THE PUSH-PULL AND PUSH BACK OF MEXICAN MIGRATION TO THE U.S

U.S. IMMIGRATION TRENDS About what percentage of the U.S. population is composed of immigrants? Has the rate of immigration in recent years been increasing or decreasing? In recent years most immigrants entering the U.S. have come from which country?

42 million immigrants (legal and illegal) and 37 million U.S. born children of immigrants at the end of 2012.

 Nearly one in five Americans (19%) will be an immigrant in 2050, compared with one in eight (12%) in  Hispanics will make up 29% of the U.S. population in 2050, compared with 14% in  The non-Hispanic white population will increase more slowly than other racial and ethnic groups; whites will become a minority (47%) by Source: Pew Research Center FUTURE U.S. POPULATION GROWTH

There are 11.5 million foreign born from Mexico in the United States, representing 30 percent of the total foreign-born population.

WHAT ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INCENTIVES MIGHT BE POWERFUL ENOUGH TO CAUSE PEOPLE TO IMMIGRATE? 1.From which of the listed countries do you think people might be political refugees? 2.When do you think Vietnamese immigrants were most likely to arrive? 3.When do you think most Cuban immigrants arrived?

“Push” and “Pull” Factors Men and women take many social and economic conditions into consideration before leaving their homes and immigrating to another country.

Difficult conditions known as “push factors,” such as poverty, unemployment, or political repression may encourage people to leave their home countries, or emigrate PUSH FACTORS

PULL FACTORS “Pull factors”, such as access to jobs and religious freedom attract them to enter and live in a different country, or immigrate to that country.

EXPLORE THE PUSH-PULL FACTORS IN MEXICAN MIGRATION TO THE U.S. Divide the class into six evenly sized groups. Distribute a copy of the “Impact of Mexican Immigration” activity sheet to each student. The reading has three parts covering consecutive eras of Mexican migration. Give two groups a copy of Part One, two groups a copy of Part Two and two groups a copy of Part Three. Have each group uncover the push-pull factors in their assigned era and write them down in the corresponding boxes of the graphic organizer. When the students are finished, have them report their findings so the other students can complete the factor lists for each period.

REPATRIATION OF MEXICANS REGARDLESS OF THEIR LEGAL STATUS, 1931

Zoot Suit Riot Video Clip

Bracero Program Video Clip The Bracero program (1942 through 1964) allowed Mexican nationals to take temporary agricultural work in the United States.

BEFORE BROWN: MENDEZ v. WESTMINSTER Mendez v. Westminster Video Clip

Cesar Chavez Biography

WHAT DID CESAR CHAVEZ THINK ABOUT ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS AND UNDOCUMENTED LABOR?

CHAVEZ BEGINS TO CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN By 1965, the supply of migrant workers dropped to 200,000 making unionization and better contracts feasible.

STRIKEBREAKERS Employers used professional smugglers to recruit and transport workers across the border to serve as scabs. The INS looked the other way

“WET PATROLS” The UFW patrolled the border discouraging “illegals” from crossing Bribed Mexican officials to do the same Initiated a campaign to turn-in “illegals” in the field

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 187 In 1994, California voters passed a referendum prohibiting access of undocumented immigrants to public services including health care and education

SUPPORTERS SAW IT AS AN ECONOMIC MATTER Proponents of the bill estimated that California spent $3 billion per year on services for illegal immigrants, about half of which provided education to children of illegal immigrants

DETRACTORS SAW IT AS A SCHEME TO REGULATE IMMIGRATION Opponents decried the law as xenophobic and harmful to the human rights of migrant laborers

REPEALLED BY 1999

DO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HURT THE U.S. ECONOMY? POSITIVE EFFECTS Fill positions that compliment skilled labor and allow for more productivity and lower costs/prices Spend most of the money they make Contribute a lot to Social Security but take very little out NEGATIVE EFFECTS Lower wages or take jobs from similarly skilled native-born workers Areas with a heavy concentration suffer a substantial net cost for social services

THE NUMBERS HAVE DECLINED IN RECENT YEARS The push-pull factors that fueled border crossings in the past have weakened. Why has the price of a border crossing continued to rise?

P r i c e of e s c o r t Quantity of trips into U.S.