UC San Diego

The motivations and opportunities for immigrants to naturalize continuously change. During the 2006 nation- wide mobilizations against House of Representatives bill 4437 the message : "Ahora marchamos, mañana votamos" (Today we march, tomorrow we vote) was a common banner carried amongst the marchers in the streets. I examine the extent to which the mobilizations created an opportunity for Latinos in the U.S. to naturalize and their motivations for becoming United States citizens within the context of this renewed mobilization for immigration reform. This research focuses on Latinos who have become or are in the process of becoming naturalized U. S. citizens since the 2006 mobilizations and who participated in citizenship workshops in San Diego. I also provide a closer look at the current campaign to promote immigration reform and naturalization in order to see how the tactics activists are employing now are related to those developed or adopted in 2006. My analysis employs theories about citizenship as well as a social movements lens. Using both theoretical perspectives helps expand our understanding of naturalization embedded within the larger immigration reform movement in the United States. The final part of this thesis suggests future implications these movements may have for the political incorporation of Latinos within the political opportunity structure created by the mobilizations of 2006. What does the future hold for Latino political participation and incorporation?