Push-Pull Factors That Led to Mexican Immigration to California Throughout the Twentieth Century

This research seeks to examine the push-pull factors which have prompted Mexican immigration to California throughout the twentieth century. Researchers exploring Mexican immigration over the last century have noted that a combination of push and pull factors have perpetuated this process.[1] Poverty, unemployment and deplorable social conditions in Mexico coupled with the promise of prosperity, wealth and happiness in America continues to make the United States an attractive choice for Mexican immigrants.[2]In many respects, the United States has come to be viewed by Mexican immigrants as a mythical land where most, it not all, of the immigrant's dreams can come true.[3]With the realization that push-pull factors have played such an important role in the development of Mexican immigration, there is a clear impetus to examine these issues to determine how these issues have changed over time and what push-pull issues continue to prompt Mexican immigration to the United States. In an effort to reach this objective, this research examines patterns of Mexican immigration from 1964 to 2006. Specifically, this investigation separates push and pull factors to examine the process of Mexican immigration from both sides of the push-pull process.

Push Factors

Researchers examining the push factors that have promulgated Mexican immigration to the United States have been quick to note that the pervasive poverty faced by many Mexicans is one of the primary reasons for Mexicans to leave their home country.[4] While poverty remains a consistent part of the Mexican landscape, researchers do note that poverty has long been a part of Mexican history.[5] Thus, because Mexican citizens have lived most of their history in poverty, it is not surprising to find that patters of immigration from Mexico to the United States are predicated upon the desire to escape the poverty that continues to persist in the state.[6] Although the United States hold the promise of economic prosperity for many Mexicans, researchers examining the outcomes have noted that this is far from the reality.[7] Most Mexicans that come to the United States are unable to find stable employment that can afford them a notably better standard of living.[8]

Other researchers examining the history of economic development in Mexico have been quick to note that while the history of the country has indeed promulgated considerable upheaval for Mexican citizens, the debt crisis that occurred in the country in the early 1980s had a significant impact toward exacerbating poverty in Mexico. To illustrate this point, the following statistics have been provided: "Between 1984 and 1989, moderate poverty rose from 28.5 percent to 32.6 percent and extreme poverty from 13.9 percent to 17 percent. Income inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient increased substantially, and the share of income going to the top 10 percent of the population increased from 42.9 percent to 49.5 percent."[9] As such, living conditions in Mexico have grown considerably worse in recent years. With the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, many Mexican immigrants have chosen to come to the United States with the hope that economic conditions will be better.

Further adding to the economic instability that had developed in the country, researchers have also noted that in the years immediately following the 1982 debt crisis in Mexico, unemployment grew by more than 50 percent.[10] In addition to the fact that unemployment grew, the overall structure of the labor force began to change as well.[11] "The proportion of wage earners in the urban labor force fell from 83.4 percent in 1982 to 76.2 percent in 1985, whereas the number of self-employed increased from 12.1 to 15 percent and unpaid family workers from 2.1 to 4.6 percent."[12] Clearly, these changes were made in an effort to improve the overall economic conditions of families and communities. What this data effectively suggests is that while Mexicans were clearly focused on the economic issues that impacted their lives, they were also focused on the social and familial relationships that served as the basis for overall social development. Unfortunately, these issues are not taken into consideration when examining the overall push-pull factors that prompted Mexican immigration.

The cycle of economic development that has become commonplace in Mexico is deeply entrenched in the policies used by the government to support big business.[13] Researchers examining the development of the Mexican economy have noted that, in recent years, the process of overproduction coupled with significant increases in the Mexican labor market have created conditions that are ideal for the exploitation of labor in Mexico.[14] Large multinational corporations set up operations in Mexico with the realization that labor is cheap. This process creates a vicious cycle in which labor is marginalized and economic development for the individual laborer is not possible. As such, many Mexican citizens believe that they have no choice but to come to America so that they can improve their economic status. If the Mexican government was more focused on the development of labor than on the profitability of business, it is possible that economic conditions in Mexico could improve for millions of Mexican citizens.[15]

When examining the Mexican government's efforts to support big business over the economic stability of the average Mexican citizen, one only needs to consider the impact that NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, has had on the economic and social development of Mexico. Researchers examining the basic tenets of NAFTA have noted that the policy was developed with the intent of lowering tariffs and making it more advantageous for the US and Mexico to conduct business with one another.[16] Although NAFTA has indeed lowered tariffs and spurred the development of business in Mexico, the end result of this process has not been positive. Because of NAFTA many manufacturers in North America have chosen to relocate their operations to Mexico.[17] The terms of the trade agreement make it possible for manufacturers to acquire cheap labor, notably reducing overhead costs. While this has been a boon for both the manufacturer and the Mexican government, for individual workers in Mexico this has meant a further decline in economic progress and the inability to escape the cycle of poverty.[18]

What this data clearly suggests is that, over the course of the last several decades the government of Mexico has done very little to improve living and working conditions in Mexico. As a direct consequence of this process, the Mexican citizen has suffered considerably with no real relief in sight. The overall impact of living in such oppressive conditions has clearly taken its toll on Mexican citizens. With no where else to turn, Mexican citizens believe that they have no other choice but to immigrate to the United States in search of better living conditions. In Mexico, it seems, there is no hope for economic development. Thus, it is not just the pervasive economic problems that push Mexicans into the United States. Rather it the loss of hope that improvements can and will be made that will improve the overall living conditions for all Mexican citizens. With no hope left, Mexican citizens make the decision to immigrate to the United States.

Pull Factors

Clearly, what the research on the pull factors demonstrates is that even though there are notable reasons for the Mexican immigrant to consider leaving his or her home country, the end result is not much better than the situation left behind. Despite this however, Americans continue to welcome Mexican immigrants to the United States. These pull factors appear to be what give Mexican immigrants the impression that economic and social conditions in the US will be better than what they are in Mexico. As such, it is not just the push factors alone that serve as the impetus for the perpetuation of Mexican immigration into the United States.

Researchers examining the pull factors that have prompted Mexican immigration have been quick to note that this process appears to be somewhat cyclical in nature.[19] While Mexicans are lured to the United States by the promise of better economic conditions, the reality is that American companies make substantial efforts to attract Mexican labor to the US: "US manufacturers, service providers, and farmers appreciate Hispanic workers, especially Mexicans."[20] Because of their docile nature and willingness to work, Mexican workers are viewed as a boon for most American enterprises.[21] As such, over the last several decades, Mexican workers have become a desirable part of the workforce.

In addition to the fact that American companies make a compelling environment to attract Mexican labor, the United States government also provides attractive incentives for Mexicans to immigrate to the US.[22] Once in the United States, Mexican immigrants are able to exploit loopholes in government policies.[23] Through this process, Mexican immigrants had been able to garner access to various social and health services that allowed them to notably improve their standard of living. The ability of Mexican immigrants to exploit these loopholes is what eventually led to the passage of California's Proposition 187. This legislation notably decreased the services that were available to Mexican immigrants and expedited the process of deportation for illegal immigrants.[24] Although this legislation was subsequently dropped during the appeals process, the message sent clearly elucidated the problems that exist within the context of the loopholes that have been made available to Mexican immigrants.

While the economic factors that have severed as the impetus to attract many immigrants to the United States provide a clear foundation for the pull factors that have facilitated this process, researchers exploring the reasons for Mexican immigration to the United States have noted that the US has a consistent history of holding up the accomplishments of Mexican immigrants as a means to demonstrate how the American dream can be accomplished.[25] Specifically, it has been noted that the accomplishments of Mexican Americans in the context of politics have served as the basis for the US to promote the advancement of Mexicans in America.[26] Overall, Mexicans seek a socially just society in which they will be able to accomplish their goals and dreams. In the past several decades, America has held this promise up for Mexican immigrants by supporting and acknowledging the accomplishments made by Mexican Americans in terms of political empowerment and achievement.[27]

In addition to the fact that America has been able to hold up the political successes of Mexican immigrants as a way to demonstrate the realization of the American dream, researchers also note that as the population of Mexican immigrants in the US increases, many businesses are now developing marketing campaigns that are targeting these individuals.[28] Although many immigrants may be in the United States illegally, US business have come to realize that these individuals comprise a considerable part of the consumer population. For this reason, many companies are now taking the time provide products and services that are geared toward this population.[29] The message that is being sent though this process is one that is both welcoming and appealing for Mexican immigrants. Even though US organizations are only preying on the vulnerabilities of this population, many Mexican immigrants have come to view development along these lines as a clear indication that they are welcome in the United States.[30] Therefore the overall impact of marketing toward this population has also served as a pull factor making the US a more attractive place for immigration. For Mexicans, the US not only holds the promise of a better life, but also welcomes the immigrant by offering a wide range of products and services that will help the individual meet his or her daily needs.

What this data clearly suggests is that the pull factors that have prompted Mexican immigration to the US have not been solely focused on the economic development of the Mexican immigrant. Rather, citizens of Mexico have come to view the United States as a place where all of the inequities that exist in Mexican society will resolve and produce a level playing field upon which all immigrants will be granted the same rights and privileges. After decades of witnessing the rich become wealthier and powerful, the attraction of the United States provides a utopian panacea for the immigrant. What is perhaps most distressing about this image of the US that has been developed in Mexican society is that it is not real. Although immigration may offer the immigrant the ability to secure more lucrative employment, the same social conditions that persist in Mexico are present in the United States.

Conclusion

The goal of this investigation was to separately examine the push and pull factors that have prompted Mexican immigration to California between 1964 and 2006. By looking at the push and pull factors in a separate context, the true nature of what has prompted immigration in recent years has been elucidated. Although researchers examining push-pull factors explore these issues in terms of economics, it is evident that at their core, the push and pull factors run much deeper than economics. With regard to the push factors, this investigation demonstrated that while economics does indeed play a role in the decision of the Mexican citizen to immigrate, the real issue for immigrants is a loss of hope that the system of government and economics will ever be corrected in the country. With respect to the specific pull factors that prompt immigration from Mexico, it is clear that the overall promise of a more economic and social equality is what prompts development on this end of the spectrum. Mexican citizens have come to view the US as a panacea for all of the social and economic woes. Although this research was able to effectively examine the push-pull factors contributing to Mexican immigration, there is one issue that it not addressed: the social context of immigration. As the number of Mexican immigrants in the US increases, some degree of social or familial attachment should play a role in the decision to immigrate. This issue could be addressed in the context of future research.

Bibliography

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[1]Camille Guerin-Gonzales. Mexican Workers and American Dreams: Immigration, Reparation and California Farm Labor, 1900-1939, (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1994): 5.

[2]Camille Guerin-Gonzales, 21.

[3]Camille Guerin-Gonzales, 23.

[4]Alexander Monto. The Roots of Mexican Labor Migration, (Westport, CT: Praeger, 1994): 10.

[5]Alexander Monto, 11.

[6]Alexander Monto, 12.

[7]Daniel Dohan. The Price of Poverty: Money, Work and Culture in the Mexican-American-Barrio, (Berkley, CA: University of California Press, 2003): 4.

[8]Daniel Dohan, 5.

[9]Nora Lustig. Mexico: The Remaking of an Economy, (Washington, DC: Brookings Institute, 1998): 201-2.

[10]Nora Lustig, 75.

[11]Nora Lustig, 78.

[12]Nora Lustig, 78.

[13]Nathan Thornburgh. "Inside the life of the migrants next door." Time, 167(6), (2006): 37.

[14]Nathan Thornburgh, 37.

[15]Nathan Thornburgh, 37.

[16]Dolores Acevedo and Thomas J. Espenshade. "Implications of a North American Free Trade Agreement for Mexico migration into the United States." Population & Development Review, 18(4), (1992): 731.

[17]Dolores Acevedo and Thomas J. Espenshade, 731.

[18]Dolores Acevedo and Thomas J. Espenshade, 732.

[19]Imtiaz Hussain. "Canadian immigration, Mexican emigration and a North American regional interpretation. Journal of International Migration & Integration, 6(1), (2005): 83.

[20]Imtiaz Hussain, 83.

[21]Imtiaz Hussain, 83.

[22]Imtiaz Hussain, 83.

[23]Imtiaz Hussain, 84.

[24]Lee Yueh-Ting and Victor Ottati. "Attitudes toward US immigration policy: the roles of in-group out-group bias, economic concern and obedience to law. Journal of Social Psychology, 142(5), (2002): 618.

[25]Juan Gómez-Quiñones. Chicano Politics: Reality and Promise, 1940-1990, (Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1990): 190.

[26]Juan Gómez-Quiñones, 189.

[27]Juan Gómez-Quiñones, 190.

[28]Lisa Penaloza. "Immigrant consumers: Marketing and public policy considerations in the global economy." Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 14(1), (1995): 85.

[29]Lisa Penaloza, 85.

[30]Lisa Penaloza, 85.