Industrialization and Immigration: Latino and Hispanic Immigrants in the South Carolina Upstate

Author

Matthew D. Girardeau, Clemson UniversityFollow

Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

Committee Chair/Advisor

Rachel Anne Moore

Committee Member

Christa A. Smith

Committee Member

Andrew Baker

Abstract

European investment in the South Carolina Upstate created favorable conditions for Latino immigration. French tire manufacturer Michelin came to the region in the 1970s, and the construction of the largest BMW plant in the world in the 1990s greatly impacted the local economy. The Upstate had a history of outside investment, beginning with Northern industrialists in the textile industry and later European companies that provided equipment for textile mills. The automotive industry did not necessarily employ Latinos, but the money generated by the sector created booming construction and service industries. Latinos built a community in western Greenville County and established businesses and institutions that support their needs. This growth is tracked through the SC Department of Education student headcounts. Latino immigrants chose to relocate to the area because of opportunity and security. Yet, the growth of the Latino community in the Upstate coincided with a national increase of Latino immigrants. This growth of the population was driven by trade deals like NAFTA that devalued labor in Mexico and an increasingly militarized border that trapped migrants in the United States. Politicians in the South Carolina political structure claimed that Latinos threaten local employment and security of the state and use the growth of the Latino population to polarize their voting bases. This work seeks to tell a human story and includes three interviews with Latino residents of the Upstate with varying backgrounds.

Comments

Chapter 1: Early South Carolina through 20^th Century Industrialization

Chapter 2: Increased Industrialization and Immigration After 1990

Chapter 3: In Their Own Words

Recommended Citation

Girardeau, Matthew D., "Industrialization and Immigration: Latino and Hispanic Immigrants in the South Carolina Upstate" (2025). All Theses. 4542.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4542