Patterns of Undocumented Migration

JORGE A. BUSTAMANTE

This paper reviews what is known of the characteristics of undocumented migration from Mexico. It is based upon a presentation of the findings of a survey conducted by the author in nine Mexican border cities, utilizing interviews with Mexican undocumented emigrants recently deported from the United States. A discussion of costs and benefits of the migration, and some suggestions for solutions, are also made.

Some progress has been made in defining the socioeconomic characteristics of undocumented immigrants from Mexico. There are four major sources of data based on research of a comprehensive scope in this field: The Samora study (1971); the series of reports of the Comisión Intersecretarial (1972; 1974; and 1975); the North and Houstoun report (1976) released by the U.S. Department of Labor; and the CENIET studies (see Zazueta and Corona, 1979).

This is an abbreviated and revised version of “Undocumented immigration from Mexico: Research report.” International Migration Review 2 (1977):149-77. By permission of the publisher.

This section will describe some of the socioeconomic characteristics, making comparisons among these sources where possible. In addition, some preliminary findings will be presented of a survey conducted by the author in nine Mexican border cities during November and December of 1975. This survey was carried out under the auspices of the Research Program on the Bi-national Border Region (Mexico-U. S.), Centro de Estudios Sociológicos, El Colegio de Mexico; with the cooperation of US immigration authorities. The survey built upon three earlier questionnaire surveys carried out by the Interdepartmental Commission on Mexican Workers in the U.S. (1972; 1974; and 1975). A total of 919 interviews were conducted with undocumented Mexican emigrants upon their return (by U.S. border patrol officials) to eight Mexican border towns. The cities (with sample sizes in parentheses) were Reynosa (32), Matamoros (401), Cd. Acuña (159), Quevedo (99), Piedras Negras (38), Juarez (45), Nogales (84), and Tijuana (60). Given Matamoros’s large sample size, the results from migrants returned to that city will be treated more extensively in the following analyses.