The Power of Community: A Case Study of Migrants in Imlay City, Michigan

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to better understand the phenomenon of Mexican migration through the research of the Mexican migrant community residing in Imlay City, Michigan. The research of this study was accomplished by conducting 30 interviews with migrant workers, service representatives, and community members. Additionally, through the temporary employment on a local farm, my research took the form of participant observation. During the course of my research, theories such as dual market labor theory, neoclassical economics, migration network theory, and acculturation theory, were applied to the Mexican migrant population of Imlay City. Using the theoretical framework provided by such theories, the push and pull factors driving, international migration were assessed. Through the use of this framework and the invaluable interviews provided by the community of Imlay City, Michigan, this research finds that the presence of a comprehensive service sector serves to mitigate the purely economic factors driving migration. Further explored by this research are the ways in which this mitigation transpires.