In this study we analyzed the retirement behavior of Mexicans with migration spells to the United States that returned to Mexico and non-migrants. Our analysis is based on rich panel data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). Approximately 9 percent of MHAS respondents aged 50 and older reported having lived or worked in the United States. These return migrants were more likely to be working at older ages than non-migrants. Consistent with much of the prior research on retirement in the United States and other developed countries, Mexican non-migrants and return migrants were responsive to institutional incentives. Both groups were more likely to retire if they had publicly provided health insurance and pensions. In addition, receipt of U.S. Social Security benefits increased retirement rates among return migrants. Return migrants were more likely to report being in poor health and this also increased the likelihood of retiring. The 2004 draft of an Agreement on Social Security would coordinate benefits across United States and Mexico boundaries to protect the benefits of persons who have worked in foreign countries. The agreement would likely increase the number of authorized and unauthorized Mexican workers and family member eligible for Social Security benefits. The responsiveness of current, older Mexican return migrants to pension benefits, suggests that an Agreement would affect the retirement behavior of Mexican migrants.

This book examines one of the most important demographic changes facing the United States: an overall aging population and the increasing influence of Latinos. It also looks at the changing demographics in Mexico and its impact on the health and financial well-being of aging Mexicans and Mexican Americans. The book provides a conceptual and accessible framework that will educate and inform readers about the interconnectedness of the demographic trends facing these two countries. It also explores the ultimate personal, social, and political impact they will have on all Americans, in the U.S. as well as Mexico. Challenges of Latino Aging in the Americas features papers presented at the 2013 International Conference on Aging in the Americas, held at the University of Texas at Austin, September 2013. It brings together the work of many leading scholars from the fields of sociology, demography, psychology, anthropology, geography, social work, geriatric medicine, epidemiology, and public affairs. Coverage in this edited collection includes working with diverse populations; culturally compatible interventions for diverse elderly; the health, mental health, and social needs and concerns of aging Latinos; and the policy, political, and bi-lateral implications of aging and diversity in the U.S. and Mexico. The book provides a rich blend of empirical evidence with insightful, cutting-edge analysis that will serve as an insightful resource for researchers and policy makers, professors and graduate students in a wide range of fields, from sociology and demography to economics and political science. ​

This book fosters a deeper understanding of the growing Latino elderly population and the implications on society. It examines post-WWII demographic and social changes and summarizes research from sociology, psychology, economics, and public health to shed light on the economic, physical, and mental well-being of older Latinos. The political and cultural implications including possible policy changes are also considered. Written in an engaging style, each chapter opens with a vignette that puts a human face on the issues. Boxed exhibits highlight social programs and policies and physical and mental health challenges that impact Latino elders. Web alerts direct readers to sites that feature more detailed information related to the chapter’s issues. Each chapter also features an introduction, examples, tables, figures, a summary, and discussion questions. The self-contained chapters can be presented in any order. Latinos in an Aging World explores: Real world problems individuals face in dealing with poverty, immigration, and health and retirement decisions The latest data on Latinos as compared to research on African- and Asian- Americans where appropriate The unique historical, demographic, social, familial, and economic situations of various Latino subgroups including those from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba How ethnicity affects one’s position of wealth and power and sense of citizenship. The consequence of life-long disadvantages and stigmatization on economic, physical, and mental well-being The impact of one’s neighborhood and the proximity to those from similar cultures on quality of life. The introduction motivates the book and sets the stage for the entire discussion. Chapter 1 reviews the histories of the major Hispanic subgroups along with various theories as they relate to race, ethnicity, and gender that provide a conceptual framework for understanding the later chapters. Demographic, economic, and social profiles of the various Hispanic subgroups are explored in chapter 2. Next the Latino population is explored from various perspectives including the economic and social situations of men and women and their educational, marital and family, and labor force experiences. Chapter 4 examines older immigrants and their families and identifies the resources available to them in their communities that often replicate the cultural and social support system of the old country. Major health risks that older Latinos face as a result of the disadvantages they experience throughout life are examined in chapter 5. Family situations and long-term care and living arrangements of older Hispanics are examined in chapter 6. The impact of neighborhood on quality of life in terms of safety and physical and mental wellbeing is explored in chapter 7. The burden that eldercare can place upon those who bear the responsibility of their daily care is explored in chapter 8. Chapter 9 investigates the gaps in income between minority and non-Hispanic white Americans and reviews what individuals with few resources need to know about financial management. The book concludes with the social, political, and economic implications of the growing Hispanic population and the role of NGOs and other organizations in providing services to older populations. Intended for courses on Latinos and aging, diversity, race and ethnicity, minorities and aging, adult development and aging, the psychology or sociology or politics of aging, geriatric social work, public health and aging, global aging, social or family policy, and health and society taught in the behavioral and social sciences, ethnic, or Latin American/Chicano Studies, this book also appeals to researchers and practitioners who work with Hispanic families.

"Most labor and migration studies classify migrants with limited formal education or credentials as 'unskilled.' Despite the value of their work experiences and the substantial technical and interpersonal skills developed throughout their lives, their labor market contributions are often overlooked and their mobility pathways poorly understood. Skills of the Unskilled reports the findings of a five-year study that draws on binational research including interviews with 320 Mexican migrants and return migrants in North Carolina and Guanajuato, Mexico. The authors uncover their lifelong human capital and identify mobility pathways associated with the acquisition and transfer of skills across the migratory circuit, including reskilling, occupational mobility, job jumping, and entrepreneurship."--Provided by publisher.

Migration between Mexico and the United States is part of a historical process of increasing North American integration. This process acquired new momentum with the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, which lowered barriers to the movement of goods, capital, services, and information. But rather than include labor in this new regime, the United States continues to resist the integration of the labor markets of the two countries. Instead of easing restrictions on Mexican labor, the United States has militarized its border and adopted restrictive new policies of immigrant disenfranchisement. Beyond Smoke and Mirrors examines the devastating impact of these immigration policies on the social and economic fabric of the Mexico and the United States, and calls for a sweeping reform of the current system. Beyond Smoke and Mirrors shows how U.S. immigration policies enacted between 1986–1996—largely for symbolic domestic political purposes—harm the interests of Mexico, the United States, and the people who migrate between them. The costs have been high. The book documents how the massive expansion of border enforcement has wasted billions of dollars and hundreds of lives, yet has not deterred increasing numbers of undocumented immigrants from heading north. The authors also show how the new policies unleashed a host of unintended consequences: a shift away from seasonal, circular migration toward permanent settlement; the creation of a black market for Mexican labor; the transformation of Mexican immigration from a regional phenomenon into a broad social movement touching every region of the country; and even the lowering of wages for legal U.S. residents. What had been a relatively open and benign labor process before 1986 was transformed into an exploitative underground system of labor coercion, one that lowered wages and working conditions of undocumented migrants, legal immigrants, and American citizens alike. Beyond Smoke and Mirrors offers specific proposals for repairing the damage. Rather than denying the reality of labor migration, the authors recommend regularizing it and working to manage it so as to promote economic development in Mexico, minimize costs and disruptions for the United States, and maximize benefits for all concerned. This book provides an essential "user's manual" for readers seeking a historical, theoretical, and substantive understanding of how U.S. policy on Mexican immigration evolved to its current dysfunctional state, as well as how it might be fixed.

Pamphlet on problems resulting from the entry and illegal status of Mexican migrant workers in South Western USA - considers the causes, labour market implications and social implications of illegal immigration, and suggests government policy measures. References and statistical tables.

From debates on Capitol Hill to the popular media, Mexican immigrants are the subject of widespread controversy. By 2003, their growing numbers accounted for 28.3 percent of all foreign-born inhabitants of the United States. Mexican Immigration to the United States analyzes the astonishing economic impact of this historically unprecedented exodus. Why do Mexican immigrants gain citizenship and employment at a slower rate than non-Mexicans? Does their migration to the U.S. adversely affect the working conditions of lower-skilled workers already residing there? And how rapid is the intergenerational mobility among Mexican immigrant families? This authoritative volume provides a historical context for Mexican immigration to the U.S. and reports new findings on an immigrant influx whose size and character will force us to rethink economic policy for decades to come. Mexican Immigration to the United States will be necessary reading for anyone concerned about social conditions and economic opportunities in both countries.

Monograph comprising a collection of readings on issues related to Mexican migrant worker flows (including irregular migrants) to the USA - presents historical and political aspects of foreign worker employment, and discusses forced return migration of Mexican nationals during the 1930's, the impact of legal border commuting frontier workers as well as Mexico's reaction to USA migration policy measures against illegal Mexican workers, etc. Bibliography pp. 285 to 289, references and statistical tables.

Amado examines the job seeking strategies of recent Mexican immigrants in Atlanta. She explores the resources available to job seekers within and outside their immigrant networks and the role of kinship during migration and settlement. Strong ties are primary sources of support and job information for new arrivals. Ties of kinship and paisanaje are effective work links among male workers involved in dense occupational networks of fellow immigrants. This is especially true among informal workers in industries that rely on abundant migrant labor. Women are less likely to benefit from these connections due to labor market and network segregation along gender lines.