The total number of Mexican-born immigrants in America has stopped climbing and started to fall
Pilsen, a Chicago neighbourhood that is home to successive waves of immigrants, and two stories unfold in the surrounding streets. The first is seen in the abundance of, in bright murals of Mexican cowboys and dancing women, or in remittance and travel shops that advertise their business ties to Mexico. The other story is punctuated by vinyl record shops and vegan cafés on fashionable 18th Street. In 2000 the district’s population was 89% Hispanic and notably poor.
Such stories reflect broader changes for many Mexican-Americans, especially in bigger cities like Chicago. For one thing, their overall numbers are falling, after four decades of growth. Andrew Selee of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington points out that since 2007 a tidal wave of Mexicans going to America has slowed to a dribble as unauthorised migrants have been replaced by legal ones.
In fact the total number of Mexican-born immigrants in America has stopped climbing and started to fall, notes Randy Capps, also from. In 2016-17 alone the number fell from 11.6m to 11.3m, a sharp dip that is probably continuing. That is despite the lowest unemployment in America in half a century. Previous spells of strong growth always drew in Mexican labour. No longer. Higher incomes, more jobs and an ageing population in Mexico have all shrunk its pool of potential migrants.
What does this mean for America? Mr Selee is hopeful. He sees Mexicans following the path set by southern and eastern Europeans, predicting a “huge change” in the next 20 years, as far fewer Spanish-speaking migrants come in. That could be a boon to those already there. One lesson after previous decades of high migration ended is that it can herald a period when existing migrants—and, importantly, their American-born children—integrate successfully.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Japan's economy likely shrank in first quarter on weak domestic demand, exports: Reuters pollJapan's economy likely contracted slightly in the first quarter as corporat...
Read more »
Biden: Democratic field will shrink rapidly early next yearJoe Biden predicted Wednesday that the field of Democratic presidential candidates would be “winnowed out pretty quickly” next year
Read more »
Obesity epidemic is led more by rural than urban populationsA massive study finds obesity rising faster in rural areas than cities, highlighting the need for solutions to both.
Read more »
Ancient climate change in south america caused populations to plummet as people couldn't adapt'Unpredictable levels of rainfall, particularly in the tropics, appear to have had a negative impact on pre-Columbian populations until 6,000 years ago,' an archaeologist who worked on the study explained.
Read more »
Amazon can already ship to 72% of US population within a day, this map showsAs Amazon starts to roll out one-day shipping to its most loyal customers, it already has a logistics network spanning much of the U.S.
Read more »
Mexican president orders modest budget cuts to support PemexMexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced a series of what appeare...
Read more »
Mexican villagers beseech volcano goddess for rain, safetyVillagers living in the shadow of major volcanoes near Mexico City journey to the volcano known as The Sleeping Woman to bring offerings of food, incense, flowers and booze to beseech for rains, a strong harvest and protection from ash
Read more »
Japan's SoftBank taps into Mexican fintech startup Clip: sourcesJapan's SoftBank Group invested about $20 million in Mexican payments start...
Read more »
Mexican authorities find wreckage of plane carrying 13 peopleThe wreckage of a missing private plane carrying 13 people has been found in a mountainous area in the northern state of Coahuila, the state's public security department said.
Read more »