Globalization and Illegal Immigration from Mexico to the United States

Globalization and Illegal Immigration from Mexico to the United States

I will start by analyzing some of the push and pull factors that cause illegal Mexican immigrants to come to the United States seeking better living conditions. The Mexican economic collapse, which occurred in 1982, prompted thousands of people to travel across the border into the United States. The economic hardships in Mexico, especially in the countryside encouraged people to move to the cities causing an immense urbanization wave. The 1980 restructuring of rural Mexico that “made small-scale farming less attractive” accelerated such rapid urbanization in Mexican cities during that decade . Since the cities were not prepared to incorporate these newcomers into the labor markets, the employment opportunities were scarce resulting in massive unemployment .
The scare employment opportunities accompanied by hard requirements from the United States Foreign Service to immigrate legally prompted Mexicans to illegally immigrate in search of better financial opportunities . The major pull factor however is the high income disparity that exists between Mexico and the United States, the largest in the world . Average Americans win seven times as much as Mexicans and the disparity is currently growing . The American society has increased the ownership of consumer durables considerably during the last three decades, which has consequently prompted many immigrants to foresee immigration as way to gain access to commodities . Immigration is also seen as a family survival strategy by Mexican families . Many immigrate to the United States in order to send remittances to their families and eventually pay to bring them to the United States illegally. The networking that has taken place within the immigrant community has also been of great importance since it has attracted more illegal immigration to the United States, particularly from Mexico . With networks already established in the United States, it facilitates the transition of illegal immigrants particularly into the...