Dios y el Norte: The Perceptions of Wives of Documented and Undocumented Mexican Immigrants to the United States

The purpose of this study was to assess attitudes toward the United States andAmericans, toward Mexico and Mexicans, and knowledge about Proposition 187 in Mexican women married to documented and undocumented immigrant workers in California. The data presented here correspond to the baseline of a longitudinal study currently in process. Participants were a sample of 24 women living permanently in this community and married to documented (n = 11) and undocumented (n = 13) temporary immigrants, who at the time of data collection were all working in the United States. Results indicate more favorable attitudes toward Mexico and Mexicans than toward the United States and Americans. Respondents acknowledged the opportunities that the United States provides for their husbands, but they also placed high value on the traditions, customs, and morals of the Mexican culture.