Russel Sage Foundation

Co-funded with the Carnegie Corporation of New York

Who among Mexican migrants stays in the U.S., who returns to Mexico, and the factors that underlie their decisions are questions that are not well understood. Economists Andrea Velasquez and Duncan Thomas will examine the selectivity of Mexican-origin migrants who stay in the U.S. relative to those who return to Mexico; the characteristics associated with socioeconomic success among Mexican immigrants in the U.S.; and the benefits of migration for both those remaining and those returning. They will analyze data from the Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS) which tracks a representative sample of migrants from Mexico to the U.S. and back again, along with their families in Mexico. The investigators will extend two previous studies by including all three MxFLS waves to analyze factors associated with migration to the U.S., including education, health and cognition, migrant networks, family resources and access to safety nets. They will compare the selection of those staying in the U.S. with those returning to Mexico and compare them with siblings or others like them who remain in Mexico.