Overview

• UNAM researcher Maritza Caicedo identifies unstable employment and everyday discrimination as the top drivers of psychological distress among Mexican migrants in the U.S.
• ICE raids and the criminalization of undocumented workers exacerbate anxiety and fear, warranting focused study on enforcement’s mental health impact.
• Despite socioeconomic hardships, first-generation Mexican migrants display stronger mental resilience than their U.S.-born children and other U.S. demographic groups.
• Second-generation Mexican Americans experience heightened acculturative stress and persistent perceptions of second-class status, leading to elevated rates of psychological distress.
• Mexican migrants filled 38% of U.S. labor shortages from 2000 to 2015, yet 36% lack health insurance and 83% do not contribute to pension plans, reflecting systemic vulnerability.