“The Impact of Mexican Immigration on the United States: Past, Present and Future” will be the topic discussed by Jose Cuello at a lecture on Nov. 22.

The general public is invited to the 8 p.m. lecture, which will be held in room 505 at the Holmes Student Center.

Cuello, who was born in Mexico and raised in Chicago, has a doctoral degree in history from the University of California at Berkley.

Michael Gonzales, acting director of the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies, said Cuello will be talking about the cyclical nature of Mexican immigration and the patterns of immigration with respect to the U.S. economy.

The “cyclical nature” of immigration refers to the fact that Mexican immigration has been very much in demand during times of economic growth but not during other times.

For example, Mexicans were imported to the United States during the 1920s to help with agriculture, mining and railroad construction labor. In the 1930s, though, during an economic downturn, Mexicans were not “needed” anymore and were sent back to Mexico, Gonzales said.

“(Cuello’s) also going to talk about the general impact Hispanics have had on cultural awareness and the development of U.S. history,” Gonzales said.

He will address the significance of Hispanic culture, including its effect on bilingual education. Gonzales said there is a lot of concern about the impact large numbers of Spanish-speaking people have on school and voting systems.