This study investigates the complex social, economic, and cultural dynamics of Salvadoran immigrant communities as they establish themselves within suburban American environments. The authors, Sarah J. Mahler and series editor Nancy Foner, utilize ethnographic research to examine how these immigrants navigate the tension between maintaining their cultural identity and adapting to the demands of suburban life. The text provides a framework for understanding the symbiotic relationships and conflicts that emerge when new immigrant populations integrate into established suburban structures.

The work is regarded as a foundational ethnographic contribution to the study of late 20th-century migration patterns in the United States. Its focus on the suburban experience provides a necessary counterpoint to traditional urban-centric immigration research.