The Culture of Migration in Southern Mexico

by Cohen, Jeffrey H.

• ISBN13: 9780292705920
• ISBN10: 0292705921
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-11-01
• Publisher: Univ of Texas Pr

Summary

"This book is important to migration studies for a number of reasons. First, I really like the presentation of the complexity of motives for migrants and households.... Second, the emphasis on the anthropological approach, focusing on a holistic view--community, individual, migrant destination--is really important." --Martha W. Rees, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Cincinnati Migration is a way of life for many individuals and even families in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Some who leave their rural communities go only as far as the state capital, while others migrate to other parts of Mexico and to the United States. Most send money back to their communities, and many return to their homes after a few years. Migration offers Oaxacans economic opportunities that are not always available locally--but it also creates burdens for those who stay behind. This book explores the complex constellation of factors that cause rural Oaxacans to migrate, the historical and contemporary patterns of their migration, the effects of migration on families and communities, and the economic, cultural, and social reasons why many Oaxacans choose not to migrate. Jeffrey Cohen draws on fieldwork and survey data from twelve communities in the central valleys of Oaxaca to give an encompassing view of the factors that drive migration and determine its outcomes. He demonstrates conclusively that, while migration is an effective way to make a living, no single model can explain the patterns of migration in southern Mexico.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction Studying Migration in Oaxaca's Central Valleys	1	(29)
The Household and Migration	30	(19)
History, Trajectory, and Process in Oaxacan Migration	49	(23)
Contemporary Migration	72	(27)
Migration, Socioeconomic Change, and Development	99	(25)
Nonmigrant Households	124	(18)
Conclusion Migration in Oaxaca's Central Valleys and Anthropology	142	(11)
Appendix A Characteristics of the Population by Community	153	(3)
Appendix B Household Survey	156	(8)
Appendix C Cultural Consensus	164	(7)
Notes	171	(8)
References Cited	179	(10)
Index	189