Mexico and its Diaspora in the United States: Policies of Emigration since 1848

by Alexandra Délano

Overview

In the past two decades, changes in the Mexican government's policies toward the 30 million Mexican migrants living in the United States highlight the importance of the Mexican diaspora in both countries given its size, its economic power, and its growing political participation across borders. This work examines how the Mexican government's assessment of the possibilities and consequences of implementing certain emigration policies from 1848 to 2010 has been tied to changes in the bilateral relationship, which remains a key factor in Mexico's current development of strategies and policies in relation to migrants in the United States. Understanding this dynamic gives an insight into the stated and unstated objectives of Mexico's recent activism in defending migrants' rights and engaging the diaspora, the continuing linkage between Mexican migration policies and shifts in the U.S.-Mexico relationship, and the limits and possibilities for expanding shared mechanisms for the management of migration within the NAFTA framework.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107613133
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	12/05/2013
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Dr Alexandra Délano is Assistant Professor of Global Studies at The New School in New York City. Her research focuses on Mexican migration, Latinos in the United States and the historical development of Mexico's diaspora engagement policies. She received her doctorate in International Relations from Oxford University and has been a Postdoctoral Fellow in Politics at the New School for Social Research and a Fellow at Yale University. Her articles have appeared in the International Migration Review, The Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, International Migration, Social Research, Foro Internacional, Americas Quarterly and Migración y Desarrollo.

Table of Contents

1. The Mexican state's interests: a multi-level analysis; 2. The consolidation of the Mexican state and the 'safety valve' of emigration (1848–1942); 3. From the Bracero agreements to 'delinkage' (1942–82); 4. From a 'policy of having no policy' to 'a nation beyond Mexico's borders' (1982–2000); 5. Redefining Mexico's emigration policies (2000–6); 6. Institutionalizing state-diaspora relations (2000–6).

Editorial Reviews

In this fascinating history of migration from Mexico to the United States, Alexandra Délano shows the view from Mexico City looking north. Mexican diplomats have attempted to manage Mexico’s connections with its emigrants within the context of a highly complex relationship with their giant U.S. neighbor. This book is required reading for anyone interested in the diplomacy of international migration and the continuing saga of the ties binding these two countries.” – David FitzGerald, author of A Nation of Emigrants: How Mexico Manages Its Migration

“This masterful review of Mexico’s policies towards its nationals emigrating to the United States sheds new light on one of the most important issues in the Mexico-U.S. bilateral relationship – ways the two countries can cooperate to manage immigration. The sweep of the book is impressive, examining Mexican emigration policies from 1848 to the present. This is a very welcome addition to the literature on diaspora politics as well as immigration reform.”
– Susan Martin, Donald G. Herzberg Associate Professor of International Migration, Georgetown University

“The irrationality of a labor system based on illegality and high levels of risk for the Mexican workers desperately needed by U.S. employers is blatant. Yet the political leaders on both sides of the militarized border seem incapable of finding rational and humane solutions. In this scholarly and engaged book, Alexandra Délano analyzes the twists and turns in more than 150 years of U.S.-Mexican relationships, and shows how the current situation has come about. It is essential reading for all who make policies, work with migrants, and study migration.”
– Stephen Castles, Research Chair in Sociology, University of Sydney

"Delano’s sophisticated analysis of Mexico’s pro-diaspora programs makes for important reading, as it reveals not only major shifts in U.S.-Mexican relations but also the worldwide crumbling of traditional notions of national sovereignty."
– Foreign Affairs

"...Mexico and Its Diaspora offers a refreshing perspective in a well-trodden field and raises broader questions about the extent and conditions under which originating states can manage migration to maximize benefits for both domestic and expatriate citizens."
– Americas Quarterly

“In this book, Délano makes some extremely important interventions that enlighten our understanding of Mexican immigration to the United States and the policy of both Mexico and the United States toward this migrant population. Délano’s comprehensive look at the policies governing Mexico’s relationship to its citizens abroad makes more accessible an extremely diverse and complicated landscape of institutions, allegiances, organizations, and networks across both sides of the border.”
– Alyshia Gálvez, Lehman College, CUNY

"Alexandra Délano has given us the most comprehensive account to date of the rationale and the content of the Mexican state’s policies in this area...Mexico and its Diaspora in the United States offers a highly readable, informative and theoretically nuanced account of the evolution of Mexican state policy towards emigrants." -Matt Bakker, The Colorado College, Ethnic and Racial Studies

From the Publisher