Problems of Citizenship and Mexican Immigrants in the United States of America

Abstract

The theoretical framework of this paper is “citizenship” which means the equal status of members of a nation-state as well as the rights and duties attached to that status. Due to the considerable influx and settlement of immigrants into Western countries, protection of citizenship rights has become an issue not only for citizens but also for foreigners residing in the immigrated country. Citizenship includes three elements, that is, civil rights, political rights and social rights. Among these, social rights have increased in importance. T.H. Marshall points out, however, the disparity between the proclaimed equality of citizenship and the existing inequality of social classes.In the United States, qualification for social rights is open to non-citizens, while suffrage is limited to citizens. Yet Mexican immigrants have been treated as outsiders through both the U.S. border control and labor policies. Mexican immigrants have been placed at the bottom of the American social stratum as low wage labor and have experienced harsh social inequality. This reflects the Anglo-centered national formation and the history of discrimination toward non-white people. They are not only stigmatized as a burden of welfare, discriminated as an ethnic minority, but also suspected as illegal immigrants.The American society is faced with a dilemma : On the one hand, immigrants are constantly allowed to come and enjoy more citizenship rights. On the other hand, the exclusiveness based on the nation-state model is still obvious in policies and public opinions. Also, the unequal class relations in accord with ethnicity has been maintained among immigrants, not to mention citizens. To protect equal rights of immigrants, we need to seek a new concept of citizenship and a social movement beyond the nation-state.