UA Little Rock Senior Wins SURF Grant For Immigration Research
For Yvonne Rodriguez, a UA Little Rock senior political science and sociology double major, the news of winning a prestigious Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Grant came as a surprise and an honor.
“As a first-time applicant, I am profoundly grateful to have been bestowed with such a prestigious grant, a recognition that far exceeded my expectations,” said Rodriguez. “Receiving this grant has been an immense honor for me, and I am filled with deep appreciation.”
Rodriguez received $2,750 in total to put toward her research, winning $2,125 from the SURF grant, as well as $625 matched by UA Little Rock.
Rodriguez has long been intrigued by migrant issues, an oft-discussed topic in the Rodriguez household. She dove deeper into the subject through her academic pursuits, seeking to understand the factors influencing Oaxacan immigrants’ choice of Arkansas as their destination.
“I am a first-generation Mexican-American in the United States,” explained Rodriguez. “My parents are Oaxacan, and I always asked them, ‘why Arkansas?’
Citing statistics from 2023-2024, which placed Arkansas at 49th in crime and corrections, 43rd in education, 47th in health, 40th in infrastructure, and 29th in opportunity, Rodriguez questioned the underlying factors driving Oaxacan immigrants to the state.
These questions led Rodriguez to do her own research examining what factors play into Oaxacan immigration to the U.S. The comparative study investigates the push and pull theory in relation to both Oaxacan migrants and non-migrants, focusing on the impact of political, social, and economic factors in migration decisions. Her research revealed some expected results, as well as some unexpected.
“My research has given me a more detailed answer to my question: ‘Why Arkansas?’” said Rodriguez. “This study fills a significant gap in immigrant literature regarding Oaxacan immigrants and analyzes authentic responses regarding what drives them to migrate to Arkansas. My findings support the common assumption that economic factors are the most prevalent. Surprisingly, social factors are equally significant, which was unexpected.”
After graduation, Rodriguez plans to pursue the legal field and court interpreting, and hopes to see others continue to explore the complexities of migration through research.
