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Bryan Ellis
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Susan Hardwick, Mentor

Mexican Farm-Labor Networks Reach Coastal Oregon

Oregon has experienced a large increase in its Hispanic population. Previous research shows that farm-labor networks connecting rural Mexico to local urban areas played a significant role in that increase. This research focuses on the extension of one migration route that leads to a small coastal town in northern Oregon by using personal interviews with the workers following the migration route, their employers, and city officials. Census data help to back up the findings. Qualitative analysis of the data reveals that the experience of urban employment allowed for the acquisition of skills and resources necessary for further expansion. Workers become increasingly desirable as they acquire new skills, and their decision-making ability increases. The desirability of place becomes more important as workers are able to survive in a wider variety of urban areas. This research will help explain the presence of farm-labor networks that lead to places not normally associated with migratory labor and cast new light on factors influencing immigration policy.