What happen to Ch’I’ibalil [family]? Changing Family Structures in Ucí, Yucatán By: Anita María Moo

Thesis (purpose) This research consists of interviews with individuals from Ucí, Yucatán to analyze how immigration to the United States has changed family structures in their community.

Yucatán South of México 3 statesPopulation

LITERATURE REVIEW Transnationalism > Alder (2008) Work > Palomo (2005) > Ramos & Quintanilla (2006)

LITERATURE REVIEW Family >Ramirez (2003) >Mummert & Carrillo (1998) >Adler (2008)

Theory Borderland Identity (1987) Anzaldúa Family Borderland Identity

METHODOLOGY ParticipantsTotal: 10Age: 37-76Gender: Male and FemaleProcedureData Collection: October 18-27, 2008Language: Spanish (bilingual)Questions: 29 open and closed endedStrengths/Limitations Interviews 

FINDINGS Employment Opportunities Women, 44 “Well here in Ucí since it is a small town the truth we don’t have, there are no means to find a job. Everyone here works by what one desires to do to be able to move forward, make their own business to earn some savings, more so the work here I think that we have to go out to be able to find work, the majority of people leave to Motul because there is how do you say this, a factory of clothes in Motul there lots of employees, thousands of employees, that is how one goes to the United States and go to Cancun the majority, my brother works, is employees how do you say, in construction he has years living there. “ Man, 61 “Well right now many go out it is difficult to find a job because it is scarce. Here work is scarce there is none because the primary work that there is in the construction everything that has construction they look for workers, look for accountants, look for chapadores, if there is lots of heavy work but right now there is no base because the base of the paper is the henequen but not it is finished the henequen by that hurricane that came Isadora he finished it all right now there are some that that has it but little, not like before Isadora there is none there are times on the roads leaves of henequen they take the henequen and the plant by a lot right now no, the ones with work are some like those who are fermenting…”

FINDINGS Defining Family Women, 62 “Well, you think in your children, well, your friends, your relatives and persons who get along well with you, almost treat them like family.” Women, 44 “When I say my family, my husband, my children, and than comes your dad, your mom that is the family.”

FINDINGS Immigration and family Women, 60 “And I see my son with his child and see how hard it is buying her clothes, shoes, very demanded by the teachers, they are very demanding it is not life before, I remember when I used to go to class without shoes it was hot sun the ground that you walked on was hot even with difficulty you walked because there was no money just enough for the food. Even the television haven’t existed just with your grandmas we went to watch television, the first television there are two television we were proud, were going to go watch hurry we going to watch T.V. over there with your grandma we would watch..today there is plenty.”

FINDINGS Immigration and family relationships Women, 60 “I have a single man over there in Los Angeles he always sends me something but I don’t have the heart for me to say send me money I don’t know how he lives over there, I don’t know how he is earning his money, if he has job or doesn’t have a job someone told me something like this, because over there in Los Angeles they earn lots of money green gold they send her money from over there but it is not true not everyone is the same, right no everything is the same, I say where there is work there is money, but if there isn’t any jobs with difficulty you live, where is he going to get to send me, that’s is why I feel bad that how I say. Meanwhile that I live I say I am planting my garden of roses, there are times they come to ask me to sell them a plant of roses how much is it, 20 pesos something for me, that way there is for food for my pigs, if I have turkeys and chickens they pay me and buy, if I want to sell I sell, but if not I say poor animals I will not sell them. I am here fighting for them if I go pray meanwhile I am alive I am looking how to fight that way I can make a little for us.”

Women, 54 “yes, well, there are far, I can’t interact with them when morning come, there are not here to see them happy, I feel sad because like poor C. the one that left first poor her, here her husband is undocumented over there, well, she don’t have the documentation that is why she hardly can come over here, well, right now T. has documentation to be able to visit us, the one, M. her sister well she called me to tell me that she has documents well that is what I say Thank God she can come in other words she can come and go back, because if you don’t have documents its hard.” Immigration and family relationships FINDINGS

Family in Ucí Women, 37 “Well there are times when the husbands leaves, leaves his wife, forgets his wide and for their children there is no financial assistance, sometimes, the wife leaves, and the husband is left, here at times they don’t send the money, the other wife asks for the money, the one’s who suffer are the children, the family disintegrates.”

FINDINGS Telephone-Communication Women, 37 “Every two months, 15 days depending if they are working, we can’t get a hold of them, I call there not there. Than, I leave them a message and than they call.” Male, 61 “Right now yes what there is available. Well, every once in a while, if you want daily, daily you can talk to them, thanks to that, it is good.”

FINDINGS Family Unity Male, 61 “Well I think its kind of difficult if they come how are they going to live there are no jobs, because they are over there, they get use to the money what they earn, if they want to come we suffer again with them, because there is no where, where they will earn lots of money. In Merida there is not a lot of work, it is scarce, they give you work but you need an education in computers while you don’t have the education they don’t give you work, if you only have a elementary education it is difficult, only if you go help as a construction worker that is available in Merida, there are a lot of construction workers.” Woman, 54 “Well the truth is yes I would like really that everyone be over here. Have everyone over here, I don’t know how you say this but because of the jobs or where they go to look for work there isn’t any in Motul. They have to go to Cancun, in all places there is danger like over there in Los Angeles of course I would like that they be over here.”

DISCUSSION “Us” and “Them” “Distance” “Sacrifices”

Q & A