Mexican Immigration Thesis

Mexican immigrants, along with their Mexican American descendants, occupy a unique

position in the story of U.S. immigration. They are known by many different names, come from divergent origins, and took widely different paths to becoming part of the United States. The flow of Mexican immigrants to the U.S. has been impacted by the economic crisis and the anti-immigrant laws that began with the passing of a law in Arizona, but Mexican immigrants are vital to the U.S. economy, contributing about 4 percent to GDP. Millions of people in the United States today identify themselves as Mexican immigrants or Mexican Americans. Mexican immigrants and their descendants now make up a significant portion of the U.S. population and have become one of the most influential social and cultural groups in the country.

This problem can be changed on how we let people in and out of the borders because since 1980, Mexicans have been the largest immigrant group in the United States. “Mexican immigrants are more likely to be employed in service occupations (31 percent); natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations (25 percent); and production, transportation, and material moving occupations (22

percent) compared to the total foreign- and native-born populations.(Howard 1999)” As of 2013, approximately 11.6 million Mexican immigrants resided in the United States—up from 2.2 million in 1980—and Mexicans accounted for 28 percent of the country’s 41.3 million foreign born. We can try to get rid of all immigrants in different methods but that would never happen. “Throughout the 20th century, major reforms to the U.S. immigration system played a role in shaping the size and character of Mexican immigration flows.(Howard 1999)” The United States wouldn't be where they are now without Mexican immigration. They are just trying to fit in, they are not trying to take over.

Mexican immigrants are living with lower incomes and most of the time living in poverty. “Mexican immigrants tend to have much lower educational attainment compared to the overall foreign- and native-born populations(Howard 1999).” Mexican immigrants had much lower incomes compared to the total foreign- and native-born populations. In 2013, median household income among Mexican immigrants was $36,700, compared to $48,137 and $52,997 for the immigrant and native-born populations respectively. “The poverty rate among Mexican immigrants was also much higher than the other two groups(Howard 1999).” In 2013, 28 percent of Mexican immigrant families lived in poverty, compared to 18 percent and 10 percent for the total foreign-born and native-born populations respectively. They are in poverty for a reason they can not work in the system. Why can’t they help them out? They should help everyone who is in poverty because if everyone is out of poverty we would all be happy and who doesn’t like happiness.

Immigration does also hurt the United States in employment and wages. Generally, those in the U.S. on work visas and undocumented immigrants have very little say in how much they are paid due to the difficulty or inability associated with changing jobs. “As such, wages can be deflated – but most often it is earlier immigrants themselves that are affected by this and not native-born workers.(Howard 1999)” For those born in the U.S., the report said that new immigrants will have little effect on wages – and what effect it did have would be slightly positive. If the economy is weak and does not respond well to change, in the short run an increase in immigration could have the effect of reducing the number of jobs available to native-born workers, particularly those with lower education levels.

Like most immigrants, most Mexicans came to the U.S.

for better paying jobs or perhaps a better life. They were not only willing to pick up and leave Mexico, but they were willing to call a foreign place home. For many Mexicans who believed that things would go well for them in the U.S., that dream was not realized. Today restrictions on Mexicans are continued to be enforced and propositions to deny them benefits re-appear. Julian Nava best describes this relationship between the United States and the Mexican immigrant saying that, "in history, the U.S., a mighty nation with high principles, has eagerly sought workers from across the border and, after benefiting from their labor, has rejected them coldly, making Mexicans feel like unwanted things, rather than

people."