Mexican labour migration to the United States in the age of globalisation

The objective of this paper is to review the evolution of Mexican migration to the United States in an historical context, paying due attention to economic factors in both countries and, for more recent analysis, setting the globalisation context. The article is in four parts. Firstly, the profile and trends of Mexican migration to the US are reviewed. Secondly, I present recent evidence and data on the incorporation of Mexicans in the US labour market; this helps to counteract the stereotype of Mexicans as temporary migrants. The third section of the article overviews the structural transformation of the Mexican economy, which helps to explain changing social, gender and geographical origins of Mexican migration in recent years. Fourthly, attention is turned to the US context, with a particular focus on processes of labour flexibilisation, segmentation and polarisation.