1 / 55

Myth vs. Reality: Mexican Immigrants in South Carolina

Myth vs. Reality: Mexican Immigrants in South Carolina. Elaine Lacy, Ph.D. Professor, USC Aiken Director of Research, Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies USC. Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies University of South Carolina. Myth # 1: America is Being Overrun with Immigrants.

lana
Download Presentation

Myth vs. Reality: Mexican Immigrants in South Carolina

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Myth vs. Reality: Mexican Immigrants in South Carolina Elaine Lacy, Ph.D. Professor, USC Aiken Director of Research, Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies USC Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies University of South Carolina

  2. Myth # 1: America is Being Overrun with Immigrants • In 1910, 14.7% of the U.S. population was made up of immigrants • In 2005, 12.5% of the U.S. population was made up of immigrants • Historically, our largest immigrant population (Mexican) ebbs and flows based on conditions in Mexico

  3. Today: Mexicans in South Carolina • Why are they leaving Mexico? • Why South Carolina? • Profiles • Demographic • Economic • Social/Cultural • Myths vs Reality Photo: Myriam Torres

  4. Mexican Immigrant Study • Funding: • RPS Grant, USC • Aiken Partnership, USCA • Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies, USC • Methodology: • 181 open-ended, taped interviews (68 questions) • Subjects residing in 14 SC counties • Most using snowball sampling method • Mexican Consulate Consulados Moviles

  5. Many Thanks To….. • Grad Students • Amanda Elias Vargas • Kristin Hudgins • Emily Arnold • Transcribers • Micaela Montes • Claudia Stinson • Joanna Vargas • Julie Leone • Community Contacts • Alma Puente • Glenda Bunce • Myriam Torres • Acercamiento Hispano • Hispanic Leadership Council • Mexican Consul General Armando Ortiz Rocha

  6. Project Aims • Provide a baseline profile of Mexican immigrants • In their own words, immigrants’: • Experiences • Future plans • Major needs and concerns

  7. Latin American Country of Origin, SC Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2005 data

  8. New Faces in SC Photo: Craig Stinson

  9. New Faces SC Photo: Craig Stinson

  10. Where in South Carolina? Source: US Bureau of the Census, 2005 Estimates

  11. Mexican State of Origin • Half of respondents arrive from southeastern Mexico • These are relatively new sending states Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  12. Mexican Immigrant Study:Respondent Gender Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  13. Demographic Profile • Median age: 29 • Average years in school: 8.4 Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  14. Respondents’ County of Residence, SC

  15. Migration Patterns • Average years in the U.S.: 4.5 • Average years in SC: 3.5 Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  16. Marital Status Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  17. Family Characteristics: Spouse Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  18. Family Status Source: Mexican Immigrant Study

  19. Family Characteristics: Children Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  20. Why Leave Mexico? • Mexico’s economic situation since mid-1980s: • Neoliberal economic policies • Declining income levels • Less job stability • Economic crises of 1980s, 1994 • Declining wages • Loss of jobs • Regional economic crises

  21. Why Leave Mexico? “I would prefer to always live in Mexico, but there are more opportunities here. Nobody wants to leave, but the situation forces one to move here. . . . Here there are better opportunities for the children, they can learn. [In Mexico] that’s very expensive. Jobs are better here. [There] my husband worked with asbestos.” Woman, 21, from Chihuahua In SC 2 years Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  22. Why Leave Mexico? “[In Mexico] it’s difficult, there is no money, you earn too little to help your family. We decided to come here for a better future. [There] if you get sick there is no money for a cure. My mother died because we didn’t have money, and 9 children were left with only a father. This is why we came here.” Woman, 25, from Oaxaca, In SC 5 years Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  23. Why Leave Mexico? “Our country is very humble, there we make 70 pesos [$ .70 an hour], here we make $6.00. The truth is that isn’t a life. It’s why we have to have the courage to come here, because [in Mexico] there isn’t a life, you have to make a change to break the chains of poverty.” Male, age 50, from Veracruz In SC 15 months Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  24. Why South Carolina? • Jobs • Some companies compete by lowering costs: rely on inexpensive, highly productive labor pool • Economic growth patterns in Southeast • Social Networks • 62 percent of respondents came to SC because family members or friends were already here* • Security * Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  25. Why SC? Social Networks “Eight or ten years ago some friends came here to South Carolina from Chiapas and they told us that it’s peaceful, and that work is easier. Because of that, we came.” Male, age 40, from Chiapas In SC 3 years Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  26. Why SC? Social Networks “[I am in SC] because my brothers helped me come here, it’s much better [here] than in Texas. There I didn’t have family.” Female, age 31, from Veracruz In SC 1 yr (after 2 years in Texas) Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  27. Why SC? Security “[In Mexico] there is a lot of poverty, robberies, assault, throwing people in jail…here, no. In this state, no. I haven’t seen that here. Here they even protect animals. It’s very peaceful here.” Female, age 33, from Mexico City In SC 1 year Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  28. Economic Profile: Occupations Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  29. Photo: Craig Stinson

  30. Jobs SC Photo: Craig Stinson

  31. Myth #2: Latino immigrants are a drain on the U.S. economy • Employment • Only .02 in this study are unemployed* • SC employers rely on this low-cost, highly productive labor force • Buying Power • 2005: Latino buying power (adjusted for remittances) in SC was $3.5 billion (Woodward study, USC) • Social Services • Undocumented immigrants are eligible only for WIC (for U.S.-born children) • WIC was the only service used by respondents* • 1/3 of children in this sample were born in the U.S., not all were eligible for WIC* • Churches, non-profit organizations provide most help* *Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  32. Economic Contributions • Studies show that immigrants’ economic contributions greatly outweigh their costs • For example, a 2005 NC study showed • Latino immigrants created 89,600 jobs • Paid ca. $756 million in taxes • Many experts estimate that about 65% of undocumented immigrants work “on the books” so have taxes withheld.* *Doug Campbell, “The Illegal Immigration Effect,” Region Focus 2006

  33. Paying Taxes Photo: Craig Stinson

  34. Myth #3: Latinos do not want to learn English Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  35. Some Learn English “I was obligated to speak your language, I am here…I am the one who has to speak your language. How did I learn it? I learned it by studying the dictionary, time passed, and I learned little by little.” Male, 29, from Veracruz In SC 1.5 years/US 9 years Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  36. Virtually all want to learn English • Virtually every respondent expressed the need/desire to learn English. “It would be nice to speak English, because it would open many doors, I could make friends with anyone, and it would give me confidence. It’s difficult to find an American who will speak Spanish with you.” Male, 23, Chiapas In SC 3 months/U.S. 4 years. “Our greatest need is to master or speak English . . . We could get a better job and later work for more rights, for insurance, for a [driver’s] license.” Male, 25, from Puebla In SC 1 month/U.S. 3 months Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  37. For most, the problem is time “The reason I don’t speak more English is because I work 12-16 hours every day, every week so I can have something in the future, for my kids and my wife.” Male, 23, from Puebla In SC 8 years Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  38. . Myth #4: Latino Immigrants are Criminals who Don’t Respect the Law • Only .02% (N=4) reported legal violation (all related to driving) • Many said they have respect for the law • Major issue re laws: how to learn what they are Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  39. Respect for the law (Spoken in English) “Most of the American people they tell you, ‘You just come here [to] take our jobs. You coming here so the government give you welfare, or stamps for food.’ . . . But we don’t. We come to work, make a better life. . . . I don’t know why people think like that. We here, we pay taxes, we respect the laws, we do everything like everybody else so I don’t understand why people discriminate like that.” Male, 21, from Puebla In SC 8 years Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  40. Learning About the Law “Hispanic policemen have helped [me here], they give good information about how to obey the laws of the road when you drive. [They gave] a good orientation about how to respect the laws and that we must respect the laws. Here the law is more important [than in Mexico].” Male, 28, from Veracruz. In SC 6 years Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  41. Knowing the Law…. “I think I have had a bad experience because I didn’t know the laws. Because three years ago, . . . We were detained because they said that we had falsified our documents, or passports, but a lawyer who said he would help us did this.” (Says she was cleared of charges). Female, age 38, from Hidalgo In SC 15 years Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  42. Myth #5: Latino Immigrants Want to Live in the U.S. Permanently Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  43. Immigrants’ Goals “I’m thinking of staying here awhile to get some money together to be able to start a business [in Mexico] because I want to be near my family. I would like to start a clothing store because my mother had a clothing store 30 years ago, I would like that. Or food, I would like to make and sell food.” Female, age 37, from Mexico City In SC one year Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  44. Their Goals “My family wants to return to Veracruz, everything is going well here, but here it’s only work, work, work. They are getting older and want to rest. Most still have houses there, we just came here because of the [Mexican] economy.” Female, age 18, from Veracruz In SC 3 years Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  45. But Many Don’t Return As Planned… “In the beginning when I got here I thought I would stay only one year. But I realized that after a year my economic situation had not improved, nor had the situation changed for my family in Mexico. I think that I’ll stay a few more years but not permanently.” Male, 25, from Veracruz In SC 1.5 years Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  46. Where Do You Want to Live When You’re Elderly? Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  47. Marginalization Photos: Elaine Lacy

  48. Housing Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  49. Condition of Housing “Our trailer is full of roaches and mice, we have no hot water, and things are broken. When we told the landlord he said he would report us if we complain. So we heat the water on the stove to take a bath.” Male, age 46, from Veracruz In SC 4 years Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

  50. Overcrowding Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

More Related