Abstract

Scholarship on immigrant integration in the U.S.A. is substantial, yet little is known about the contemporary experiences of immigrants and children of immigrants who serve in the U.S. military. This article draws on 34 interviews with contemporary first- and second-generation immigrants who have served in the U.S. military. We ask our participants about their military experiences to better understand what military service means for immigrant incorporation. We find that patriotism and a potential for social upward mobility were the main reasons for immigrants to join the military and, arguably, fostered their integration into American society. In contrast, experiences of discrimination in the military compromised social mobility and possibly hindered their integration. Based on this data, we suggest that the military can function as a site of immigrant incorporation. As a site of blurred boundaries, the military can foster immigrant incorporation, but as a bright boundary, it can also compromise immigrant integration. Thus, our study extends existing scholarship on immigrant integration by shedding light on a currently under-explored site of immigrant integration—the US military—and military experiences of contemporary immigrants and children of immigrants in the U.S.A.