Mexican Migration to California

For 20 years, from 1945 to 1965, Mexicans immigrated to the United States legally under the terms of the Bracero Program, which allowed them to come into the country to work. Under this program, sponsored by both the American and Mexican governments, American employers sent agents into Mexico to find laborers for major U.S. industries—generally agriculture that required labor-intensive work. This agreement with the Mexican government guaranteed a constant supply of labor available for U.S. agriculture and industry. One of the prime agricultural regions that these Mexicans came to was naturally California. With its vast agricultural industry, it required a considerable number of workers willing to perform manual labor, especially during harvest. Many laborers also came outside of the Bracero Program, creating an influx of undocumented workers, and some of the braceros decided to stay (illegally) after they [Page 443]completed their work contracts under the program. Individuals in both groups, however, were often treated the same.

The Bracero Program came to an end with the passage of the Immigration Act of 1965, which restructured and reformed the immigration policies of the United States. Instead of a racially biased system, it set a cap on immigration from countries throughout the world. This opened up immigration to different minority groups and increased the number of legalized Mexican immigrants in the United States. However, U.S. industry, particularly agriculture, still needed more migrants as a source of labor. A particular provision of the Immigration Act of 1965 allowed migrants to enter the United States on work visas called H-2 visas. The H-2 was intended for professionals, such as doctors, professors, or other professionals whose skills were needed in the United States. It eventually changed, however, as major agricultural interests managed to extend the H-2 to seasonal agricultural workers.

Historically Mexico has always suffered economically compared to its northern counterpart, and this has served as a major factor in migration patterns. Mexicans seeking better economic conditions went north where they were able to find work, often filling the temporary positions in industries with seasonal cycles; this sometimes meant incorporating different types of jobs, such as factory work and then agricultural work or some other kind of work, in order to make a living. Undocumented workers came looking merely for work, placing little emphasis on the type of work to be done. In 1965 it is estimated that 87,000 illegal aliens crossed the border between Mexico and the United States. That number grew by 20 percent annually, leading to 1.47 million illegal aliens crossing the border in 1978. The number then stabilized until 1981 at between 1.2 and 1.5 million individuals. The reason in part for this plateau is that it coincided with the oil boom in Mexico. When the oil boom busted in 1982, this precipitated a mass exodus of Mexicans. Thus the number grew from 1.49 million undocumented entries in 1981 to 3.87 million illegal crossings by 1986.

Concerned about the criminal behavior of some migrant farm workers, about those from Mexico seeking welfare payments in the United States, and about potential drug trafficking, U.S. officials sought to restrict movement along the border. Most of the migrants that came into the United States seeking work would eventually return to Mexico, with a few choosing to stay in the United States. In the 25-year period between 1965 and 1990, approximately 36.5 million individuals crossed the border, but (not accounting for naturalized citizens) it is estimated that there was a net gain of only 5.2 million illegal residents in the United States.

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