Return to Aztlan

by Massey, Douglas S.

• ISBN13: 9780520069701
• ISBN10: 0520069706
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1990-03-01
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr on Demand

Summary

Return to Aztlan analyzes the social process of international migration through an intensive study of four carefully chosen Mexican communities. The book combines historical, anthropological, and survey data to construct a vivid and comprehensive picture of the social dynamics of contemporary Mexican migration to the United States.

Author Biography

Douglas S. Massey is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Population Research Center, University of Chicago Rafael Alarcon and Humberto Gonzalez are research investigators in social anthropology at the Mexican graduate institution of the Colegio de Jalisco as is Jorge Durand at the Universidad de Guadalajara

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Migration as a Social Process	p. 3
Nature of the Study	p. 7
Plan of the Book	p. 8
Study Design	p. 10
Questionnaire Design and Interviewing	p. 13
Sample Design	p. 14
Data Coding and File Construction	p. 19
Summary	p. 20
A Profile of the Four Communities	p. 22
Geographic Setting	p. 22
A Demographic Profile	p. 26
A Socioeconomic Profile	p. 29
The Agrarian Economies of Altamira and Chamitlan	p. 33
Summary	p. 36
Historical Development of International Migration	p. 39
The Macrohistorical Context	p. 39
Altamira: Microhistory of a Traditional Town	p. 44
Chamitlan: Microhistory of a Commercial Agrarian Town	p. 62
Santiago: Microhistory of an Industrial Town	p. 79
Guadalajara: A Different Historical Role	p. 95
Summary: International Migration in Comparative Perspective	p. 106
Current Migration Patterns	p. 110
Extent of Migration	p. 110
Characteristics of the Trip	p. 116
Demographic Background of Migrants	p. 124
Socioeconomic Background of Migrants	p. 129
Socioeconomic Selection of Migrants	p. 133
Summary	p. 138
The Social Organization of Migration	p. 139
The Social Bases of Network Migration	p. 139
Development of the Networks	p. 147
Formation of Daughter Communities	p. 153
Case Studies of Network Migration	p. 164
Summary: Social Networks and Migration	p. 169
Migration and the Household Economy	p. 172
Strategies of Migration	p. 174
A Typology of Migrants	p. 180
Characteristics of Migrant Strategies	p. 184
Case Studies of Migrant Strategies	p. 191
Migration and the Life Cycle	p. 197
Migration and the Household Budget	p. 210
Summary	p. 213
The Socioeconomic Impact of Migration in Mexico	p. 216
Spending Patterns	p. 217
Housing	p. 219
Standard of Living	p. 225
Business and Employment	p. 231
Ownership and Distribution of Farmland	p. 236
Agricultural Production	p. 241
Conclusions	p. 249
Integration in the United States	p. 253
The Integration Process	p. 254
Personal Integration	p. 256
Social Integration	p. 259
Economic Integration	p. 262
The Effect of Legal Status	p. 264
Orientation to Mexico	p. 270
Case Studies of Integration	p. 276
Summary	p. 283
Principles of International Migration	p. 285
Methods of Analysis	p. 286
Steps in the Migration Process	p. 287
Summary	p. 312
Conclusions	p. 315
References	p. 323
Index	p. 333
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