Mexican Migration Into U.S. Slowing Down

For several years now, Mexican migration to the United States has been in steady decline.
According to the Pew Hispanic Research Center, over a million Mexican nationals have returned south of the border since 2009, data which busts claims made by republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, during this year’s political campaign season.
What are some of the factors involved in this migration pattern? And what does this net departure of Mexican citizens represent for both countries?
This decrease in Mexican-born migrants in the U.S. is linked to several factors such as a change in attitudes as well as growing opportunities south of the border, not an increase in Customs and Border Protection agents at the border or more physical obstacles along the already perilous desert trek (such as a new border wall, per se).
INTERNAL MIGRATION 

For as long as Mexico has been a sovereign nation, innumerable nationals have moved within Mexico’s boundaries in search of work, education, and a better place to call home.
Despite not being able to earn what many “paisanos” may earn in the U.S., those migrating within Mexico avoid the growing difficulties of life north of the border, which include high living costs in cities, police discrimination towards minorities, growing antagonism towards immigrants in conservative pockets, and cultural isolation, amongst other hardships that come with the search for the “American dream.”
Those moving from the poverty stricken rural or urban areas regularly opt for cities with strong manufacturing industries, such as Tijuana, Monterrey, and Ciudad Juarez; major tourism hubs, such as Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas; rich agricultural zones such as Sinaloa or the Bajio region; and the capital, Mexico City, a major hub of financial hub. Moves within national boundaries often represent a significant increase in quality of life, without the danger and challenges of adaptation to a foreign country.
The phenomenon of intranational migration is not new to Mexico. Generations of mexicans have moved from their hometowns to other corners of the country, where a comfortable life might be within closer reach.
According to a study by Dr. Bernardo Ramirez Rios and  Jeffrey H. Cohen, professors of anthropology at Skidmore College and The Ohio State University respectively, internal migration is a viable choice for economic stability.
OAXACAN OBSERVATION 

The anthropologists spent time in communities in the state of Oaxaca to get first-hand testimony and observe any arrivals or departures during their stay. The results of their research were later published in the International Journal of Sociology.
In their research, Ramirez Rios and Cohen argue that internal migration is an important and viable alternative for people who are in search of security and opportunity who cannot or will not cross the U.S. border.
The researchers shared parts of their findings, in an article penned by Cohen and published in Newsweek, that people from rural regions have moved around Mexico for generations, with migration to the U.S. becoming a relatively recent phenomenon.
After spending time among families and communities in Oaxaca, the researchers heard stories about migration throughout the region. Over the years, Oaxacans in villages near the Sierra Madre have found jobs as itinerant vendors, workers on farms, and as workers at beach resort towns.
In the second half of the 20th century, many Oaxacans arrived in Mexico City, where more opportunities for jobs, education and marriage were available. Other migrants opted for newly minted tourism hubs or cities in the north.
A young man who chose to identify himself as Don Alejandro, described to Ramirez-Rios and Cohen why he traveled to Cabo San Lucas rather than moving into the U.S.
“Up north you work then pay bills, then work more to pay more bills… it’s okay here; it’s not much but it’s mine,” said Don Alejandro.
Mexico’s National Institute for Statistics, Geography, and Information estimates that national migrants make up 4 to 5 percent of the nation’s total population of about 130 million people. In other words, about six million Mexicans are moving within the nation’s borders.
While some of these migrants may plan a future move into the U.S., it’s unlikely for many given the legal challenges of border crossing, as well as the countless dangers and expenses of crossing without documentation.
Cohen writes that while living in Mexico may not lead to riches, many Mexicans feel they can be a leader at home and participate fully in civil life.
Every migration, national or international, carries with it a risk and reward scenario. As Mexico’s economy strengthens, more Mexicans might continue to build their dreams south of the border.