Salir adelante (perseverance): Lessons from the Mexican immigrant experience

Abstract

Summary Although migration and immigrant issues have been well studied in sociology, economics, and demography there is significantly less information specific to Latino immigrants within the field of social work. This is of particular concern as the population of Latino immigrants and their children continues to grow and access areas of social work practice and policy development. This research study focuses on understanding the experience of first-generation immigrants of Mexican origin living in Denver, Colorado, through the use of qualitative research methods. Seven Mexican immigrants living in Denver described their experience through an in-depth interview process. Grounded theory was the chosen method for analysis. Findings Four themes emerged during the data analysis process: (1) ‘We are working people’; (2) ‘I am not an animal’ (experiencing racism, prejudice and discrimination); (3) fear; and (4) internal strength. Together these themes create a conceptual framework that is useful as a starting place to understand the lives and culture of Mexican immigrants. This conceptual framework highlights how immigrants negotiate racism, prejudice, discrimination, and fear through their strong work ethic and the belief in their ability to ‘salir adelante’ (to persevere or better oneself or one’s family situation). Applications Results indicate that Mexican immigrants are faced with numerous challenges, particularly due to racist laws, discriminatory procedures, and acts of prejudice. However, results also suggest that Mexican immigrants and their cultural resources provide a source of hope, allowing them to persevere even as they face challenges. The findings have several implications for direct service, advocacy and social justice, and social work education.

Dreams Deterred: The Collateral Consequences of Localized Immigration Policies on Undocumented Latinos in Colorado

“…90. Their detention or that of a family member brought home the realities of the new era of immigration enforcement (Hanna and Ortega ).…”

“…Our findings also speak to the reality of legal violence, a system that “produces spaces and the possibility for material, emotional, and psychologically injurious actions that target an entire group of people with a particular set of shared social characteristics” (Menjivar and Abrego , 1414). What results is a second‐class noncitizenry where immigrants are seen as not fully human and are stigmatized, socially isolated, and emotionally scarred (Massey ; Menjívar and Abrego ; Hanna and Ortega ). Moreover, the legal violence experienced by undocumented immigrants reaches every sphere of their lives, including work, school, and their communities (Dreby , ).…”

Documentation status, neighborhood disorder, and attitudes toward police and courts among Latina immigrants.

“…The incongruity between crime and policing may undermine immigrants’ perception that the justice system is fair (Kirk et al, 2012). Among Latinx immigrants specifically, neighborhood-level policing strategies have been described as discriminatory and fear-inducing (Adler, 2006; Arbona et al, 2010; Hanna & Ortega, 2016). Furthermore, research suggests that in largely Latinx neighborhoods, distrust of police can be transmitted via the experiences of social supports, such as family, friends, or neighbors, even if residents themselves have not had experience with the justice system or law enforcement (Correia, 2010; Menjívar & Bejarano, 2004).…”

Immigration Enforcement, the Racialization of Legal Status, and Perceptions of the Police

“…For Latino immigrants, contact with police, and the nature of such contact, matters a great deal. This is likely related to the racialization and constructions of Latino immigrants as "illegal" (and criminal) (Menjívar and Kanstroom, 2014), which maps on to the shift in these immigrants' perceptions of police as having the dual role of protector and immigration enforcer (Armenta 2017), and the racism and discrimination they perceive (Vollmer Hanna and Ortega, 2016).…”