IMMIGRATION OUT OF THE US, ASIANS IN
https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/why-are-mexicans-leaving-the-us-in-droves/
The narrative trending in the U.S. is that an influx of Mexicans are coming into the country. But there’s another side to the story, large numbers of Mexicans are leaving the U.S. to go back to Mexico.
Jeff Passel, demographer with the Pew Research Center in Washington, studies the movements of people into and out of the U.S. He says Mexicans have been leaving in droves for the last decade or so.
The trend of Mexicans leaving is not likely to stop anytime soon. At the Mexican consulate, I met people not planning to leave immediately but taking steps toward leaving in the future.
One of them was Humberto Moreno, who’s originally from Monterrey. He’s been in the U.S. for decades.
Moreno is now retired from the U.S. Army. He owns a small ranch in Bastrop. But he, his wife and daughter are taking steps to move to Mexico. Instead of the American dream, they’re pursuing the Mexican dream.
“Mexico is up [and] coming and I see a better future – or possible future – for my daughter in Mexico,” Moreno says. “She wants to study medicine and being able to go to school in Mexico might be beneficial – cost wise. If in her life, she decides she wants to live in Mexico, I would be happy. It will be her choice. I’m just trying to give her a choice.”
So many people like Moreno and his family have been leaving the U.S. that it’s resulted in a net-zero migration from Mexico. That means basically it’s come out even.
And if that’s surprising, it may surprise you even more to learn Latin Americans are not the largest group coming into the U.S. anymore – even though all the coverage about Central American immigrants may lead you to believe otherwise.
Jeff Passel says immigrants from Asia have outnumbered all other groups for the last eight years.
The interesting thing about data is that it may not give you a sexy headline, but it will reveal the truth.