Migration and Gender among Mexican Women

Abstract

Despite their importance to women's empowerment and migrant adaptation more generally, the social and cultural processes that determine how gender relations and expectations evolve during the process of migration remain poorly understood. In this article, data from a survey conducted in Durham, North Carolina and four sending communities in Mexico are used to examine how the structures of labor, power, and emotional attachments within the family vary by migration and U.S. residency, women's human capital endowments, household characteristics, and social support. Using both quantitative and qualitative information, the main finding of the study is that the association between migration and gender relations is not uniform across different gender dimensions. The reconstruction of gender relations within the family at the place of destination is a dynamic process in which some elements brought from communities of origin are discarded, others are modified, and still others are reinforced. Results challenge the expectation that migrant women easily incorporate the behavior patterns and cultural values of the United States and illustrate the importance of selective assimilation for understanding the diversity of changes in gender relations that accompany migration.

Religion and Gender Ideologies among Working-Age U.S. Latinas/os

“…Much of the scholarly attention in this area has centered on (a) indicators of acculturation such as generation, length of time in the United States, and language spoken at home and (b) structural factors such as education, income, and employment status. Briefly, the available evidence indicates that U.S. born Latinas/os or Latina/o immigrants who have spent significant time in the country tend to hold more egalitarian and less traditional gender ideologies than others (Parrado and Flippen 2005;Su et al 2010). Indicators of acculturation such as speaking English (versus Spanish) at home have also been associated with more egalitarian gender ideologies (Kane 2000;Vasquez-Nuttall et al 1987).…”

Familien som ressurs eller hinder? Etterkommerkvinners deltagelse i arbeid

“…Parrado og Flippen (2005) finner for eksempel at for meksikanske innvandrerkvinner i USA fører jevnlig kontakt med familiemedlemmer til mindre likestilte kjønnspraksiser. Ifølge forfatterne er dette fordi familiemedlemmer har en tendens til å forsterke «mer tradisjonelle familieverdier» (Parrado og Flippen, 2005: 628).…”

“…Selv om studier av andregenerasjonskvinner og arbeid demonstrerer at det er stor variasjon mellom familier, blir familien hovedsakelig sett på som å representere «tradisjonelle kjønnsnormer» som kan fungere som en barriere for kvinners arbeid Parrado og Flippen, 2005). …”

Transnational Marriages and Second-Generation Women’s Employment

“…The research literature that more generally studies how gender relations are affected by migration yields mixed evidence; the gains for men and women may be uneven and contradictory, and patriarchal structures can be challenged or reinforced by migration, depending on what aspects of gender relations are studied (e.g. Mahler & Pessar 2006;Parrado & Flippen 2005). Thus, any examination of how migration influences gender relations must be concrete in terms of what aspect of gender relations is analysed.…”