Undocumented Lives

The Untold Story of Mexican Migration

Nonfiction, History, Americas, Mexico, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies, United States, 20th Century
Cover of the book Undocumented Lives by Ana Raquel Minian, Harvard University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ana Raquel Minian ISBN: 9780674919983
Publisher: Harvard University Press Publication: April 9, 2018
Imprint: Harvard University Press Language: English
Author: Ana Raquel Minian
ISBN: 9780674919983
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Publication: April 9, 2018
Imprint: Harvard University Press
Language: English

In the 1970s the Mexican government acted to alleviate rural unemployment by supporting the migration of able-bodied men. Millions crossed into the United States to find work that would help them survive as well as sustain their families in Mexico. They took low-level positions that few Americans wanted and sent money back to communities that depended on their support. But as U.S. authorities pursued more aggressive anti-immigrant measures, migrants found themselves caught between the economic interests of competing governments. The fruits of their labor were needed in both places, and yet neither country made them feel welcome. Ana Raquel Minian explores this unique chapter in the history of Mexican migration. Undocumented Lives draws on private letters, songs, and oral testimony to recreate the experience of circular migration, which reshaped communities in the United States and Mexico. While migrants could earn for themselves and their families in the U.S., they needed to return to Mexico to reconnect with their homes periodically. Despite crossing the border many times, they managed to belong to communities on both sides of it. Ironically, the U.S. immigration crackdown of the mid-1980s disrupted these flows, forcing many migrants to remain north of the border permanently for fear of not being able to return to work. For them, the United States became known as the jaula de oro—the cage of gold. Undocumented Lives tells the story of Mexicans who have been used and abused by the broader economic and political policies of Mexico and the United States.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the 1970s the Mexican government acted to alleviate rural unemployment by supporting the migration of able-bodied men. Millions crossed into the United States to find work that would help them survive as well as sustain their families in Mexico. They took low-level positions that few Americans wanted and sent money back to communities that depended on their support. But as U.S. authorities pursued more aggressive anti-immigrant measures, migrants found themselves caught between the economic interests of competing governments. The fruits of their labor were needed in both places, and yet neither country made them feel welcome. Ana Raquel Minian explores this unique chapter in the history of Mexican migration. Undocumented Lives draws on private letters, songs, and oral testimony to recreate the experience of circular migration, which reshaped communities in the United States and Mexico. While migrants could earn for themselves and their families in the U.S., they needed to return to Mexico to reconnect with their homes periodically. Despite crossing the border many times, they managed to belong to communities on both sides of it. Ironically, the U.S. immigration crackdown of the mid-1980s disrupted these flows, forcing many migrants to remain north of the border permanently for fear of not being able to return to work. For them, the United States became known as the jaula de oro—the cage of gold. Undocumented Lives tells the story of Mexicans who have been used and abused by the broader economic and political policies of Mexico and the United States.

More books from Harvard University Press

Cover of the book Elizabeth Bishop at Work by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book The World of Persian Literary Humanism by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book Indians in Kenya by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book Enlisting Faith by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book The Predicament of Culture by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book Deepwater Horizon by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book The Malmedy Massacre by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book The Letters of Robert Frost, Volume 2 by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book The Classical Liberal Constitution by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book American Apocalypse by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book The Pulpit and the Press in Reformation Italy by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book The Ambiguity of Virtue by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book Pillars of Justice by Ana Raquel Minian
Cover of the book Disciplining the Empire by Ana Raquel Minian
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy