Chronicling Latinos diverse experience in a changing America

1
Chronicling Latinos diverse experience in a
changing America
1615 L Street, NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC
20036 202-419-3600(main) 202-419-3608(fax) www.pew
hispanic.org
2
Survey of Mexican Migrants
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Survey of Mexican Migrants

• N 4,836
• All respondents were interviewed while applying
  for a Matricula Consular
• Interview sites Los Angeles, New York, Chicago,
  Atlanta, Raleigh, Fresno
• Respondents who have no photo identification
  issued by a US governmental agency 53

4
Youthful Population andRecent Arrivals

• The survey captured a segment of the Mexican-born
  population that is younger and more recently
  arrived than the whole.

5
Education

• Sample is better educated than the population of
  Mexico (age selection effects).
• Young, recently arrived are best educated 28 of
  5 years or less HS or college vs 12 of all
  Mexicans.
• Brain Drain vs. improving migrant stock

6
Traditional vs. New Settlement

• Since the mid-90s a new migration numbers,
  status, sources and destinations
• New Settlements
• Males
• Recent Arrivals
• Young

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Traditional vs. New Settlement

• Public Policy Impact In traditional settlement
  areas as many as half of all the Mexican migrants
  surveyed have children in public schools,
  compared with a quarter in new settlement areas.

8
Voting in Mexican Elections

• Voting in Mexican Elections has deep, broad
  appeal 87 of respondents say they would if they
  could.
• Voting Credentials 42 of sample but share is
  higher among recent arrivals.
• 64 in US less than 2 years
• 29 in US 15 years or longer
• Reflected in recent migration patterns
• 63 from Veracruz have credential
• 37 from Jalisco

9
Intense Transnationalism

• Links to family in Mexico
• 78 remit and 52 remit at least once a month
• 54 talk with family in Mexico at least once a
  week 46 of those in US 10 years or more
• 35 own land, housing or businesses in Mexico
  (43 of men, 24 of women).
• Family in US
• 82 have relatives in US, 44 six or more, 66 in
  same US city or town
• New settlements fewer relatives but still
  connected LA61 six vs. NYC29
• Only14 belong to hometown clubs, sports teams or
  civic organizations

10
Widespread Circularity

• Most matrícula applicants have been in US before
  (58), including significant shares of those with
  no US ID (49) and recent arrivals (34).
• Differences by migration histories Veracruz
  (48)
• Jalisco (71)

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Uses for the Matricula Consular
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Remaining in the US
When asked how long they expected to remain in
the United States, a majority of respondents
picked either as long as I can (42) or for
the rest of my life (17). Meanwhile, 27 percent
said they expected to stay for five years or less.
27
5 years or less
6 or more years
8
42
As long as able/can
17
All your life
13
Immigration Programs
By a 4-to-1 margin (71 vs. 18), survey
respondents said they would participate in a
program that would allow them to work in the
United States and cross the border legally on the
condition that they eventually return to Mexico.
Respondents who said they had no form of U.S.
issued photo ID were even more positive (79 vs.
16).
79
71
76
18
15
16
Total Sample
Matricula ID
No US ID
14
Immigration Programs
By wide margins, respondents in the overall
sample (79 vs. 13) and among those who said
they had no U.S.-issued ID (82 vs. 12) said
that their friends and family in Mexico would be
willing to participate in a temporary worker
program that would eventually require them to
return to Mexico.
82
81
79
13
12
12
Total Sample
Matricula ID
No US ID
15
Chronicling Latinos diverse experience in a
changing America
1615 L Street, NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC
20036 202-419-3600(main) 202-419-3608(fax) www.pew
hispanic.org