Ethnographic Project Research Plan

Name
Instructor’s Name
Course
Date
Challenges of Undocumented Mexican-American Immigrants in the U.S
Research context: Mexican-Americans make up 11.5% percent of the U.S population (Zayas and Gulbas 2468). That is around 36.4 million people living in the U.S. 62% percent of this population is made of undocumented immigrants (Light et al. 1450), and as Santamaría Graff connotes, this group faces a myriad of challenges, ranging from transportation, securing housing, accessing services to inability to secure jobs (999). Consequently, to investigate even further, I will conduct primary research on the challenges that undocumented Mexican-Americans face in the U.S.
Method: I will use an email-based interview as the primary method of collecting data. The reason for this is based on the fact that ‘challenges’ are variant variables, and interviews with a couple of undocumented Mexican-American will provide me with the best chance to learn about the difficulties that undocumented Mexican-Americans undergo. Also, the email format will allow me to get the interviewees’ responses in writing, so I will not have to make notes myself.
Participants. The subjects of the study will primarily be undocumented American residents with Mexican origins. I plan to have at least 50 participants drawn from different states of the U.S.A. Therefore, before beginning the interview, I will have to conduct a background study and gather contacts of potential participants.
Materials. Each participant will receive an e-mail prompt containing series of interview questions on the research topic.

Questions will revolve around ethnographic dynamics, such as age, education level, occupation, ethnicity, the city of residence, and challenges. There will be both open-ended and closed-ended questions. Sample questions that will be asked include:
Are you a Mexican American? (YES or No).
If yes, what is your city of residence, and how long have you been living in the U.S.?
What is your national status? (Documented/ Undocumented).
If undocumented, have you ever experienced any challenges during your time in the U.S? If yes, please mention the challenges.
Analysis and Conclusion: The data obtained (findings) will be analyzed and compared with available literature on the same topic to provide a well-evidenced conclusion.

Works Cited
Light, Michael T., et al. “Undocumented Immigration, Drug Problems, and Driving under the Influence in the United States, 1990-2014.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 107, no. 9, Sept. 2017, pp. 1448-1454. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.303884.
Santamaría Graff, Cristina C. “‘Build That Wall!’: Manufacturing the Enemy, yet Again.” International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), vol. 30, no. 10, Nov. 2017, pp. 999-1005. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/09518398.2017.1312592.
Zayas, Luis and Lauren Gulbas. “Processes of Belonging for Citizen-Children of Undocumented Mexican Immigrants.” Journal of Child & Family Studies, vol. 26, no. 9, Sept. 2017, pp. 2463-2474. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s10826-017-0755-z.