Residence Patterns >> Mexicans
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This section examines the Residence Patterns of Mexians living in Mexico and living in New York City. Where do Mexican immigrants living in New York originally come from? Where do most of them live in Mexico and where do most of them live in NYC? Why do they chose to leave Mexico and why do they choose New York City as their destination over other American cities? How do they live in Mexico and how do they live in New York City?
Where do Mexican Immigrants in NYC originate?
The national net migration rate in Mexico is negative, estimated at -4.32 migrants per 1,000 inhabitants. In 2000, 1,569,157 left while only 260,650 emigrants returned to Mexico (INEGI 2000). According to INEGI, in 2000 most immigrants in the US from Mexico came from the states of Jalisco, Michoacán and Guanajuato (FIgure 1) with the number of immigrants being 170,793, 165,502 and 163,338 respectively. Many Mexicans living in New York City come from the Mixteca region (Figure 2) of Mexico which includes areas of the states Puebla, Guerrero and Oaxaca, and is slightly south-east of the aforementioned states. It is estimated that between 60 and 80 percent of all Mexican migrants in New York City originate in Puebla or in other states in the vicinity of Mexico City, including previously mentioned Guerrero, Jalisco, and Michoacán. Only approximately 30% of these migrants originate in rural communties (INEGI 2000), meaning that the vast majority of Mexicans in New York come from highly populated metropolitan areas. Most Mexicans live in and around Metropolitan areas such as Mexico City and Guadalajara, as illustrated in Figure 3.
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FIGURE 1
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FIGURE 2
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FIGURE 3 Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Mexico_states_blank.png
How do Mexicans live in Mexico?
Though Mexico is established as an upper middle-income country and is the 11th largest economy in the world as measured in gross domestic product in purchasing power parity (World Bank Report), many Mexicans face low real wages, underemployment, unequal income distribution (the top 20% of income earners account for 55% of Mexico’s total income), and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states. In 1994, after the passing of NAFTA, the value of the peso plummeted forcing many impoverished Mexicans even further into poverty. This is one of the main reasons for the significant rise in Mexican immigration to the United States during the 1990s. There is a larger population of women than men in Mexico because in most situations a husband will leave Mexico for the United States and send back a portion of his wages to support his family. The average income per-capita in the rural communities of Puebla can often be below $1,000 per year (Rivera-Batiz 2003).
Why New York City?
Before 1990, the majority of Mexican immigrants to the United States settled in the Southwest. The Mexican population in NYC has tripled from 61,772 in 1990 to 186,872 in 2000 (Rivera-Batiz). Census data is likely to reflect a substantial undercount. More inclusive estimates place New York City’s Mexican population in the range of 275,000 to 300,000 (Rivera-Batiz). This change was caused by the rising availability of work for Mexican immigrants in New York City. Mexican migrants are generally very successful in securing unskilled jobs in New York, mostly in manufacturing, construction and the service sector. Mexicans are also extremely prevalent in the food services and food retail industries.
Forty-Two percent of all Mexican male workers in New York are employed. Twenty percent of all men employed as cooks and food preparation workers in New York are Mexican. New York City currently ranks 6th among US metropolitan areas in Mexican-origin population. Most Mexican New Yorkers live in lower income areas. The average household income per-capita of Mexican New Yorkers is $10,231: less than half the mean income of the average New Yorker, but a huge increase with respect to average Mexican incomes (Rivera-Batiz). Lucrative fields of work are found (eg. street vending, construction, restaurant work, Korean markets, etc.) and word is passed to relatives and friends. This also draws individuals from the same places which explains the large numbers from specific regions.
Mexican Population versus Population Below Poverty Line
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census SF3 Population Division - New York City Department of City Planning
Mexicans in New York City
Most Mexicans living in New York City tend to congregate together. These pockets of Mexicans occur in low income areas. For example, East Harlem in Manhattan; Mott Haven, North New York, Belmont and Fordham Heights in the Bronx; Jackson Heights and Corona in Queens; Sunset Park in Brooklyn and Port Richmond in Staten Island are all areas with large populations of Mexicans. These areas tend to suit the city’s Mexican population because of their easy access to adjacent boroughs and public transportation. Though most Mexican immigrants are likely to concentrate in high poverty areas, they are also very widespread across NYC. Because most Mexican immigrants in New York City live below the poverty line, many live in low-income housing like apartment blocks and the like. This is especially true of those who may not have been born in Mexico but identify as of Mexican heritage.
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Source: http://www.socialexplorer.com/pub/maps/map3.aspx?g=0,20&mapi=2000%20Census%20Tract&themei=1
