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Perhaps a Blessing: Skills and Contributions of Recent Mexican Immigrants in the Rural Midwest

University of Northern Iowa, baker{at}uni.edu

Douglas R. Hotek

University of Northern Iowa

Using a survey instrument with 23 industrial skill descriptions and asking Mexican immigrants to rate their extent of experience, researchers found that immigrants in Marshalltown, Iowa, have much breadth and some depth of experience in four major industrial skills categories: communications, construction, industrial service, and manufacturing. Moreover, the city of Marshalltown has a labor force shortage, little so-called reactive ethnicity, and has been proactive in accommodation, making it different from traditional receiving communities. In contrast to the bleak portrait of human capital literature, using a contextual analysis of skills composition and the receiving community, researchers conclude that Mexican immigrants in Marshalltown, Iowa, make significant contributions and have the potential to make even more.

Key Words: Mexico • immigration • skills • Midwest • Iowa

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