‘Integrating in the City: Socio-Demographic Factors and Urban Policies in the Integration of Mexican Immigrants in Los Angeles’

Olga Odgers Ortiz, Luis Escala Rabadán.

Currently, Mexicans constitute the largest immigrant group in the United States. However, their integration to this country seems to show several limitations due to the high percentage of the undocumented as well as the low percentage of those who have naturalized and, thus, exercise their rights as citizens.

In addition, Mexican immigrants have a comparatively lower level of education and only have access to low paying employment.

The main objective of this research project is to analyze the economic, socio-cultural and political factors that limit the integration of immigrants in the City and metropolitan area of Los Angeles.Based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative research techniques, this project presents three specific objectives: 1) to examine the socio-demographic characteristics of Mexican immigrants that indicate their degree of economic and social integration in the metropolitan region of Los Angeles, using two of the main surveys in the United States; 2) from an ethnographic perspective, to analyze the economic, socio-cultural and political factors that limit the integration of three groups of adult Mexican immigrants residing in the City of Los Angeles who come from the states of Zacatecas, Oaxaca, and Veracruz and have settled in the city at different times and historical situations; and 3) to analyze the public policies that the recent governments of the City of Los Angeles have implemented to facilitate or restrict the integration of Mexican immigrants.