A new perspective on Mexican immigration

Carrie McGaha
CHASS Communications Intern
Immigration reform has been a divisive topic in U.S. politics for years, and it has Americans divided on how the government should address illegal immigration. Many Americans do not consider the impact migration is having on Mexico.

Dr. Nora Haenn, an associate professor of Anthropology and International Studies, set out to discover the impact of migration to the United States on Mexican families after receiving the Fulbright – García Rubles grant in 2009. For more than a year, Haenn and her collegues at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) researched the migration phenomenon that has taken hold of Calakmul, a rural county in Mexico.

Over the past 10 years, many Mexican men have traveled outside of the country to find work. Calakmul migrants can be found from Elizabethtown, N.C. to Birmingham, Ala. At any given moment in Calakmul, at least 1 percent of the local population lives in the United States. In the absence of their husbands, many Mexican women have found a new place in politics and public life. “I was surprised to learn just how much migration to the U.S. is affecting women’s roles in Mexico,” Haenn said. “Women are managing money, buying land, hiring neighbors and families to work on the farm, and taking on new political roles.” Upon further research, Haenn found that many women are uncomfortable with their newfound roles in society, and they view it as an additional burden to their already demanding lives.

Haenn also documented women’s new financial role in the family. “Women have to develop a thick skin,” Haenn explained. “They are becoming objects of gossip because of the responsibilities they take on while their husbands are away.” Wives of migrants find it difficult to indulge in what little wealth they receive because they risk criticism from neighbors and family who disdainfully view extra clothing and full cupboards as wasteful spending.

Perhaps one of Haenn’s most unexpected finds was that U.S. policy might actually cause Mexican migrants to stay in the United States when they would rather return home. Few of the former or prospective migrants Haenn interviewed intended to make the United States their permanent home. The reinforced border between the two countries has made it dangerous and expensive for migrants to find a way back to home. Many migrants are now forced to stay in the United States three or four years at a time. The longer a migrant stays in the United States, the more eroded his family life becomes. Wives tire of waiting for their husbands, and children grow up without their fathers. Upon return, men often find themselves feeling like an outsider in their own home.

Haenn hopes her research and time spent in Mexico has revealed a few of the hidden aspects of Mexican-U.S. relations. She has received an additional grant from the National Science Foundation to continue investigating Mexicans’ attitudes about migration.

Listen to more of Haenn’s stories from Calakmul and how immigration is affecting Mexico in her interview on The State of Things.

Deep-fried food and NC dialects at 2010 State Fair

Carrie McGaha
CHASS Communications InternFunnel cakes, corn dogs and cotton candy – you can taste them all at the North Carolina State Fair. This year's fairgoers got some extra flavor when they visited a CHASS exhibit celebrating the state’s richly-flavored stew of dialects.

CHASS faculty appointed to new leadership roles

Dr. Maria Pramaggiore
Director of Film Studies

Professor Maria Pramaggiore will become Director of Film Studies beginning in January, 2011, taking the reins from Dr. Devin Orgeron, who has directed the program since 2009. Dr. Pramaggiore, whose research spans feminist, avant garde, and queer cinemas, has written two books on Irish film and co-authored a film studies textbook. She has been integral to building the film studies program over the last decade, developing both graduate and undergraduate curricula in the Department of English. She was Director of Film Studies at NCSU from 2003-2006.



Dr. James Kiwanuka-Tondo
Director of International Studies

Dr. Kiwanuka-Tondo has been named director of International Studies. He replaces Helga Braunbeck, who now directs the college's Interdisciplinary Studies. “James has extensive experience in the international arena,” says Braunbeck. “He has a strong background in research and has taught such classes as intercultural communication. He has recently been an eager and fully engaged member of the International Studies Advisory Board.” Tondo's research interests include health communication campaigns, especially AIDS education campaigns. He will lead a study abroad trip to Gaborone, Botswana, in the summer of 2011.

Dean sits down with students over lunch

Hey, CHASS students! Do you say what you mean and mean what you say? Well, here’s your chance. CHASS Dean Jeff Braden is holding a series of brown bag lunches to get students’ thoughts on classes, the college and student life.