Church records as a source of data on Mexican migrant networks: a methodological note

Marriage records from churches serving migrant communities are examined as a source of data on migration from Mexico to the United States. In particular, "this article discusses the methodological issues in the study of Mexican migration initiated by Cornelius and others.... It addresses two problems: the need to locate strategic regions in Mexico before field-work is begun; and the need to develop techniques for longitudinal studies of migration networks." The data used in the analysis are from the records of a church in Santa Ana, California, and cover the period 1947-1979.