ENG103 QUIZ I
# Master Study Guide: Undocumented Lives (Intro & Chapter 1)
### By Ana Raquel Minian
## I. Key Themes
1. The "Neither Here Nor There" Dilemma
- Migrants were rejected both in Mexico (seen as surplus labor) and the U.S. (seen as "illegal").
- Their sense of belonging was constantly questioned.
2. Circular Migration
- Many migrants traveled back and forth rather than settling permanently.
- This pattern challenges stereotypes of migrants seeking permanent residence in the U.S.
3. Policy Shifts and Migration Patterns
- After the Bracero Program ended in 1964, undocumented migration increased.
- Mexico’s government stopped discouraging migration and began seeing it as an economic relief strategy.
4. The Role of Law & Government Actions
- Both the U.S. and Mexico had policies that contradicted migrants' realities (e.g., the Ley General de Población aimed at increasing the population but did not stop out-migration).
- Joint border enforcement efforts led to abuses, like Mexican police forcing migrants back into U.S. custody.
---
## II. Chapter Summaries
### Introduction: "Neither Here Nor There"
- Begins with an event in 1980, where migrants trying to return to Mexico were pushed back into the U.S. by Mexican police, violating their constitutional rights.
- U.S. and Mexican governments cooperated in border enforcement, but Mexico did not protest its own citizens' expulsion.
- Migration Patterns (1965-1986):
- The end of the Bracero Program led to a rise in undocumented migration.
- Most migrants engaged in circular migration (crossing back and forth).
- Contradictions in Policy:
- The U.S. treated undocumented migrants as criminals, yet relied on them for labor.
- Mexico needed remittances from migrants but did little to retain them.
- The book aims to connect policy decisions with personal migrant experiences.
---
### Chapter 1: "An Excess of Citizens"
- Story of José Gardoño (1979):
- A migrant struggling to cross the border.
- Mexican officials secretly supported migration to reduce unemployment but publicly ignored it.
- Mexico’s Changing Attitude Toward Migration:
- Early 1900s: Migration was discouraged (seen as harmful to the economy).
- 1970s: Migration was encouraged as a “safety valve” for Mexico’s economy.
- Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs (1979):
- Said migration helped reduce unemployment but warned against mass deportations from the U.S.
- The Ley General de Población (1947):
- Aimed to grow Mexico’s population by:
1. Encouraging births (natural growth).
2. Repatriating Mexicans living abroad.
3. Allowing only "assimilable" immigrants.
- U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement:
- Mexico and the U.S. collaborated on deportations (**Operation Wetback, 1954**).
- Deportation policies pushed migrants into circular migration rather than stopping migration.
---
## III. Key Terms & Concepts
| Term | Definition |
|------|-----------|
| Circular Migration | Migrants moving back and forth between countries rather than settling permanently. |
| Bracero Program | A U.S.-Mexico guest worker program (1942-1964) that allowed Mexicans to work in the U.S. legally. |
| Ley General de Población | Mexico’s 1947 law aimed at controlling population growth and migration policies. |
| Repatriation | The return of Mexican migrants from the U.S. to Mexico, often forced by government policies. |
| Operation Wetback (1954) | A joint U.S.-Mexico effort to deport undocumented migrants back to Mexico. |
| Surplus Labor | The idea that Mexico had too many workers, leading officials to support migration to reduce unemployment. |
---
## IV. Practice Questions
### Multiple-Choice Questions
1. What does the term "Neither Here Nor There" mean in the book?
a) Migrants belong to both the U.S. and Mexico equally.
b) Migrants are rejected by both the U.S. and Mexico.
c) Migrants settle permanently in the U.S. but keep ties to Mexico.
d) Migrants have legal residency in both countries.
Answer: b) Migrants are rejected by both the U.S. and Mexico.
2. Which event ended the legal labor migration system and led to increased undocumented migration?
a) Operation Wetback
b) The Immigration Reform and Control Act
c) The Bracero Program’s termination
d) The creation of ICE
Answer: c) The Bracero Program’s termination
3. Why did the Mexican government shift its stance on migration in the 1970s?
a) It needed workers to stay in Mexico.
b) It saw migration as a way to reduce unemployment.
c) It wanted to reclaim territory in the U.S.
d) It feared migrants were getting too powerful.
Answer: b) It saw migration as a way to reduce unemployment.
4. What was the goal of the Ley General de Población?
a) Restrict all migration to the U.S.
b) Encourage deportations from the U.S.
c) Increase Mexico’s population through birth rates, repatriation, and selective immigration.
d) End the Bracero Program.
Answer: c) Increase Mexico’s population through birth rates, repatriation, and selective immigration.
---