Between Two Worlds

Although immigrants enter the United States from virtually every nation, Mexico has long been identified in the public imagination as one of the primary sources of the economic, social, and political problems associated with mass migration. Between Two Worlds explores the controversies surrounding Mexicans as they establish new lives in an often intimidating foreign land. Drawing on insights provoked by recent trends in immigration research, Professor David Gutierrez has chosen eleven essays that provide an overview of some of the most important interpretation of the historical and contemporary dimensions of the Mexican diaspora. The opening articles chronicle the prejudice aimed toward Mexican Americans. Broadening the focus to include political as well as cultural themes, the next group of selections highlights issues such as acculturation, class, and the frequently shifting political stance of Mexican-Americans and Chicanos regarding the plight of new arrivals in the States. Finally, the closing essays take a hard look at present-day U.S. immigration policy in the context of both the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the emergence of an increasingly global economy.