THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO MEXICAN WAGE LABOR MIGRATION

This article is an analysis and critique of theories explaining Mexican immigration to the US. The author points out that Marxist approaches stressing class and economic conjuncture provide a framework within which certain non-Marxist approaches can be effectively used. She focuses on why migration occurs, where migrants go, and who migrates, a complex analysis that reveals the importance of kinship and family connections and the extent of household resources. She discusses the growth of transnational communities, such as the Mixtec ones in Oaxaca, Tijuana, and southern California, spanning two nation-states. -from Author