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Borders for Whom? The Role of NAFTA in Mexico-U.S. Migration

Department of sociology and Office of Population Research at Princeton University

Douglas S. Massey

Princeton University; American Academy of Political and Social Science

In this article, the authors first give attention to main factors that resulted in the passage of NAFTA and subsequently investigate Mexican migration to the United States during roughly the same period that the bilateral treaty has been in effect. At the center of the relationship between economic liberalization and immigration is the paradox of increasing capital mobility and attempts at controlling more tightly the movement of immigrant workers. Although immigration from Mexico has remained flat over the past ten years, the Mexican population in the United States has grown rapidly, partly as a result of the unanticipated effects of harsh immigration policies since 1986. Prior to that date, Mexicans engaged in cyclical movements, but as security measures became harsher, especially in the 9/11 period, more immigrants and their families settled in the United States hoping to avert the dangers of exit and reentry. This analysis shows the slanted function of borders that have become permeable for capital but increasingly restrictive for immigrants.

Key Words: Mexican Migration Project • NAFTA • Immigration Reform and Control Act • undocumented migrants

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 610, No. 1, 98-118 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0002716206297449


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