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BMBF-Project U.S.-Immigration: The role of race and racism in U.S.-American immigration

What impact does the ethnic or racial origin have on immigration to the USA? Dr. Grit Grigoleit-Richter from the University of Passau investigates this complex interplay in her BMBF-funded project ‘All men are created equal? On the intersection of race, gender and neoliberalism in US immigration’, which alsoexamines the situation of Ukrainian refugees.

When immigrating to the United States, many immigrants face significant challenges: it is not always easy to obtain a work permit, find a job, or access the social security system. Many people from South and Latin America, for example, are denied these opportunities because of their origins.

The BMBF project ‘U.S.-Immigration’ at the University of Passau is investigating how race and racism affect immigration and drive neoliberal transformations in the U.S. ‘The U.S. is an inherently racialized society–this affects all immigrant groups,’ says Dr. Grit Grigoleit-Richter, principal investigator of the BMBF project ‘U.S.-Welfare State’ and its follow-up project ‘U.S.-Immigration’ at the Professorship of American Studies/Cultural and Media Studies. This means that racism is deeply ingrained in U.S. society and determines, for example, who has access to public services, benefits, and the labor market, or who can enter the U.S. under a refugee program rather than crossing the border illegally.

‘U.S.- Immigration’ explores this intersection of race and racism, gender, and neoliberal economic policies in immigration. In particular, it examines how neoliberal migration policies often produce disparate outcomes: non-white migrants are treated differently than white migrants. The findings are then applied to the current Ukrainian refugee migration to the U.S. as a case study.

In a two-fold research process, the project first analyzes at the macro level the structures upon which a racially divided society like the U.S. is built and which determine immigration.  ‘Who has access? Who can enter legally? What laws exclude entire groups from legal entry into the U.S.? How does the integration process unfold?’ These questions are central, says Dr. Grigoleit-Richter, building on existing research on European immigration, such as from Ireland or Italy, as well as from Central and South America.

Second, by focusing on the current migration of Ukrainian refugees, she provides empirical evidence of how these structures work in the present. They came to the U.S. through a special program that allowed them immediate access to the labor market and, if necessary, social benefits. ‘Compared to other groups, this is a striking difference,’ Dr. Grigoleit-Richter explains. The historical structures that have been researched so far will be applied here to learn more about the situation of Ukrainians and to improve the data surrounding their flight.

Dr. Grit Grigoleit-Richter is conducting research on this topic at the University of Passau. The project runs from January 2025 to December 2027 and is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the field of area studies.

Principal Investigator(s) at the University	Dr. Grit Grigoleit-Richter (Professur für Amerikanistik / Cultural and Media Studies)
Project period	01.01.2025 - 31.12.2027
Source of funding	BMBF - Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung > BMBF - Area Studies