Senior Project Advisor

Storer, Paul

Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Spring 2001

Keywords

Migrant workers, NAFTA, Economic incentives, Bracero program

Abstract

The flow of migrant workers from Mexico played a significant role in the development of the U.S. economy in the twentieth century. The initiation of the Bracero guestworker program in 1942 began a long period of growth in the flow migrant workers, both legal and illegal across the U.S.-Mexico border. The Bracero program was designed to bring workers from Mexico into the United States to relieve labor shortages during World War II and continued to help the agricultural industry feed the post-war baby boom. The program was terminated in 1964 due to public opinion towards poor living conditions for migrant workers, but workers have continued to migrate north from Mexico each year for seasonal work. The U.S. economy, particularly the agricultural sector, has relied heavily on this supply of temporary and seasonal labor. Immigration and Naturalization Services estimated approximately five million undocumented immigrants living in the United States in 1996. Washington States agricultural employers estimate that illegal workers account for approximately fifty to seventy percent of the agricultural labor force {The Seattle Times, June 2001).

Department

Economics

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Migrant labor--United States; Foreign workers, Mexican--United States; Undocumented immigrants--Employment--United States

Subjects - Names (LCNAF)

Canada. Treaties, etc. 1992 October 7

Geographic Coverage

United States

Genre/Form

student projects; term papers

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Rights Statement

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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Included in

Economics Commons

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