Labor and Legality An Ethnography of a Mexican Immigrant Network

by Gomberg-Muñoz, Ruth

• ISBN13: 9780199739387
• ISBN10: 0199739382
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-25
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Labor and Legality: Life in a Mexican Immigrant Network is an ethnography of undocumented immigrants who work as busboys at a Chicago-area restaurant. Ruth Gomberg-Muñoz introduces readers to the Lions, ten friends from Mexico committed to improving their fortunes and the lives of their families. Set in and around "Il Vino," a restaurant that could stand in for many places that employ undocumented workers, Labor and Legality reveals the faces behind the war being waged over "illegal aliens" in America. Gomberg-Muñoz focuses on how undocumented workers develop a wide range of social strategies to cultivate financial security, nurture emotional well-being, and promote their dignity and self-esteem. She also reviews the political and historical circumstances of undocumented migration, with an emphasis on post-1970 socioeconomic and political conditions in the United States and Mexico. Labor and Legality is one of several volumes in the Issues of Globalization: Case Studies in Contemporary Anthropology series, which examines the experiences of individual communities in our contemporary world. Each volume offers a brief and engaging exploration of a particular issue arising from globalization and its cultural, political, and economic effects on certain peoples or groups. Ideal for introductory anthropology courses-and as supplements for a variety of upper-level courses-these texts seamlessly combine portraits of an interconnected and globalized world with narratives that emphasize the agency of their subjects.

Author Biography

Ruth Gomberg-Muoz is Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her work has been published in American Anthropologist and the Journal for Latino-Latin American Studies.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Meet the Lions	p. 5
A Dog's Life: Luis	p. 5
I Want Respect at My Job: Rene	p. 7
Meet the Lions	p. 10
Il Vino Buono	p. 15
What Does a Busboy Do?	p. 17
How Do the Lions Compare to Other Groups of Workers?	p. 18
Why is There Undocumented Migration?	p. 22
Papa Juan's Story	p. 22
A History of Mexican Labor Migration to the United States	p. 26
The Beginnings of Borders in North America	p. 26
The Seeds of Globalization: Development and Migration	p. 27
The Roots Take Hold: The Breadbasket and the Bracero Program	p. 30
Reaping the Harvest: The Political Production of "Illegal Immigration"	p. 32
Politics of Marginalization	p. 34
Politics of Labor Reproduction	p. 36
Jumping and Adjusting to Life Under the Radar	p. 41
Migration: Chuy's Story	p. 41
Life in León	p. 44
Family Strategies	p. 47
The Price of Crossing	p. 52
Life Under the Radar: Papers	p. 53
Life Under the Radar: Getting Adjusted	p. 55
Changing Ideas of Home: Return Migration and Return-Return Migration	p. 59
Múy Unidos: Friends, Networks, and Households	p. 63
Having Friends Makes Things Easier: Alejandro	p. 63
Utilizing a Social Network: Finding Work	p. 65
Money and Respect: Assessing Jobs and Bosses	p. 67
Getting Paid and Managing Money	p. 71
Utilizing a Social Network: Households	p. 74
Echándole Ganas: Working Hard	p. 80
A Little Extra: Roberto	p. 80
Extra Work, Flexible Work	p. 84
A Hypothetical Day in the Work Life of an Il Vino Busboy	p. 84
Learning the Ropes: Humor and Hazing	p. 89
Working as a Team	p. 92
Covering and Criticizing: Protecting the Group and Enforcing the Norms	p. 94
Why Work Hard? Dimensions of Willingness	p. 97
Consent and Contradiction	p. 99
Los Número Uno: Identity, Dignity, and Esteem	p. 102
They're Good People: Lalo	p. 102
Race, Class, and Illegality: Structural Dimensions of Mexican Immigrant Identity	p. 105
Mojarones and Pacos: Race, Class, and Illegality at Il Vino	p. 107
The Dignity of Hard Work	p. 111
On the Margins of the "American Dream"	p. 116
Gendered Identity and the Honor of Family Men	p. 118
Illegals and Criminals: Racism, Nativism, and the Criminalization of Low-Wage Labor	p. 124
We Wetbacks are People Who Like to Work: Leonardo	p. 124
Myths and Realities	p. 126
Illegals and Criminals	p. 132
Toward an Anti-Nativist, Anti-Racist Perspective on Immigration	p. 135
Epilogue	p. 137
Appendix: Interview Outline-Core Participants	p. 141
Student Resource Guide	p. 145
Glossary	p. 149
References Cited	p. 153
Index	p. 161
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