Mexican Migrant Workers Essay Example

Mexican Migrant Workers Essay Migrant workers have long played a important function in the economic system of the United States. there has ever been a instead heavy flow of both legal and illegal immigrants to the United States. There is a big assortment of different occupations available for both legal and illegal immigrants in the United States. many adult females find work with more flush households and are employed as nursemaids or amahs. Some adult females find work in mills. frequently turning out apparels or playthings. which is frequently labour-intensive low-wage work and particularly for those migratory workers that may non be in the state lawfully. Possibly the most of import function that these adult females play in the U. S. ’s economic system involves our extended agribusiness sector. Prior to break ones back labour limitations agribusiness in the U. S. was mostly dependent on slave labour. which was basically free as one might anticipate. The first English settlements imported slave labour every bit early as 1619 and Spanish settlements had practiced intensive slave labour since the 1560s. Slave labour became progressively of import in bring forthing high-value hard currency harvests such as baccy. sugar. java and cotton. Although slave labour was most of import in Southern plantation manner agribusiness. it besides played an built-in function in agribusiness in the North which is contrary to the popular belief of Northern provinces being intolerant towards bondage. After bondage was abolished in the 1860s and the slaves were emancipated. it was clear that those involved in agribusiness would hold to happen another beginning of inexpensive labour to pick up the slack ( Valdez 1 ) . Luckily for North American husbandmans there were many beginnings of inexpensive labour at this clip and many people willing to immigrate to happen work. We will write a custom essay sample on Mexican Migrant Workers specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Mexican Migrant Workers specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Mexican Migrant Workers specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Shortly after the abolition of bondage there was a really big inflow of Chinese immigrants. a huge bulk of these immigrants were put to work in agribusiness every bit good as being built-in to constructing the states railwaies. The flow of Chinese immigrants was curtailed by the U. S. authorities when they passed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. by and large believed to be a reaction to the diminution of the gold haste with legislators utilizing the Chinese as a whipping boy. Partially due to the loss of Chinese immigrant labour. many workers began migrating to the U. S. from Mexico and the Philippines. It is of import to observe that there were plentifulness of European immigrants that besides found employment making humble agricultural work. nevertheless their experiences were by and large different than the experiences faced by Mexican workers. For case. workers from England shared a common linguistic communication and faith with their employers so it became easier to absorb into society. Although there was some favoritism towards German and Irish immigrants due to the fact that these were by and large Catholic states. these differences were normally reconciled and didn’t take as much of a toll on those immigrants. However. employers shortly found out that their Mexican labourers by and large did non travel on work stoppage or demand higher rewards even when their working conditions were rather hapless. this led to increased favoritism and maltreatment towards Mexican migrators ( Valdez 1 ) . The usage of Mexican migrant labour declined during the Great Depression. as many of the agricultural occupations filled by Mexicans were now extremely sought after by internal migratory workers that hailed from Dust Bowl provinces and were by and large despairing to happen work. After World War Two. the U. S. economic system was one time once more healthy and began to boom as it had before the Great Depression. During the 30 or so old ages following World War Two a new tendency began developing. This tendency involved a big figure of labourers going from the southern United States and Latin America ( most notably Mexico ) to execute seasonal agribusiness work in the more northern provinces. Indeed. there were plentifulness of U. S. citizens that performed migratory labour at this clip. frequently being placed in occupations by the Farm Labor Agency. though most employers began to see the benefits of informally employed migratory workers. Although many of these foreign workers were hired through authorities plans. their contracts were pre-determined by prospective employers. Basically. this meant that employers had complete control over their workers and if any of them complained about hapless on the job conditions or demanded higher rewards they could instantly be deported at their employers whim. Working conditions surely were hapless during this clip. many tendencies that are still perpetuated today began during this period. For case. most migratory workers depended entirely on their crew leader for goods and nutrient which were frequently sold at extortionate monetary values that created company debt for the workers. Aside from the grueling labour. most migratory workers lived in really hapless conditions as good with far excessively many people frequently crammed into little. bedraggled hovels. Another tendency that developed during this period is the increasing usage of illegal migratory labour. Get downing during World War II Mexican citizens could lawfully go to and work in the U. S. under the Bracero Program. justified due to the fact that harvests couldn’t travel un-harvested during war clip. Basically a invitee worker plan. the Bracero Program was active from 1942 to 1964 and during this clip it sponsored about 4. million boundary line crossings by Mexican migratory workers. This plan enforced certain demands on employers that mandated that an acceptable degree of rewards. lodging. nutrient and medical attention be provided to their workers and as a consequence many migratory workers enjoyed higher criterions of life than they had back place. As a consequence employers began seeking out illegal migratory workers that were non involved in the plan. as they could pay them much lower rewards while non supplying any of the afore mentioned services. Pressure from employers every bit good as domestic agribusiness labour brotherhoods ( who viewed the Bracero plan as an hindrance to U. S. born workers ) finally led to the death of the Bracero plan in 1964. As there was still a immense demand for inexpensive. agribusiness labour and no longer a legal labour pool it is easy to see why there was such a inundation of illegal migratory workers from Mexico ( Valdez 2 ) . Today. migratory workers are still every spot every bit of import as they were in the yesteryear and a big bulk of them continue to acclaim from Mexico. Federal jurisprudence defines migratory workers as anyone that travels more than 75 stat mis in hunt of employment. and by this definition at the bend of the twenty-first Century there were an estimated 2. million people working as agricultural labourers with a light 12 % of these workers set uping impermanent abodes while working and approximately half still sing Mexico to be place. Between 1990 and 2001 the sum of Mexican born migratory workers working in agribusiness rose from about 30 % of the work force to about 50 % . Although these workers still constitute a little part of all the U. S. ’s pay and salaried workers they play a critical function in the more labour intensive facets involved in the production of all fresh. canned. frozen and processed nutrients consumed in the U. S. More than 85 % of all fruit and vegetable harvests in the U. S. require manus planting. manus cultivation and manus harvest home which is highly labour intensive. Despite their importance in this industry. around the bend of the twenty-first Century Mexican migrator workers earned an mean annual income that was merely approximately 40 % of the official poorness rate ( CIA 1 ) . Although the big bulk of migratory agribusiness workers are male. there is still a really big figure of female migratory workers seeking employment within the U. S. To understand the predicament of these adult females we foremost must understand precisely why they choose to go to the U. S. in hunt of work. One of the cardinal push factors for these adult females is the hapless economic conditions that Mexico has historically faced. Mexico went through a really harmful debt crisis in the eightiess that has played a big function in the states current economic sufferings. Presently. Mexico’s GDP growing rate is a blue -6. 5 % which places it 200th compared to the remainder of the universe. Mexico besides has an unemployment rate of 5. 5 % with an underemployment rate of about 25 % . Using a nutrient based definition of poorness about 18 % of Mexico lives in poorness. nevertheless when utilizing an plus based definition for poorness a humongous 47 % of Mexicans live in poorness ( CIA 1 ) . Due to this destitute conditions many Mexican adult females have problem happening work. and although the literacy rates for males and females are approximately equal in Mexico. and males are by and large chosen over adult females for the occupations that do be. It is easy to see why so many Mexican adult females are eager to go to the U. S. in hopes of happening better occupations and higher rewards. Along with money sufferings. this extended degree of poorness besides takes its toll on relationships. When times get tough. there is frequently more strain at place and hubbies and married womans are more likely to non acquire along. Although this is surely non a job that is alone to Mexico. there is one cardinal cultural constituent: Machismo. There is no individual. set definition of Machismo. but it is by and large viewed as what traditional Mexican civilization believes to be acceptable maleness. Surely. non every Mexican male tantrums this Machismo stereotype and there isn’t needfully anything incorrect with the ideals that work forces should draw a bead on to be strong and tough. However. there are many critics of the Machismo civilization and believe that it is really counter-productive and harmful towards adult females. For case. it is believed that the Macho adult male should be able to supply for his married woman and household and when hapless economic conditions are an obstruction to this the adult male may frequently experience unequal and abashed ( Soong 1 ) . This wouldn’t be as large of an issue if one of the cardinal pillars of the Machismo adult male involved force. Shockingly. tierce of native Mexican adult females interviewed stated that a hubby had the right to hit his married woman if she hadn’t fulfilled her duties and 42 % of those interviewed admitted that they had even been beaten as immature misss. It appears that the ability for work forces to asseverate their laterality over adult females through force is an recognized portion of Mexican civilization and most work forces are neer punished for perpetrating what sums to really condemnable Acts of the Apostless. It is believed that between 1999 and 2005 an estimated 6. 000 adult females were murdered in Mexico. with most of these deceases being caused by domestic force at the custodies of their hubbies or fellows. Of class. we realize that non all or even most Mexican work forces behave this manner nevertheless it is surely a big adequate cultural job to do a batch of strain on Mexican adult females. Many adult females. already overwhelmed by economic concerns. go forth Mexico merely to acquire themselves. and frequently their kids. off from opprobrious relationships ( Soong 2 ) . As we have now outlined two cardinal push factors. both economic and societal. it is besides of import to acknowledge the pull factors: the grounds behind why adult females choose to migrate to the U. S. The U. S. is really appealing to Mexican adult females. as they believe that they will be offered better occupations and better rewards upon geting. Unsurprisingly. American companies are besides built-in in enticing these Mexican adult females to the U. S. s they have began to trust on the cheap. docile labour that these adult females provide. In fact. many U. S. companies have been known to utilize Mexican immigrants as an illustration for how the American Dream can be accomplished. Many American concerns are now making selling runs that explicitly target Mexican immigrants. cognizing full well that t hey will pull merely as many illegal immigrants in the procedure. Even though these concerns are merely seeking to work them. many Mexicans and particularly Mexican adult females are construing these ads as a mark that they will be more readily accepted in American society and this makes migrating to the U. S. even more appealing ( Wyans 4 ) . Many Mexican adult females besides believe that the U. S. is some kind of classless Utopia. even though that is far from true. With the American societies push to be politically correct and purpose for a flat playing field. many Mexican adult females feel that the gender inequalities they experienced in Mexico will non be in the U. S. This thought of an classless U. S. most surely stems from the really colored media that America exports to around the universe. which doubtless pigments America in a really positive visible radiation. Even though the Mexican adult female migrating to the U. S. ay procure a more moneymaking occupation and better life conditions. she will most likely face most of the same societal ailments she had experienced in Mexico ( Wyans 5 ) . When taking these push/pull factors in to account it is no daze that so many Mexican adult females are migrating to the U. S. Most insouciant perceivers assume that these Mexican adult females are merely migrating because they are passively attach toing their hubbies but this is surely non the instance. particularly in recent old ages. In fact. more than half of the migratory workers from all Latin American states going to the U. S. are adult females going by the ain will. Migrant workers as a whole are confided to the lower accomplishment sector of the labour market. and the adult females among these migratory workers normally merely find work in the lowest manual places such as child care. industrial cleansing. nutrient processing and stitching. Not merely are female migratory workers given the worst of already hapless occupations. they are about ever paid less than their male migrator opposite numbers. Employers have besides caught on to one cardinal trait among female migratory workers. many of them are unwilling to demand higher rewards or kick about working conditions merely because they are responsible for their kids at place. This leads many employers to capable adult females to longer hours. lower wage and worse working conditions than they would anticipate a male worker to set up with ( Cultural Survival 1 ) . As I had antecedently stated. migratory workers play a cardinal function in reaping and treating our states nutrient. A really challenging illustration of the function that female Mexican migrator workers play in this sector of our economic system involves Maryland’s crab industry. Each twelvemonth. 100s of Mexican adult females travel to the Eastern Shore of Maryland to work for Maryland crab companies. These adult females by and large enter the U. S. lawfully. by obtaining a impermanent work visa known as an H-2B Visa. Although the H-2B plan was originally intended to the employer to temporarily supplement his current domestic work force with migratory workers. most of Maryland’s crab companies have begun to trust entirely on H-2B workers. The H-2B plan is rather similar to the authorities plans I mentioned earlier. The cardinal similarity and cause for concern is the fact that an H-2B invitee worker is basically bound by ordinances to a individual employer. so any demand for higher rewards or better working conditions can still be met with the menace of exile ( Paral 8 ) . In order to obtain an H-2B visa most adult females meet with local recruiters in Mexico. These adult females are already being exploited before they leave their place town. as these H-2B recruiters illicitly force them to pay big fees in order to obtain their H-2B licenses. Many of the adult females that can’t afford these fabricated fees wind up working out loans with their H-2B recruiter. which by and large have extortionate involvement rates that put the adult females further in debt. Legally. these recruiters are non allowed to bear down any fees but it is impossible to implement U. S. dealingss South of the boundary line. Employers are frequently able to direct certain messages via recruiters that violate U. S. Civil Rights Torahs. they are able to propose that recruiters discriminate when taking employees and are able to plead ignorance if of all time reprimanded for their recruiters behavior. After having their H-2B visas. the adult females cross the boundary line and board a coach that will take them to Maryland. They are non informed how long the trip will take. and although they are told to convey American dollars to purchase nutrient. many adult females either can non afford to eat or are excessively intimidated by the linguistic communication barrier to shop for nutrient and as a consequence go the full 2-3 twenty-four hours bus trip without eating ( Kloer 1 ) . When these adult females eventually do it to Maryland they typically rent houses that are owned by their employers and located on islands in Chesapeake Bay. Crab companies are non lawfully required to supply lodging for the crab choosers. but most ain and operate lease houses in order to guarantee that their workers remain close to the crab picking houses. The houses non located on islands may merely every bit good be. because during high tide the Bridgess and roads linking them with the mainland become unpassable. These houses are normally in really hapless status and the adult females frequently complain about such jobs as non-working ranges. leaks. and hapless plumbing. These ill maintained houses have besides been known to house up to 30 adult females at one clip. some adult females interviewed reported sharing a sleeping room with up to 7 other adult females. Most adult females must either portion beds with other adult females or kip on the floor and by and large have small to no privateness while remaining in rental lodging. To exceed it off. really few companies give keys to their renters which means they can non even lock their houses to protect their ownerships while working in the crab picking houses ( AUWCL 3 ) . Many of the lease houses besides have jobs that are in direct misdemeanor of the counties lodging codification. such as broken Windowss and mold infestations. Despite these misdemeanors. no legal action has been taken by the county in order to guarantee that these rental houses be in liveable status. Not merely are the living conditions of these rental belongingss really hapless. populating on an island is besides damaging to the adult females in some really important ways. Since these adult females reside on an island when non working. they become really stray from the remainder of the local community. One about admirations if these houses weren’t strategically placed by the employers. because populating in such isolation shields their predicament from the locals and besides forces them to trust entirely on their employer ( Kloer 2 ) . Since there is no public transit to and from the island. and these adult females can non afford to purchase a boat. they must trust on their employer for transit to the mainland. Many companies merely arrange transit for their workers hebdomadally and on fixed yearss. because there is limited infinite on the boat merely a limited figure of adult females can travel to town at one time. As a consequence of this some adult females reported holding to wait two or three hebdomads before they could acquire to the mainland to buy food markets. this meant that they had to trust on fellow workers for nutrient and other points.