Globalization and migratory flowsThe US -Mexican borderNAFTAIllegal Immigration

World Migration and Immmigration Tendencies United Nations report 2012

Despite the phenomenon of globalisation and the outsourcing of production and jobs to south east Asia and the other emerging world economies, the USA continues to be the country which attracts the most immigrants in the world.

The US-Mexico Border Le Frontera Facts and Figures

The US-Mexico border is the international border between the two states. It has a length of 1969 miles or just over 3000 km. It is the most frequently crossed border in the world with over 250 million people crossing every year.It runs from San Diego / Tijuana on the Pacific coast to Brownsville / Matamoros in the Gulf of Mexico.Between these two extremities, the border crosses different terrains: the Rio Grande and the Colorado river, as well as scorching deserts and huge urban conurbations

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into effect on January 1st 1994.

It is an agreement which set out to remove trade barriers beween Mexico, the USA and Canada.

It tried to create the free circulation of goods, services and capital. Unlike the Schengen agreement, it does not allow the free circulation of people.

US trade with Canada and Mexico has more than tripled since 1994.

In 2011, trilateral trade beween NAFTA members reached the $1 trillion mark.

Paradoxically, the USA has a large trade defifict with NAFTA countries Why?

An estimated 700 000 jobs have been lost in the USA due to outsourcing since NAFTA came into effect in 1994.NAFTA allows the free circulation of goods, services and capital. Mexico has low wage rates and has attracted many US firms to produce on the Mexican side of the border in the maquiladoras.

The maquiladoras are assembly plants rune by European, Japanese but mainly American companies. They take advantage of low wages and lax environmental policy to produce azt low costs in Mexico. 90% of the goods produced are then exported to the USA but they are produced by US firms! (This helps explain the US trade deficit with Mexico).There are around 3000 factories along the 2000 mile border employing about one million people, mostly young women. The average wage ranges from 50 cents to $2 per hour. Since 2000, they have faced competition from China for low production costs.The maquiladoras represent the second biggest income for the Mexican economy after oil (petroleum) and account for 45% of Mexican exports.

A Timeline of American Immigration and Immigrants' Origins

Document 1 Immigration Bar Graph

The bar chart shows that the USA has always attracted millions of immigrants to its shores, from the middle of the 19th century up to today.The numbers of immigrants has fluctuated with high points at the turn of the 20th century, a low point during and after WWII followed by a steady rise up to today when numbers are at an all time high.

Document 2 Bar Graph of Immigrants' Origins

What has changed is the region of origin of the immigrants. Historically, it was Europeans who emigrated massively at the trurn of the 20th century and then their numbers gradually dwindled up to and following WWII. If immigration has increased since that time it is because of new immigrants from Asia but essentially Latin America who have arrived in their millions.

The New Immigarnts and where they settle

Document 3 Chart showing countries of origin of modern day immigrants

This pie chart shows the make up of modern day immigrants arriving in the USA. Whilst 41% come from all over the world, 59% of thenew immigrants are from Latin America or South East Asia including India. By far the largest group of immigrants from one country are the Mexicans who make up over a quarter of all immigrants.

Document 4 Map of the USA showing where immigrants settle

This dot map shows clearly that the new immigrants have not spread evenly throughout the country. They have massed together in specific areas such as New York (wealth), the Great Lakes (industry), Florida (employment) but especially in Texas and on the west coast - the US-Mexican border runs between Texas and California. The vast majority of new Mexican immigrants have settled here (proximity/family) which has given rise to numerous problems (language/education/employment).

The Origins and Makeup of Illegal Immigration

Document 5 Origins and settlement of illegal immigrants

The pie chart shows that the vast majority of illigal immigrants in the USA are from Latin America (over three quarters) and well over half of all illegal immigrants come specifically from Mexico.The bar chart shows us that the illegal immigrants have stayed very close to the border region of the USA and Mexico, especially California but also Florida, adding to the number of legal immigrants already there.

Document 6 Make up of the illegal immigrant population

The first pie chart shows the huge number of illegal immigrants in the USA 11 million at the time but now around 13 million. Mexicans make up more than half of the number of illegal immigrants in the USA.More importantly, a high number are solo males and females which means young people looking for work, housing, education and eventually a family life.

The Effects of the New Immigration on Traditional American Society

Document 7 Graph showing evolution of the Hispanic population of the USA

This bar graph shows how the Hispanic population has increased 17 fold (1700%) since 1950 to reach 68 miliion today. Knowing that the population of the USA is around 317 million, the Hispanics make up 21% of the total number.The projection shows the possible evolution until 2050 when their number will have tripled, challenging caucasians as the main ethnic group in the country.

Document 8 Graph of changing make up of US society between 2010 and 2030

What this bar chart makes clear is that all the ethnic groups which make up US society are stable (Black) or increasing (Asian, Other, Hispanic). The only ethnic group which is decreasing as a precentage of the total population are the caucasians (white).

National Geographic Determined What Americans Will Look Like in 2050 and It's Beautiful