‘To Be a Good Immigrant…’: Examining How d/Discourses of Deservingness Impact Latin American Immigrants

This article examines deservingness narratives’ impact on first- and second-generation Latin American immigrants in the United States. Using a d/Discourse approach, which distinguishes between everyday talk (discourse) and societal understandings (Discourse), this study shares experiences from first- and second-generation Latin American immigrants (N = 36). Findings explore how immigrants encounter deservingness narratives across various societal contexts. These findings indicate inequities in the language available to immigrants and argue that the pervasiveness of deservingness creates a form of “muting” that impacts how immigrants make sense of their experiences.