The Mexican American Study Project II (MASP II), 1998-2000

The Mexican American Study Project is a study on intra- and inter-generational change and persistence in ethnic identity and behavior, as well as socio-economic mobility among Mexican Americans in Los Angeles, California, and San Antonio, Texas. This study sheds light on the progress of Mexican Americans, the progeny of the largest and longest-lasting immigration to the United States. In an original study conducted in 1965, Leo Grebler, Joan Moore, and Ralph Guzman surveyed Mexican Americans in San Antonio, Texas, and Los Angeles, California. The first survey provided a rich cross-sectional view of this population's demographics and attitudes, Ortiz and Telles' 35 year follow-up now allows for a longitudinal view of the behavior and ethnic identification of first- through fourth-generation Mexican Americans in these areas. The new survey was used to test hypotheses related to Mexican Americans' social mobility, their ethnic identity and behavior, their experiences with discrimination, and the relationship between socioeconomic status and ethnic identity.