Canadian immigration, mexican emigration, and a North American regional interpretation

Abstract

Comparing Mexico’s US emigrants and Canadian immigrants from diverse global sources reinforces explanations of why (a) North America’s economic fulcrum is shifting south, (b) Mexico-based interests may be gaining greater salience in Washington than Canadian counterparts, (c) migration’s inverse relationship with regional integration threatens integration at the regional level over the longhaul, and (d) sustaining a graying population imposes a greater Canadian burden than elsewhere south. The study shows how, by adding globalization and regional dynamics to traditional push-pull immigration factors, typical bilateral analyses not only shed more light, but also broaden policy perspectives and clarify possible future directions.