Divided by Borders: Mexican Migrants and Their Children - Tapa dura

"Dreby analyzes these themes through a transnational lens. In doing so, she offers new and important insights into the lives of immigrant families." Journal Of Sociology "Offers insightful analysis." Choice "An excellent introduction to immigration, globalization, gender, childhood, immigration policy, and transnational family issues." Journal Of Marriage & Family "An important contribution to immigration scholarship." Social Forces "Provides a compassionate lens for analysing migration, a lens that is frequently missing from conventional discussions of Mexican-American migration." -- Alexandra Shaheen Journal Of Ethnic & Migration Stds "Illuminating... An important addition to both family and migration scholarship." -- Jessica M. Vasquez Du Bois Review & Transition

Since 2000, approximately 440,000 Mexicans have migrated to the United States every year. Tens of thousands have left children behind in Mexico to do so. For these parents, migration is a sacrifice. What do parents expect to accomplish by dividing their families across borders? How do families manage when they are living apart? More importantly, do parents' relocations yield the intended results? Probing the experiences of migrant parents, children in Mexico, and their caregivers, Joanna Dreby offers an up-close and personal account of the lives of families divided by borders. What she finds is that the difficulties endured by transnational families make it nearly impossible for parents' sacrifices to result in the benefits they expect. Yet, paradoxically, these hardships reinforce family members' commitments to each other. A story both of adversity and the intensity of family ties, "Divided by Borders" is an engaging and insightful investigation of the ways Mexican families struggle and ultimately persevere in a global economy.