Latino Women and Families: The Integration of the New Immigrants

Since the 1990s, new immigrants from Latin America have been settling across the United States in unprecedented numbers. This lecture will discuss the settlement of Latino immigrants in nontraditional destinations such as the South and the Midwest, and also the reception experienced by these families in rural Oregon. Immigrant women often live in mixed status families—for instance, some children are U.S. citizens while their parents and other siblings have undocumented immigration status. Mothers are often monolingual, with limited formal education, and they typically find employment in low-skill occupations. We will discuss the contributions of Latino women and their families in the places where they settle and the challenges they face to achieve a successful economic and social integration.

Presenter Profile: Marcella Mendoza, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Anthropology

Marcela Mendoza earned her doctorate in anthropology from the University of Iowa in 1998 and has taught at such institutions of higher education as the University of Buenos Aires, the University of Memphis, Rhodes College, and, currently, the University of Oregon. As an immigrant herself, Marcela has a particular insight on issues of transnational identity and the social and economic integration of Latinos in the U.S. She has conducted field research with indigenous peoples of the South American Gran Chaco and with Latino immigrants in the American South and Pacific Northwest. Most recently, she has become interested in the culture and civic life of Mexican families in rural Oregon.