The changing patterns of labor migration and the incorporation of Mexican immigrants to the United States

This dissertation examines patterns of Mexican immigration and the socioeconomic integration of the Mexican-origin population in the United States. Chapter 1 provides a brief overview of the major themes dominating current academic and policy discussions related to contemporary immigration in the United States; explains the particular importance of the U.S. Mexican-origin population to these debates; and introduces the research questions motivating the substantive chapters of the dissertation.;Chapter 2 studies Mexican immigration flows arriving in U.S. metropolitan areas between 1995 and 2000. I develop a destination-specific theory of international labor migration based on the principle of cumulative causation, and apply the theory to analyses of the volume and demographic composition of recent Mexican migration flows. I also develop a new measure approximating the "maturity" of the ethnic-specific structures and institutions in urban destination areas, arguing that characteristics of the co-ethnic receiving community plays a pivotal role in shaping patterns of immigration into these areas. Results of the analysis reveal that across U.S. metropolitan areas those that received relatively larger flows between 1985 and 1990 received relatively larger flows subsequently. Net of the volume of the prior Mexican migration flow, however, places with more mature co-ethnic receiving communities received smaller immigration flows between 1995 and 2000 than did places where Mexican immigrant communities are less established. Moreover, the rate of increase in the 1995-2000 immigration volume that is associated with the prior volume declines with increasing co-ethnic settlement maturity. Furthermore, results indicate that local labor market conditions such as wage and unemployment rates drive the Mexican immigration volume to a considerable extent in newer receiving areas, but do not explain any of the variance in the immigration rate in more established receiving areas. Finally, the demographic diversity of Mexican immigration flows is driven largely by the maturity of the co-ethnic receiving area rather than by the volume of the previous migration flow. To conclude Chapter 2, I discuss the theoretical and policy implications of the findings.;Chapter 3 builds on the ideas developed and tested in Chapter 2 and examines the extent to which Mexican immigrants' labor market outcomes in urban areas are shaped by the destination-specific dynamics that also structure the volume and nature of Mexican migration. The main analytical objective of the chapter is to examine whether and to what extent the negative impacts of immigration on the labor market outcomes of Mexican workers vary depending on the maturity of the co-ethnic receiving community. The results of the chapter suggest that the volume of Mexican immigration is not significantly associated with the likelihood of experiencing unemployment for men or women. However, the earnings of Mexican workers in urban labor markets are significantly related to the volume of prior Mexican immigration, but the direction of the association depends on the gender of the worker. Male earnings are negatively associated with the volume of migration from 1995-2000. But this effect varies depending on the level of co-ethnic settlement maturity in the local area. Male earnings are most negatively affected by immigration in those areas that have the longest history of receiving Mexican immigrants and the most developed ethnic-specific structures and institutions. But in newly emerging Mexican immigrant destinations, earnings are positively associated with increased immigration. Female earnings are positively related to the volume of prior immigration but interaction effects based on the maturity of the co-ethnic settlement community are similar, though of smaller magnitude, compared to men. The research and theoretical as well as public policy implications of the findings are discussed in the chapter's conclusion.;Finally, the focus of Chapter 4 shifts away from 1st generation Mexican immigrants and examines the mechanisms associated with dropping out of high school among their children and grandchildren. The analyses reported in this chapter find that Mexican-origin youth exhibit distinctive patterns of school enrollment in that their enrollment in school depends to a greater extent on their participation in the workforce, and vice-versa, than is the case for U.S.-born white and black youth. This is especially the case among Mexican-origin boys. Implications of the findings for research and theory on immigrant group incorporation and for public policy are discussed. Chapter 5 discusses the broad implications of the results for public policy and theory and research related to U.S. immigration and immigrant incorporation.