Are we witnessing the end of the era of the Mexican mass exodus to the north?Data from demographic research centers and government agencies indicate that the total population of Mexican migrants residing in the United States registered a contraction of 5%, marking the first sustained downward trend in more than four decades.
The keys behind demographic reduction
Specialists attribute this phenomenon to a combination of three determining factors:
- Demographic change in Mexico:A lower fertility rate and a gradual economic transition have reduced youth labour pressure in traditional expelling regions.
- Voluntary and forced returns:The increase in elderly Mexicans who decide to return to their country of origin after decades of work, added to the repatriation processes.
- Toughening of migration policies:The unprecedented difficulty for undocumented circular migration, which slows new income from rural communities.
The weight of the Mexican community does not diminish
Despite the numerical decline of first-generation migrants, the economic, cultural and electoral influence of families of Mexican origin in the United States is more decisive than ever, sustained by millions of young Mexican Americans who consolidate their presence in the key states of the American Union.
