Transnationalism and Leisure: Mexican Temporary Migrants in the U.S.

Abstract The goal of this study was to investigate how Mexican migrant workers' transnational status affected their leisure behavior. Twenty one in-depth interviews with Mexican migrants, temporarily residing in a large metropolitan center and a smaller city in Illinois, were conducted between August and November 2003. Findings suggest that factors such as specific family status, unique work arrangements, economic, social and cultural networks, and unique legal status, conditioned the leisure of interviewed Mexican migrants. Findings were analyzed in light of the theory of transnationalism. We also introduced the concept of transnational leisure, which we defined as leisure that is maintained by transnational migrants to foster ties with their countries and communities of origin.

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