The Transnational "Good Life"

“Linda Hall has written a compelling ethnography of immigrant experiences in the United States. Her keen ethnographic insights, persuasive theoretical framing, and well-written narrative present us with a unique and important contribution to the field. It effectively sits at the intersection of two bodies of theory: ideas about Latino diasporic immigration and the logic found in classic Afro American analyses about transnational migrant marginalization. This is a significant study that breaks new methodological ground and will be an important reference point for future work on immigration.” — Marc Becker, author of The CIA in Ecuador and Pachakutik: Indigenous Movements and Electoral Politics in Ecuador

“Linda Hall has done a masterful job in giving us a fine grained and nuanced understanding of how and why Ecuadorian immigrants migrate and how they adapt and thrive in three different cities in the United States. Through the theoretical lens of W.E.B. Dubois’ Double Consciousness framework, the author explains Ecuadorian notions of identity, solidarity and belonging in Los Angeles, New York City and Miami. She looks at these issues of solidarity, identity and belonging through long established Ecuadorian social organizations in each city. The book also investigates the diversity of the missions of these social clubs and how they have changed over time, not only to support Ecuadorians but also other marginalized immigrant and non-immigrant groups in those cities. This book is a timely addition to the anthropological literature because it not only focusers on the voices of Ecuadorians but showcases the diversity of that group including Mestizos and Afro-Ecuadorians.” — Yolanda Moses, Professor of Anthropology, University of California Riverside