Immigration from the Inside Out: Understanding Mexico's Job(less) Situation through the Views of Middle-Class Mexicans

Abstract

In the wake of presidential elections in Mexico and with immigration reform in the United States still largely undetermined, scholars and politicians on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border are the first to recognize the fundamental need to address Mexico's emigration problem from within. Focusing on the views and experiences of those who stay behind provides important insights on this issue. Although anecdotal evidence suggests that middle-class Mexicans are emigrating in greater numbers as a result of mounting economic pressures, there is little empirical evidence that this is the case. Rather, they have resorted to strategies such as taking second jobs or making substantial cuts in household and leisure expenses. A strong social and cultural investment ties middle-class Mexicans to their country, and this investment has consequences for Mexico's labor market reform and, by extension, its emigration patterns and flows.