Undocumented Mexicans in the United States /

Heer's stated purpose is to create some understanding of the life conditions of undocumented workers and the extent to which these conditions are caused simply by their undocumented status. He has analyzed the results of a unique study conducted in Los Angeles county, where approximately 44 of the undocumented Mexican population lives. The crux of the Los Angeles County Parents Survey was to distinguish the characteristics of undocumented parents from those who had a legal right to be in the US. Heer includes a detailed discussion of the obstacles he had to overcome in obtaining the data and of the feasibility of doing this type of study where there is a large at-risk population. Heer presents a second objective--to provide facts helpful in devising policy that addresses the inflow of undocumented aliens--carefully and thoroughly. He offers a succinct review of past legislation and includes figures to substantiate the consequences of such legislation on the actual, or estimated, inflow of aliens to the US. Unfortunately, his research design did not allow for semistructured interviews with his undocumented female subjects. Accounts of their experiences as undocumented aliens and the consequences of their illegal status on many of their decisions, including the birth of the child that identified them for the survey, would have enhanced the study. College, university, and public libraries. -E. Bastida, University of Texas--Pan American