Events, Representation, and Immigration: The Political Discourse of Arizona's SB1070

Abstract

This thesis seeks to analyze the development of SB1070 and the politics that surrounded the billustrations Also, I move to understand why the socially constructed borders in the minds of people on the issue of identification are just as hardened as the US-Mexico divide. By understanding the historical context of SB1070, I will show that the bill is a mix of a political manipulation of understanding and fear mongering. The operational research questions that guide my inquiry are: 1. What narratives were used to justify SB1070 in April of 2010? a. Why were these narratives successful? b. Why were these issues important at the time of the debate? Why was this issue salient both locally and nationally? c. What specific events and images were used to support each actor's narratives? 2. How do each of these narratives seek to transform social praxis? a. What is the importance of race in each of these narratives? b. How does American nationalism play into these narratives? Throughout the thesis, I argue that SB1070 came into existence and was passed because of Jan Brewer and Russell Pearce's use of reductionist representations of undocumented immigrants. These representations were made more successful and reified by a series of events highlighted throughout the debate of SB1070 to include the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the economic recession in the United States, and the murder of a well-known rancher in the lead-up to the bill's passage. I conclude with a discussion about the implications of politics based on fear and division among people for the purpose of political maneuvering.