The Social Organization of Mexican Migration to the United States

In: The annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Band 487, S. 102-113

Abstract

Migration between Mexico & the US is supported by social networks that link sending communities with specific work sites in the US. A combination of ethnographic & survey methods are used to study how these networks develop & how they facilitate the migrant enterprise. Migrant networks are based on the bonds of kinship, friendship, & paisanaje, which are reinforced through frequent contact in voluntary organizations. Over time, as networks develop & mature, migration becomes self-sustaining. The maturation of migrant networks in western Mexico after 1965 helps to explain the sharp rise in Mexican migration to the US during the 1970s. 2 Tables, 3 Figures. HA