This paper looks at the level of non-Spanish spoken by migrants to the City of Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico. Using data from a sample of households in the city we demonstrate that even though most household heads are migrants to the city, few speak a language other than Spanish. Nor do households participate in the types of “ethnic” or linguistically based organizations found in cities such as Los Angeles or Chicago. We conclude that when close to home identity is strongest with nation or home community. Social forces in the US cause migrants to shift their identity to a linguistic or ethnic group.