By: Daniel Nardini
According to a study at Princeton University, the number of Mexicans trying to enter the United States—both legal and illegal—is in fact declining. The study, called the Mexican Immigration Project, has found that fewer Mexicans are trying to come to the United States for any reason. According to one of the project researchers, Katherine Donato, there are a number of reasons. These include border enforcement and the decline in jobs in the United States.
But even these factors are not the only ones playing in the decline. Three major factors have also led to a growing number of Mexicans staying in Mexico. First, the decline of the number of births in Mexico. Less number of people born means that there are fewer people that must have their needs met. Second, education in Mexico, while still not reaching the neediest, has greatly improved over the last generation. The Mexican government has put in far more money for education, and this has helped to contribute to a better educated public and a larger well educated elite. The third factor that is causing a decline in the number of Mexicans immigrating to the United States are the availability of more jobs in Mexico. Ironically America’s job decline has been off-set by Mexico’s job growth as well as Mexico’s population decline.
This does not change the fact that many Mexicans still come to the United States. However, it means that Mexicans in the not-so-distant future will not be the primary immigrant group coming to the United States. Will the largest immigrant group come from China? India? The Middle East? Central America? At this time the question is just pure speculation. We only know that the patterns of immigration can and do change within a generation or two.
The Mexican Immigration Decline
By: Daniel Nardini
According to a study at Princeton University, the number of Mexicans trying to enter the United States—both legal and illegal—is in fact declining. The study, called the Mexican Immigration Project, has found that fewer Mexicans are trying to come to the United States for any reason. According to one of the project researchers, Katherine Donato, there are a number of reasons. These include border enforcement and the decline in jobs in the United States.
But even these factors are not the only ones playing in the decline. Three major factors have also led to a growing number of Mexicans staying in Mexico. First, the decline of the number of births in Mexico. Less number of people born means that there are fewer people that must have their needs met. Second, education in Mexico, while still not reaching the neediest, has greatly improved over the last generation. The Mexican government has put in far more money for education, and this has helped to contribute to a better educated public and a larger well educated elite. The third factor that is causing a decline in the number of Mexicans immigrating to the United States are the availability of more jobs in Mexico. Ironically America’s job decline has been off-set by Mexico’s job growth as well as Mexico’s population decline.
This does not change the fact that many Mexicans still come to the United States. However, it means that Mexicans in the not-so-distant future will not be the primary immigrant group coming to the United States. Will the largest immigrant group come from China? India? The Middle East? Central America? At this time the question is just pure speculation. We only know that the patterns of immigration can and do change within a generation or two.