Our Existence as the "Unseen" Surveillance and Catholicism Among the Central American Diaspora in Chicago

This study explores the centrality of surveillance for Catholics among the Central American diaspora in Chicago. My general objective is to demonstrate the shift of Catholicism as a social and political phenomenon, as opposed through the strictly "religious" experience. The relationship between surveillance and religion is understudied, in the case of how Catholics in the Central American diaspora in Chicago have responded to historical and contemporary issues. This research also emphasizes Chicago as an understudied research field in scholarship of the Central American diaspora in the United States, despite contemporary political attitudes toward migration and historical significance. This includes Chicago's status as a sanctuary city, or the rise of migration rates from Central American countries. Broadly, the Central American diaspora is also understudied, so my thesis lays the foundation for prospective scholars interested in Central American Studies and the relationship between religion and diaspora through the dimension of surveillance. My research observes mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative data. Still, the bulk of this research consists of participant observation, durational and static media, interviews, archives, and experimental field notes.