Mexican American Youth

Currently in the United States (U.S.), Mexican Americans constitute 66.9% of the total Hispanic population. This does not include the thousands of immigrants who live in the U.S. illegally. Each year approximately 400,000 illegal immigrants migrate to the U.S. The social context in which immigrants leave their homeland can often be described as one that is poverty-stricken, with high unemployment rates, and little prospect for economic mobility.

Mexicans migrate from several regions and settle in various areas in the U.S. Mexicans have primarily migrated to the southwestern region of the U.S. but large Mexican communities can also be found in the Midwest and Northeastern regions of the country. Many Mexicans migrate to the U.S. illegally with very little or no education and, as a result, are of working class status and hold blue-collar level positions. An illegal status often forces this community to hold low paying jobs with no benefits. The language barrier