Woodrow-Lafield, Karen A. 2001. “Mexican Migration and U.S. Citizenship in the Early 21st Century.” Invited presentation, Permanent Seminar of International Migration 2001, organized by El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF), El Colegio de Mexico (COLMEX), and Sociedad Mexicana de Demografia (SOMEDE), Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, April 20, 2001.



Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, naturalization is a crucial mechanism for sponsorship of family members as immigrants. The status may also be an indicator of assimilation although this view is opposed by the view that naturalization may reflect self-protective behavior in securing access to public benefits and better health access. This study reports on completion of naturalization by 1996 for Mexican immigrants of 1978-1987 and the role of characteristics at admission based on hazards modeling for duration to naturalization. Among findings, greater attachment to the labor force is associated with greater propensity toward naturalizing. Second, those immigrants likely to have fewer family members in the United States are more likely to naturalize. Third, differentials by gender suggest the importance of cultural contexts, demographic diversity, and social capital. Some Western Hemisphere immigrants, including Mexican immigrants, arriving since 1978 may be more likely to have naturalized pursuant to extension of the visa preference system, per-country limitations, and sponsorship benefits to the Western Hemisphere. This sea change may simply be part of the migration system initiated for U.S. labor provision and satisfying new workers’ needs, a system with thriving social networks and U.S. communities as permanent homes.