Deciding To Be Legal: A Maya Community in Houston

This book examines the settlement process of undocumented migrant workers through an ethnographic study of a Houston (Texas) community of Mayas from a township in Totonicapan, Guatemala. The community is traced from its genesis in 1978, when a few men left the township in search of economic opportun...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author Hagan, Jacqueline Maria
Format Book
LanguageEnglish
Published Temple Univ 1994
Subjects
Acculturation
Adjustment (to Environment)
American Indian Culture
Community Study
Cultural Influences
Educational Attitudes
Ethnography
Females
Foreign Countries
Guatemala
Immigration
Immigration Reform and Control Act 1986
Latin Americans
Legal Status
Males
Maya (People)
Migrant Workers
Parent Responsibility
Relocation
Sex Role
Social Networks
Texas (Houston)
Undocumented Immigrants
Guatemala
Texas (Houston)
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:This book examines the settlement process of undocumented migrant workers through an ethnographic study of a Houston (Texas) community of Mayas from a township in Totonicapan, Guatemala. The community is traced from its genesis in 1978, when a few men left the township in search of economic opportunity, to the complex effects of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. Data were gathered through interviews and observations during the author's 3-year residence and participation in the community. The book's first section focuses on community formation in Houston: the transfer and reproduction of cultural resources associated with a common community of origin and a Maya identity; and the settlement process, including residential configuration of the community, transformation of kinship structures, recruitment networks, living arrangements, job networks, work experiences, and formation of a community church. The second section examines the social and technical processes of legalization from the Maya perspective, community changes resulting from legalization, and implications for migration theory and immigration policy formation. Major themes include the differing settlement experiences of men and women; the diverse motivations to become legalized or not; and the exceptional success of this rural, traditional, relatively unskilled population due to extensive community-based networks and strong ties to the home community in Guatemala. Individuals' attitudes toward legalization frequently were influenced by their aspirations for their children: education in the United States versus growing up in the Maya culture in Guatemala. Contains 127 references and an index. (SV)
ISBN:1566392578
9781566392570