MIGRATION AND POLITICAL RESOCIALIZATION: THE IMPACT OF POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT CHANGE ON POLITICAL ORIENTATIONS AMONG PUERTO RICAN RETURN MIGRANTS

This paper explores the impact migration has on political socialization among migrants and tests whether migrants' initial political socialization is enduring, even in the face of exposure to a different political environment. It further explores whether migrants are resocialized. Based on bivariate and multivariate analyses of survey data on return migrants to Puerto Rico, I find that migrants become desocialized when living in the United States, and become politically resocialized on their return. Yet, these desocialized migrants internalize these patterns displayed abroad to deploy them in Puerto Rico on their return. Political desocialization, however, does not appear to have a permanent impact on migrant political orientations. Findings establish and trace a pattern of continuity and change from early political socialization and the impact of environmental context on political orientations.