Not all Jobs are Created Equal: Mexican Immigrants in the Secondary Labor Market
Geraldine Franco
University of Michigan
Abstract
This research is based on a case study of undocumented Mexican immigrants living in a
northwest suburb of Chicago Illinois. The study focuses on Mexican immigrants who
have found employment in the secondary labor market, primarily in light manufacturing
and the restaurant industry. By focusing on workers in the same labor market sector, yet
in a different industry, this study shows how participating in a different industry within
the same sector has a significant impact on the quality of life and assimilation and
incorporation process to US society. This study expands our understanding of
employment practices among Mexican immigrants, their incorporation to the United
States; and their contribution to a broader understanding of the dual market theory. The
data in this study suggests that undocumented immigrants that work in light
manufacturing have had greater access to financial and social resources to establish
themselves in US society, while immigrants in the restaurant industries face a series of
structural obstacles to their assimilation and incorporation process.
Introduction
The assimilation and incorporation process of Mexican immigrants to the Untied States
has for long been a controversial topic among policy makers and scholars. And in today,
the topic of immigration, immigration reform, and immigrants’ participation in US
society are generating substantial interest and controversy in the country. More
importantly, the participation of undocumented Mexican immigrants in the labor is a
controversial one and most of the research among this group focuses on their impact on
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Convention