Facts About Mexican Immigrants in the United States

Some of your ancestors may have emigrated from Mexico. Unfortunately, those researching this aspect of their family tree may experience challenges finding credible documents; the Migration Information Source estimates that more than 50 percent of Mexican immigrants in the United States are undocumented. However, even if you can't easily find records such as those in the Social Security Death Index you can still learn a lot of cultural information and immigration facts relating to your Mexican roots.

Statistics about Mexican Immigrants in the United States

The largest foreign-born population living in the United States is both legal and illegal Mexican immigrants , according to the Migration Information Source. The next largest source of immigration to the U.S. comes from the Philippines.

The Beginning of Mexican Immigrant Labor History

Between 1850 and 1880, farmers created more cattle ranches in the southwestern U.S. and increased fruit production in California, according to PBS. During that era, an estimated 55,000 Mexicans entered the U.S. in hopes of finding bettered economic opportunities. Most planned to eventually return home.

The birth of the American railway systems in the late 19^th century created an even larger presence of Mexican immigrants in the United States. By the turn of the 20^th century, about 60 percent of the railroad industry's workforce was comprised of Mexican immigrants.

U.S. Border Patrol History

Undocumented Mexican immigrants in the United States, some of which may have been your ancestors, now had to consider the potential of serious legal consequences in 1924 when the government created the U.S. Border Patrol, according to PBS. While prejudice from American-born citizens was not yet a problem, federal law at this point declared that all undocumented immigrants were fugitives subject to arrest and deportation. As the decades passed, potentially derogatory terms such as illegal aliens as well as increased legal and societal suspicion concerning even legal Mexican-Americans increased.

The Economic Life of Mexican Immigrants in the United States

Many Mexican immigrants in the United States, even those with ongoing financial struggles, send money home to family members left behind in their home country. At least 10 percent of Mexican families still living in Mexico are dependent upon money that relatives who immigrated to the U.S. send, according to the National Population Council of Mexico. Such family member remittances create the third largest source of income in Mexico, dwarfed only by tourism and petroleum.

Status of 21^st Century Mexican Immigrants in the United States

Over the three centuries that saw significant Mexican immigration, many illegal and legal immigrants did eventually plan to return to their home countries. However, as drug cartel activity increases in Mexico, a growing number of immigrants are reluctant to return home for safety reasons. Many Mexican immigrants in the United States hold their culture and religious faith (which is often Catholicism) in high regard, but the possibility of violence is causing some of these people to really focus on creating a permanent home as Mexican immigrants in the United States.

References

"Ashland Daily Tidings: Fewer Mexican immigrants dream of returning."
http://www.dailytidings.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100227/OPINION01/2270304/-1/NEWSMAP

"Migration Information Source: Mexican Immigrants to the US." http://www.migrationinformation.org/feature/display.cfm?ID=208

"PBS: Beyond the Border."
http://www.pbs.org/itvs/beyondtheborder/immigration.html

"PBS: Mexican Immigrant Labor History"
http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/timeline/17.html