Mobility through Self-employment among the Adult Children of Mexican Immigrants

• In Event: 118 - Section on Economic Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 09. Entrepreneurship, Laboring, and Mobility

Abstract

The U.S. has been a haven for immigrant populations seeking solace from social, political and economic crises in their home countries. Previous research has revealed that the levels and flows of migration from common sending countries, such as Mexico and other Latin American nations, are influenced by U.S. immigration and international trade policies. State policies and societal institutions may have a large impact on the economic opportunities available to migrants, and the general perceptions of immigrants within the host society dictate the level of access immigrants will have to financial, social, and political institutions. This study examines self-employment rates among immigrant groups and hypothesizes that the conditions of migration and the context of reception of initial cohorts of Mexican migrants significantly decreases the rate of self-employment across immigrant generations. Using a survey data on the mobility of immigrant groups within the Los Angeles metropolitan region, the author finds that poor contexts of reception of Mexican migrants places new migrants in a precarious position, hindering their access to existing social and financial capital resources. The author concludes that lacking institutional support for the positive reception of Mexican migrants within the host society impacts self-employment opportunities.

Author

• Stephanie A. Pullés, University of California, Irvine