Myth vs. Reality: Mexican Immigrants in South Carolina

Elaine Lacy, Ph.D.

Professor, USC Aiken Director of Research, Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies USC

Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies University of South Carolina

Myth # 1: America is Being Overrun with Immigrants  In 1910, 14.7% of the U.S. population was made up of immigrants  In 2005, 12.5% of the U.S. population was made up of immigrants  Historically, our largest immigrant population (Mexican) ebbs and flows based on conditions in Mexico

Today: Mexicans in South Carolina  Why are they leaving Mexico?

 Why South Carolina?

 Profiles    Demographic Economic Social/Cultural  Myths vs Reality

Photo: Myriam Torres

Mexican Immigrant Study

 Funding:  RPS Grant, USC   Aiken Partnership, USCA Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies, USC  Methodology:  181 open-ended, taped interviews (68 questions)   Subjects residing in 14 SC counties Most using snowball sampling method  Mexican Consulate

Consulados Moviles

Many Thanks To…..

   Grad Students    Amanda Elias Vargas Kristin Hudgins Emily Arnold Transcribers     Micaela Montes Claudia Stinson Joanna Vargas Julie Leone Community Contacts       Alma Puente Glenda Bunce Myriam Torres Acercamiento Hispano Hispanic Leadership Council Mexican Consul General Armando Ortiz Rocha

Project Aims

 Provide a baseline profile of Mexican immigrants  In their own words, immigrants’:  Experiences  Future plans  Major needs and concerns

Latin American Country of Origin, SC

South America 7% Other 9% Central America 11% Puerto Rico 10% Mexico 63% Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2005 data

New Faces in SC

Photo: Craig Stinson

New Faces SC

Photo: Craig Stinson

Where in South Carolina?

Source: US Bureau of the Census, 2005 Estimates

Mexican State of Origin

 Half of respondents arrive from southeastern Mexico  These are relatively new sending states

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Mexican Immigrant Study: Respondent Gender

Females 31% Males 69% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Demographic Profile

 Median age: 29

Educational Attainment

 Average years in school: 8.4

10-12 Years 29% 12-16 Years 7% 16+ Years 3% 0-6 Years 36% 7-9 Years 25% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Respondents’ County of Residence, SC County of Residence

Aiken Anderson Beaufort Charleston Dorchester Greenville Jasper Kershaw Lexington Newberry Pickens Richland Saluda Spartanburg

Migration Patterns

 Average years in the U.S.: 4.5  Average years in SC: 3.5

>1 Yr Other State 27% Migration Route Direct to SC 73% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Marital Status

Single 44% Males Married 56% Single 16% Females Married 84% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Family Characteristics: Spouse

Location of Spouse, Males Wives SC 47% Wives MX 53% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Family Status

Married no children 19% Married w/children 47% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study Single 34%

Family Characteristics: Children

Children both 4% Children MX 33% Children SC 63% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Why Leave Mexico?

 Mexico’s economic situation since mid 1980s:  Neoliberal economic policies  Declining income levels  Less job stability  Economic crises of 1980s, 1994  Declining wages  Loss of jobs  Regional economic crises

Why Leave Mexico?

“I would prefer to always live in Mexico, but there are more opportunities here. Nobody wants to leave, but the situation forces one to move here. . . . Here there are better opportunities for the children, they can learn. [In Mexico] that’s very expensive. Jobs are better here. [There] my husband worked with asbestos.”

Woman, 21, from Chihuahua In SC 2 years

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Why Leave Mexico?

“[ In Mexico] it’s difficult, there is no money, you earn too little to help your family. We decided to come here for a better future. [There] if you get sick there is no money for a cure. My mother died because we didn’t have money, and 9 children were left with only a father. This is why we came here.”

Woman, 25, from Oaxaca, In SC 5 years

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Why Leave Mexico?

“Our country is very humble, there we make 70 pesos [$ .70 an hour], here we make $6.00. The truth is that isn’t a life. It’s why we have to have the courage to come here, because [in Mexico] there isn’t a life, you have to make a change to break the chains of poverty.”

Male, age 50, from Veracruz In SC 15 months

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Why South Carolina?

 Jobs  Some companies compete by lowering costs: rely on inexpensive, highly productive labor pool  Economic growth patterns in Southeast  Social Networks  62 percent of respondents came to SC because family members or friends were already here*  Security *

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Why SC? Social Networks

“Eight or ten years ago some friends came here to South Carolina from Chiapas and they told us that it’s peaceful, and that work is easier. Because of that, we came.”

Male, age 40, from Chiapas In SC 3 years

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Why SC? Social Networks

“[I am in SC] because my brothers helped me come here, it’s much better [here] than in Texas. There I didn’t have family.”

Female, age 31, from Veracruz In SC 1 yr (after 2 years in Texas)

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Why SC? Security

“[In Mexico] there is a lot of poverty, robberies, assault, throwing people in jail…here, no. In this state, no. I haven’t seen that here. Here they even protect animals. It’s very peaceful here.”

Female, age 33, from Mexico City In SC 1 year

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Economic Profile: Occupations

Poultry Processing 5% Landscaping 6% Trade 5% Construction 45% Service 9% Mfg 13% Restaurants 17% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Photo: Craig Stinson

Jobs SC

Photo: Craig Stinson

Myth #2: Latino immigrants are a drain on the U.S. economy    Employment   Only .02 in this study are unemployed* SC employers rely on this low-cost, highly productive labor force Buying Power  2005: Latino buying power (adjusted for remittances) in SC was $3.5 billion (Woodward study, USC) Social Services     Undocumented immigrants are eligible only for WIC (for U.S. born children) WIC was the only service used by respondents* 1/3 of children in this sample were born in the U.S., not all were eligible for WIC* Churches, non-profit organizations provide most help*

*Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Economic Contributions

 Studies show that immigrants’ economic contributions greatly outweigh their costs  For example, a 2005 NC study showed  Latino immigrants created 89,600 jobs  Paid ca. $756 million in taxes  Many experts estimate that about 65% of undocumented immigrants work “on the books” so have taxes withheld.* *Doug Campbell, “The Illegal Immigration Effect,”

Region Focus

2006

Paying Taxes

Photo: Craig Stinson

Myth #3: Latinos do not want to learn English

English Language Acquisition Not Yet Learning 32% Formal Classes 27% Indep Study 23% Via work/fam 18% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Some Learn English

“I was obligated to speak your language, I am here…I am the one who has to speak your language. How did I learn it? I learned it by studying the dictionary, time passed, and I learned little by little.”

Male, 29, from Veracruz In SC 1.5 years/US 9 years

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Virtually all want to learn English



Virtually every respondent expressed the need/desire to learn English.

“It would be nice to speak English, because it would open many

doors, I could make friends with anyone, and it would give me confidence. It’s difficult to find an American who will speak Spanish with you.”

Male, 23, Chiapas In SC 3 months/U.S. 4 years. “Our greatest need is to master or speak English . . . We could get a

better job and later work for more rights, for insurance, for a [driver’s] license.”

Male, 25, from Puebla In SC 1 month/U.S. 3 months Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

For most, the problem is time

“The reason I don’t speak more English is because I work 12-16 hours every day, every week so I can have something in the future, for my kids and my wife.”

Male, 23, from Puebla In SC 8 years

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Myth #4: Latino Immigrants are Criminals who Don’t Respect the Law  (all related to driving)  Many said they have respect for the law  Major issue re laws: how to learn what they are

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Respect for the law

(Spoken in English) “Most of the American people they tell you, ‘You just come here [to] take our jobs. You coming here so the government give you welfare, or stamps for food.’ . . . But we don’t. We come to work, make a better life. . . . I don’t know why people think like that. We here, we pay taxes, we respect the laws, we do everything like everybody else so I don’t understand why people discriminate like that.”

Male, 21, from Puebla In SC 8 years

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Learning About the Law

“Hispanic policemen have helped [me here], they give good information about how to obey the laws of the road when you drive. [They gave] a good orientation about how to respect the laws and that we must respect the laws. Here the law is more important [than in Mexico].”

Male, 28, from Veracruz. In SC 6 years

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Knowing the Law….

“I think I have had a bad experience because I didn’t know the laws. Because three years ago, . . . We were detained because they said that we had falsified our documents, or passports, but a lawyer who said he would help us did this.” (Says she was cleared of charges).

Female, age 38, from Hidalgo In SC 15 years

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Myth #5: Latino Immigrants Want to Live in the U.S. Permanently

Future Plans Don't Know 13% Remain US 28% Plan Return Mexico 59% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Immigrants’ Goals

“I’m thinking of staying here awhile to get some money together to be able to start a business [in Mexico] because I want to be near my family. I would like to start a clothing store because my mother had a clothing store 30 years ago, I would like that. Or food, I would like to make and sell food.”

Female, age 37, from Mexico City In SC one year

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Their Goals

“My family wants to return to Veracruz, everything is going well here, but here it’s only work, work, work. They are getting older and want to rest. Most still have houses there, we just came here because of the [Mexican] economy.”

Female, age 18, from Veracruz In SC 3 years

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

But Many Don’t Return As Planned…

“In the beginning when I got here I thought I would stay only one year. But I realized that after a year my economic situation had not improved, nor had the situation changed for my family in Mexico. I think that I’ll stay a few more years but not permanently.”

Male, 25, from Veracruz In SC 1.5 years

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Where Do You Want to Live When You’re Elderly?

U.S.

14% Don't Know 12% Both 3% Other 1% Mexico 70% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Marginalization

Photos: Elaine Lacy

Housing

Housing Type Apartment 27% Duplex 1% House 32% Mobile Home 40% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Condition of Housing

“Our trailer is full of roaches and mice, we have no hot water, and things are broken. When we told the landlord he said he would report us if we complain. So we heat the water on the stove to take a bath.”

Male, age 46, from Veracruz In SC 4 years

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Overcrowding

Nuclear Family 27% Household Size 1-3 in HH 15% >6 in HH 15% Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006 4-6 in HH 43%

Marginalization: Healthcare

 Less than 1% have health insurance  40% have not seen a doctor in the U.S.

 Barriers to health care:  Cost  Language barriers  No transportation

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Marginalization: Low Wages

 About $15,000 annual income

“In some ways [here] were are the same as before, poor, but here the poverty is ten times better off than there.”

Woman, age 21, from Chihuahua In SC 2 years

Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

Marginalization: Job Insecurity

“I think it would be better to have a work permit because you know the government knows that Hispanics are working here and the government knows that we are illegal and one day they can deport us. Perhaps you have created a life, a family, dreams, and because you’re illegal everything can be lost. So it’s difficult to build anything.”

Male, age 22 from Veracruz In SC 5 years Source: Mexican Immigrant Study, 2006

A Changing South Carolina

Source: Greenvilleonline.com, 11 August 2005

Debunking Myths

   Myth # 1: America is Being Overrun with Immigrants Myth #2: Latino immigrants are a drain on the U.S. economy Myth #3: Latinos do not want to learn English   Myth #4: Latino Immigrants are Criminals who Don’t Respect the Law Myth #5: Latino Immigrants Want to Live in the U.S. Permanently