Migration from Mexico
to the United States Of America primarily involves the movement of Mexicans
from Mexico to the southern states of America which border Mexico. In order to
gain access to America, Mexicans must cross the “Unites States-Mexico Border”,
a border which spans four US states & six Mexican states. In America, it
starts in California and ends in Texas (east to west). Due to their proximity
to the border & the high availability of work in these states, the majority
of Mexicans move to California followed by Texas. California currently houses
11,423,000 immigrants with Texas holding 7,951,000.
Many Mexicans from
rural communities migrate to America, the majority being males who move to
America and then send money back to their families in Mexico. Many of these
immigrants enter the country illegally, which often requires them to cross a
large desert that separates Mexico and America and the Rio Grande. These
journeys are dangerous and many immigrants have died, or nearly died, trying to
cross into America through these routes.
There are incredibly
high crime rates in Mexico, especially in the capital. Homicide rates come in
at around 10-14 per 100,000 people (world average 10.9 per 100,000) and drug
related crimes are a major concern. It is thought that in the past five years,
47,500 people have been killed in crimes relating to drugs. Many Mexicans will
move out of fear for their lives and hope that America is a more stable place
to live, with lower crime rates.
Unemployment and
poverty is a major problem in Mexico and has risen exponentially in recent
years. In 2000, unemployment rates in Mexico were at 2.2, however, in 2009,
they rose by 34.43%, leaving them standing at 5.37 in 2010. A large portion of
the Mexican population are farmers, living in rural areas where extreme
temperatures and poor quality land make it difficult to actually farm. This is
causing many Mexican families to struggle, with 47% of the population living
under the poverty line. With these high unemployment and poverty rates, people
are forced to move to America, where they have better prospects, in order to be
able to support their families and maintain a reasonable standard of living.
The climate and
natural hazards in Mexico could force people to move to America. Mexico is a
very arid area which suffers from water shortages even in the more developed
areas of Mexico. The country also suffers from natural disasters including
volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes & tsunamis. Recent natural disasters
could force people to migrate if their homes have been destroyed or made
uninhabitable. People who live in danger zones could also migrate out of fear
for their lives.
There is a noticeable
difference in the quality of life between America & Mexico. Poverty, as
mentioned above, is a major issue in Mexico, with 6% of the population lacking
access to “improved” drinking water. Mexico’s infrastructure is severely
undeveloped when compared to America’s. Despite being the 11th richest country
in the World, Mexico also has the 10th highest poverty. With America offering
significantly better living standards and services, such as health care, people
are enticed to move to America for a better life.
Existing migrant
communities in states such as Texas and California help to pull people towards
migration. Existing communities make it easier for people to settle once moved
and family members & friends who have already moved can encourage others to
move. People are also enticed to move in order to be with their families. Cousins
and brothers will often move in with their relatives after they have lived in
America for a while in order to be with their family.
86.1% of the Mexican
population can read & write versus 99% of the population in America. In
addition, the majority of students in Mexico finish school at the age of 14,
versus 16 in America. These statistics show that there are significantly better
academic opportunities in America than in Mexico, which can entice Mexicans to
migrate for an improved education, either for themselves or, more likely, their
future children, in order to give them more opportunities in the world and
allow them to gain higher paying jobs
Assimilation of Mexicans
into American communities has been problematic. Many Mexicans can’t speak
fluent English and studies show that their ability to speak English doesn’t
improve drastically whilst they live in the US. This is largely due to them
living in closed communities of other Mexican immigrants which reduces their
need to assimilate with America. This can, in turn, create tension between
migrants and locals which can, in extreme cases, lead to segregation, crime and
violence.
