Brown Flight : Secondary Movement among Mexican Immigrants

The past ten years have seen the continued growth of the Mexican origin population in the United States. This growth has been accompanied by the movement of immigrants away from their traditional settlement locations in the Southwest. Using data collected in a small community in Northeastern Oklahoma I explore factors that motivate the movement of Mexican immigrants to nontraditional locations. I find these movements are motivated by a search for a higher quality of life. In effect this movement represents a form of Brown flight away from urban centers to rural locations. In areas such as these, respondents find many of the amenities typically associated with suburban life including tranquil neighborhoods, abundant employment opportunities, quality housing, and a low crime rate. All these factors contribute to make rural America an attractive alternative to urban settlement