Suchergebnisse

In a discussion of factors affecting the distinctive sociocultural status of Mexican Americans, the multidimensional character of this group is stressed, noting both its long-term presence in the geographical US & its status as one of the fastest-growing immigrant groups. Demographic characteristics are summarized, focusing on concentration in the Southwest, high urbanization, & disproportionate representation of the young, blue-collar, & poor. Vulnerability to economic fluctuations, language barriers, & restricted access to education are cited as factors perpetuating low Mexican-American SES. Potential & actual political mobilization is emphasized as critical to the future status of this group. 6 Tables. Modified HA.

Mexican Americans' rapid growth and com plexity compel awareness of this huge and often overlooked minority. Mexican Americans defy Census classification and color differentiation, departing sharply from the character istics of either European immigrants or black Americans. Such factors as settlement patterns, sharp discrimination and segregation, a historical lack of political opportunities, and depressed economic circumstances have made Mexican Americans one of the most distinctive groups in America today. Demographically, Mexican Americans are highly ur banized, young, disproportionately blue collar, and poor. Occupational gains are sluggish, with great sensitivity to changing economic conditions. Occupational mobility is so slow that it offers convincing evidence of a "dual labor market," trapping succeeding generations of Mexican Ameri cans. High immigration, poor education-particularly in Texas—language barriers, and divisive issues of bilingualism and biculturalism guarantee that many Mexican Americans will continue to experience poverty in the future. A hopeful sign for the future is the high level of political activity, both real and potential, now present in this community.

Abstract
We conduct a comprehensive analysis of Mexican-American entrepreneurship. We find that low levels of education and wealth explain the entire gap between Mexican immigrants and non-Latino whites in business formation rates; together with language ability, these factors explain nearly the entire gap in business income. Legal status represents an additional barrier for Mexican immigrants, reducing business ownership rates by 0.7 percentage points. Human and financial capital deficiencies limit business ownership and business success among second and third-generation Mexican-Americans to a lesser extent. These findings have implications for the debates over the assimilation of Mexican-Americans in the United States.

Although business ownership has implications for income inequality, wealth accumulation and job creation, surprisingly little research explores why Mexican-Americans are less likely to start businesses and why the businesses that they start are less successful on average than non-Latino whites. We conduct a comprehensive analysis of Mexican-American entrepreneurship using microdata from the 2000 U.S. Census, the matched and unmatched March and Outgoing Rotation Group Files of the Current Population Survey from 1994 to 2004, and the Legalized Population Survey (LPS). We find that low levels of education and wealth explain the entire gap between Mexican immigrants and non-Latino whites in business formation rates. Nearly the entire gap in business income for Mexican immigrants is explained by low levels of education and limited English language ability. Using the natural experiment created by the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), we find that legal status represents an additional barrier for Mexican immigrants. A conservative estimate suggests that the lack of legal status reduces business ownership rates by roughly seven-tenths of a percentage point for both men and women. Human and financial capital deficiencies are found to limit business ownership and business success among second and third-generation Mexican-Americans, but to a lesser extent. These findings have implications for the debates over the selection of immigrants and the assimilation of Mexican-Americans in the U.S. economy. -- Mexican-Americans ; entrepreneurship ; inequality

Cover -- Endorsements -- Half Title -- Series Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- List of figures -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- PART I: Mexican American religious history -- 1. Indigenous religions: Mesoamerica and the North -- 2. Iberian religion and colonial evangelization of New Spain -- 3. The colonial era in northern New Spain -- 4. Religion in the Mexican period -- 5. Religion and race: The U.S.-Mexican War and Mexican Americans -- 6. Mexican migration and the Catholic Church, 1880-1940 -- 7. Mexican American Protestants -- 8. Mexican American evangelicals and charismatic Christians -- 9. Mexican American Catholics in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries -- PART II: Topics in Mexican American religion -- 10. Curanderismo -- 11. Religion and Mexican American civil rights -- 12. Transnational religious devotions: Mexican American religions in transit -- 13. Mexican American Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Mormons, and "nones" -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Index.