Abstract
ABSTRACT
Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative narrative multiple case study is to explore the lived experiences of African American women who come into contact with CBP officers when returning to the United States from foreign travel.
Methodology. This qualitative narrative multiple case study combined case study with narrative research design and document analysis, as merged methodological frameworks to better understand the lived experiences of the participants in this study. Two interviewees were selected based on criterion developed by the researcher. Analyzing and interpreting the narratives in collaboration and active involvement of the participants in negotiating the meaning of their stories allowed for a deeper insight into their experiences (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
Findings. (a) African American women and girls continue to struggle with the intersecting oppressions of race and gender, experiencing violence at the hands of police at the state and federal level and then victimized again by a civil justice system that was not designed to help or protect Black women. (B) The changes that were allegedly being put into place at international airports in the U.S. to ensure that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers were not unfairly targeting Black and Hispanic passengers for personal searches based on their race, never happened; nor is there any evidence that demonstrates Commissioner Raymond Kelly intended for those changes to be implemented.
Conclusions. The findings of this study suggest that in the context of the war on drugs, African American women continue to be subjected to strip and body cavity searches at U.S. borders justified on the basis of deeply racialized and culturally based beliefs associating Black women with having a persistent criminal propensity.
Recommendations. Further studies are needed that include the voices of all individuals whose encounter with Customs Border Protection (CBP) officers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers that result in humiliating and intrusive searches that violate their civil and constitutional rights at U.S. borders and international airports in the U.S.