Engines of Immigration: Stocks of Human and Social Capital in Mexico

In: Social science quarterly, Band 81, Heft 1, S. 33-48

Abstract

Seeking to measure stocks of migration-specific human & social capital available to Mexican immigrants & to quantify their effect in promoting migration to the US, data from the Mexican Migration Project (N = 7,143 households surveyed in Mexico & 456 in the US) are used to assess the share of people in western Mexico who have been to the US &/or are socially connected to someone who has migrated to the US in the past, & is living in the US (at time of survey). Results show that 40% of household heads from this region -- & 20% of all persons of labor force age -- have been to the US at least once in their lives, & 25% have an immediate family member currently living in the US; 61% have a member of their extended family living north of the border; & 37% report knowing a friend in the US. All told, 73% of household heads in western Mexico are socially connected to someone living north of the border, & 81% at least know someone with US experience. These extensive stocks of human & social capital lead to very high probabilities of outmigration over the course of a Mexican's life & suggest that migration to the US may continue even as economic pressures to migrate diminish. 6 Tables, 17 References. Adapted from the source document.