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Evolution of the Mexico-U.S. Migration System: Insights from the Mexican Migration Project

Author

Listed:
  • Jorge Durand
  • Douglas S. Massey

Abstract

Since 1987, the Mexican Migration Project (MMP) has collected and disseminated representative survey data on documented and undocumented migration to the United States. The MMP currently includes surveys of 161 communities, which together contain data on 27,113 households and 169,945 individuals, 26,446 of whom have U.S. migratory experience. These data are used here to trace the evolution of the Mexico-U.S. migration system from the late nineteenth to the early twenty-first century, revealing how shifts in U.S. immigration and border policies have been critical to the formation of different eras of migration characterized by distinctive patterns of migration, settlement, and return in different legal statuses. The current era is characterized by the repression of the large population of undocumented migrants and their U.S. citizen children by an ongoing regime of mass detention and deportation and the simultaneous recruitment of Mexican workers for exploitation on short-term temporary visas. As the dynamics of Mexican migration to the United States continue to change, they will be monitored and analyzed in subsequent waves of data collection by the MMP.

Suggested Citation

  • Jorge Durand & Douglas S. Massey, 2019. "Evolution of the Mexico-U.S. Migration System: Insights from the Mexican Migration Project," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 684(1), pages 21-42, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:684:y:2019:i:1:p:21-42
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716219857667
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. repec:sae:mrxval:v:21:y:1987:i:4:p:1498-1522 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Douglas S. Massey & Kerstin Gentsch, 2014. "Undocumented Migration to the United States and the Wages of Mexican Immigrants," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(2), pages 482-499, June.
    3. Julie Phillips & Douglas Massey, 1999. "The new labor market: Immigrants and wages after IRCA," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 36(2), pages 233-246, May.
    4. repec:sae:mrxval:v:48:y:2014:i:2:p:482-499 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Douglas S. Massey & Jorge Durand & Karen A. Pren, 2014. "Explaining Undocumented Migration to the U.S," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(4), pages 1028-1061, December.
    6. repec:sae:mrxval:v:48:y:2014:i:4:p:1028-1061 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Julia Gelatt, 2016. "Immigration Status and the Healthcare Access and Health of Children of Immigrants," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 97(3), pages 540-554, September.
    8. Douglas S. Massey & Karen A. Pren, 2012. "Unintended Consequences of US Immigration Policy: Explaining the Post‐1965 Surge from Latin America," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 38(1), pages 1-29, March.
    9. Jorge Delva & Pilar Horner & Ramiro Martinez & Laura Sanders & William D. Lopez & John Doering-white, 2013. "Mental health problems of children of undocumented parents in the united states: A hidden crisis," Journal of Community Positive Practices, Catalactica NGO, issue 3, pages 25-35.
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    Cited by:

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