The new immigration and ethnicity in the United States

Mexican immigrants in San Diego usually do not find themselves in competition for the same kinds of jobs with immigrants from the Caribbean or from Central America and the Asia-Pacific region. Much tighter border enforcement by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service in the San Diego sector since October 1994 has further reduced San Diegos role as a mere way station for Mexican migrants in transit. The job skill requirements of the immigrant-using firms in our sample are of particular interest. While many of these firms use highly advanced technologies, they nevertheless require substantial numbers of low-skilled workers. A key change in the public policy environment in the period leading up to our 1996 surveys in San Diego was the movement to deny basic social services to undocumented immigrants. The same rapid growth in employment has been observed in Californias agricultural sector, where production of labor-intensive fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts has been booming in the last two decades.