1 Deconstructing Immigrant Integration: the Case of Kyrgyz Labor Migrants in the United States Saltanat Liebert, Associate Professor L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Virginia Commonwealth University Citation: Liebert, Saltanat, 2020. “Deconstructing Immigrant Integration: the Case of Kyrgyz Labor Migrants in the United States,” International Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 151-165 Abstract: In the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, millions of its former citizens moved to other countries. Kyrgyzstan, having experienced painful transition from command to market economy, sends a large share of its workforce abroad, and consequently, receives remittances that amount to one third of its GDP. Thousands of Kyrgyz migrants come to the United States in search of economic opportunities, both legally and through irregular methods. Based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with 42 Kyrgyz labor migrants, this paper examines their economic integration in the United States. The author proposes a conceptual framework that maps out factors influencing how successfully immigrants integrate in the destination countries. Keywords: Immigrant integration, labor migration, semi-structured interviews, Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzstan