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The determinants of Mexican migrants’ duration in the United States: family composition, psychic costs, and human capital

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  • Shan Li

    (The George Washington University)

Abstract

This paper analyzes the determinants of migration duration focusing on family composition and human capital. A utility maximization model is built to show that migrants face a trade-off between avoiding psychic costs from leaving family members and accumulating wealth to support their consumption. The empirical analysis on Mexican men’s US experience carried out using the hazard model shows that marriage and children, which imply a heavier financial burden, are negatively associated with migrants’ duration in the USA. Fathers with more young children under age 12 stay even shorter, because taking care of them is time intensive. Jel codes: F22; O15; J12

Suggested Citation

  • Shan Li, 2016. "The determinants of Mexican migrants’ duration in the United States: family composition, psychic costs, and human capital," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-28, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:izamig:v:5:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1186_s40176-016-0051-5
    DOI: 10.1186/s40176-016-0051-5
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    Cited by:

    1. van Ours, Jan C. & Altangerel, Khulan, 2017. "U.S. Immigration Reform and the Dynamics of Mexican Migration," CEPR Discussion Papers 12032, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Richard J. Paulsen & Olivia Boucot, 2023. "Playing in a pandemic: The impact of family on performance in the NBA's “bubble”," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(4), pages 2102-2109, June.
    3. Fausto Galli & Simone Manzavino & Giuseppe Russo, 2023. "Immigration Restriction and The Transfer of Cultural Norms Over Time and Boundaries:The Case of Religiosity," CSEF Working Papers 683, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    4. Khulan Altangerel & Jan van Ours, 2016. "U.S. Immigration Reform and the Dynamics of Mexican Migration," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 17-043/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    5. Khulan Altangerel & Jan C. Ours, 2017. "U.S. Immigration Reform and the Migration Dynamics of Mexican Males," De Economist, Springer, vol. 165(4), pages 463-485, December.
    6. Fausto Galli & Giuseppe Russo, 2019. "Immigration restrictions and second-generation cultural assimilation: theory and quasi-experimental evidence," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 32(1), pages 23-51, January.
    7. Altangerel, Khulan & van Ours, Jan, 2017. "U.S. immigration reform and the migration dynamics of Mexican males," Other publications TiSEM ed2fd098-2862-4d6a-9909-e, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    8. Altangerel, Khulan, 2019. "Essays on immigration policy," Other publications TiSEM 954c6300-249e-496c-8cef-0, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    9. Li Shan, 2020. "Rainfall and self-selection patterns in Mexico-US migration," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-32, January.

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