The Immigration Debate in The United States: Historical Trends, Migration and Educational Issues

Resumen

El debate migratorio se encuentra en un punto culminante en los Estados
Unidos (E.U.A.). Sin embargo, a pesar de que se han realizado, estudios
importantes sobre la migración e inmigracion de Mexicanas/os a E.U.A., el
fenómeno de la migración aun requiere de más enfoque sobre la magnitud y
los contextos específicos regionales de este proceso. En este artículo los autores
presentan el caso histórico de la migración Michoacana a E.U.A. para demostrar
la importancia y necesidad de realizar investigaciones con enfoques específicos
regionales en el contexto migratorio. Este artículo también presenta datos
sobre el contexto legal y educacional anti-inmigrante que existe en E.U.A.

There is a substantial body of research related to the U.S.-Mexico immigration
relationship from a range of disciplines including: economics, health, sociology,
law, political science and education (Bean, Brown, & Rumbaut, 2006; Cortina,
de la Garza, Bejarano, & Wainer, 2005; Dinerman, 1978; Portes, 2004;
Reichert & Massey, 1980). This research has yielded great insights in
understanding the impact of Mexican immigration to the United States. Yet,
while this research provides valuable information about the Mexican population
that migrates to the United States in general, “ a serious problem… is that the
foregoing studies are not based on representative national samples” (Durand,
Massey, & Zenteno, 2001, p. 108). Much of the data gathered on Mexican
immigrants is not inclusive of their regional, demographic, and socioeconomic
status prior to entering the U.S. This article presents an examination of general
immigration historical trends and educational issues that are related to the
current immigration debate in the United States. Despite a lack of abundant
data, this article attempts to focus especially on immigration to the U.S. from
the Mexican state of Michoacán as a representative case.