Fieval is an engineer: Immigrant ideology and the absorption of Eastern European refugees

Abstract

This paper explores the dialectic between ideology and daily practice through discussion of the role that immigration ideology plays in the placement of highly trained Eastern European refugees into the labor hierarchy of the United States. The film An American Tail is analyzed as an example of American hegemonic ideology. Modes of resistance and consent to this image of immigration history as applied by refugees’ potential employers and the various people who assist in the refugee resettlement process are then examined. Refugee reactions to Americans’ expectations are also outlined. The discussion illustrates ways that ideology and social structure are transformed and reproduced through the dynamic between these two elements in daily life.