexican immigrants' desire to return to Mexico.

"Health Care, Immigrants, and Minorities: Lessons from the Affordable Care Act in the U.S." (with Tiffany D. Joseph). Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 43, no. 12 (2017): 1965-1984.

Explores, theoretically and empirically, through both smaller qualitative and larger national quantitative data sources, the implications of the Affordable Care Act for the health care of immigrant, ethno-racial minority, and low-income individuals during its early implementation (2010-2016). Provides relevant background on the Affordable Care Act, its political challenges to its implementation, and stratification by documentation status, income, and place of residence, plus overviews of the remaining articles in the volume.

"Out of Context: The Absence of Spatial Variation in U.S. Immigrants' Perceptions of Discrimination" (with Daniel J. Hopkins, Jonathan Mummolo, Victoria M. Esses, Cheryl R. Kaise, and Monica McDermott). Politics, Groups, and Identities 4, no. 3 (2016): 363-92.

Examines the hypothesis that immigrants' perceptions of discrimination vary across U.S. localities, as threatened responses by native-born residents may increase perceived discrimination among neighboring immigrants. Considers the alternative hypothesis that barriers to the expression and detection of discrimination de-couple native-born attitudes from immigrants' perceptions about their treatment. 

"New Destination Dreaming: Immigration, Race, and Legal Status in the Rural American South" (Stanford University Press, 2011).

Explores how the rural context impacts the American immigrant experience, how rapid Hispanic immigration influences southern race relations, and how institutions like schools and law enforcement agencies deal with unauthorized residents. It presents a cautiously optimistic view of Hispanic newcomers’ opportunities for upward mobility in the rural South, while underscoring the threat of increasing anti-immigrant sentiment and restrictive policymaking.

"Immigrant Bureaucratic Incorporation: The Dual Roles of Professional Missions and Government Policies Helen B. Marrow" American Sociological Review 74, no. 5 (2009).

Examines how rural American residents and institutions in “new immigrant destinations” in eastern North Carolina were adapting, if at all, to Hispanic newcomers in the early 2000s. Suggests that Hispanic newcomers were undergoing a process of “bureaucratic incorporation”, whereby some public service bureaucrats were initiating incorporation.

The New Americans: A Guide to Immigration since 1965 (edited with Mary C. Waters and Reed Ueda) (Harvard University Press, 2007).
Presents a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and authoritative account of the most recent post-1965 surge of immigrants to the United States. Includes thematic essays that address such topics as immigration law and policy, refugees, unauthorized migrants, racial and ethnic identity, religion, and education, followed by comprehensive articles on immigration from the 31 most significant nations or regions of origin.