New Book Project –
A Century of Mexican Integration and Exclusion:
Time of Arrival, Cohort Effects and Place of Destination
Mexican Immigrants at the Mirasol Americanization Center 1819 Pine Ave. Long Beach, CA. ~late 1920s Personal photo of Maria G. Rendon. Family Surnames: Nieto; Mesa; Castillo
Brief Description:
Scholars debate the extent to which the Mexican-origin group has successfully integrated into the United States. Some suggest they have experienced “delayed assimilation” while others suggest “generations of racial exclusion.” This study engages this debate calling attention to the complex and non-linear integration process of Mexican-Americans, as well as, their racialization in the United States. Assimilation theory failed to capture the integration process of Mexicans Americans whose migratory flow is the longest lasting in the world. The Mexican case encompasses various and distinct immigration cohorts that have experienced voluntary and non-voluntary return migration, and re-immigration – factors missing when taking only an intergenerational approach. This study draws on archival research, oral histories and historical-GIS mapping to examine how immigrant cohorts and neighborhoods shaped the integration and exclusion of this group. It focuses on a case study of a Mexican village (in San Luis Potosi, Mexico) that experienced migration to southern California, specifically the Long Beach area, since the early 1900s. The study follows migratory cohorts of families across generations to understand how the time of arrival, racialization and segregation practices, as well as acculturation, shaped divergent patterns of integration for Mexican Americans.
Undergraduate students interested in joining the research team can contact Dr. Rendon (mgrendon@uci.edu). Make sure to submit your resume and provide an explanation for why you are interested in the project. For different ways to become part of the project see Here.
Dr. Rendon policies for letters of recommendation. See Here.