ABSTRACT
The US political body strives to present the acculturation of immigrants as a positive phenomenon. This chapter examines how the political body constructs immigration, legal and illegal status; some of the cultural and social consequences for people who are subordinated to "immigrant" status; and offers discussion on how the visa system categorizes noncitizens into a hierarchy based on nation of origin, which results in a borderless, free entry to spaces claimed by the US political body for some nationalities, while others are subjected to exams and fees for the same right of movement. The political body exerts cultural power over spaces and in social arenas, in an attempt to appropriate the configuration of the community and its cultural symbols. The political prescriptions of proprietorship and jurisdiction carry significant cultural weight for immigrants, as their participation in community affairs is tied to knowledge about them.
