Mexican Immigration CSTU 352
May 31, 2011
Reading Responce
In the article The Transnational Villager by Peggy Levitt I was very intrigued when she talked about the factors of “keeping feet in both worlds” meaning keeping in touch with where you came from and where you are now. She explains how Mexican immigrants keep connections with their families in Mexico through letters, pictures, videos, money, and even TV shows and soap operas. “Migrants also sent back significant remittances to their sending communities. They saved money to buy land, build homes, or support family members who remained behind.” (Levitt 21) This is a never ending process of sending and receiving for migrant families due to their deep feelings of loyalty to their countries of origin. The ability to communicate to each-others lifestyle even though the families are in different countries, is a blessing to each of these migrant families. It’s a way to keep the family ties connected. The families can talk to one another about certain aspects of their lives that connect such as TV shows or political issues and can eventually make them feel as though they are living the same experience. Levitt’s main point was to show how throughout the years of migration, the number for sending population in the United States has increased. She explains how it is all due to the new and easier technology which allows them to be actively involved in everyday life in more fundamental ways. (Levitt 22)
I honestly connected so much to this concept because being a Mexican American I as well as the rest of my family members do this all the time, especially with the soap operas. In Mexico all the novelas (soap operas) are shown before the US so when it comes to estimating the end of them I always ask them. We also talk over phone and thanks to high tech in the 21st century my family and I now even communicate through Skype. It makes it much easier and you see each other. I honestly love it. It keeps the family...