| dc.description.abstract | The 1970 United States Census revealed a fundamental change in the migration pattern of the United States. Rather than heading toward the cities, the majority of migrating people are now leaving the large urban areas. This surprising change, the urban-rural turnaround, has sparked new interest in America's small towns. Recent small town studies in the north and mid-west United States revealed that many small towns are now stable or growing. There is now a need to see if the factors promoting stability and growth in these communities are applicable to small towns across the United States. One group of small towns which has not been studied in view of the new theories on small town stability is the Hispanic villages of the Southwest Previous studies on Hispanic communities predict decline de to the loss of economic functions. These studies do not, however, consider the recently found factors promoting small town stability. This study investigates the stability of Dixon, a typical small town in the Hispanic core of New Mexico.Dixon's stability is effected by many of the factors promoting stability in other areas of the United States. The important stability factors include: technological improvements in transportation and communication, which increases commuting and reduces isolation in rural areas; the increasing importance of environmental amenities to migrating and an increase in rural job opportunities in “footloose” industries and the service sector of the supporting leisure activities such as tourism, recreation, and retirement- Other factors promoting Dixon's stability are a low cost of living, the presence of relatives in the area, and a desire to maintain the family farming tradition. This study did not find that the Hispanic culture played an important role in Dixon's stability. The primary methods of research used in this thesis were library research, and interviews with Dixon residents. | en_US |
