Mexican immigration into the United States during the period of 1850-1980 is analyzed relying on census data. In the late 1800's immigrants worked on railway construction and on farms in the central and northern plains, but they numbered only 68,000 in 1880. Between 1900-1930 their numbers exploded from 103,000 to close to 1 million due to the demand for agricultural laborers in California and Texas. The Great Depression saw en masse repatriation, by 1940 their numbers dwindled to 377,000, and it was not until the 60's that a resurgence started. By 1970 their number was 789,000, and the corrected 1980 census figure puts their number at 2,531,000 of which 1.1 million were illegals. Most were males 15-44 years old. Mexicans born outside Mexico were only 269,000 in 1980, a figure slightly higher than Mexicans registered in the U.S. in 1910. North Americans and Spanish have been the most numerous immigrants into Mexico since the 19th century, but in recent years a massive immigration from Central America has occurred as a result of political turmoil and war. Mexican immigration into the U.S. served as a safety valve for the economy and it has been compared to other demographic phenomena such as births and deaths. The legalization of immigrants in 1986 under a U.S. law has significantly dissipated a constant source of friction with the U.S.

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Research Methodology South and Central America Americas Latin America population demography developing country Population Dynamics Developing Countries Developed Countries Mexico United States Demographic Analysis North America Western Hemisphere Article migration Migrants--legal aspects international migration developed country population and population related phenomena Demographic Factors research Emigration and Immigration Transients and Migrants Northern America Population Characteristics Historical Survey population statistics English Abstract