So far, we’ve examined the economics of both trade and labor to find evidence of regionalization. However, more evidence can be found in other areas as well. One example comes from the changing pattern of illegal migration. While this is a sensitive issue for many, it is still illustrative for insight.
In the past, most illegal immigrants were seasonal workers from Mexico who worked in agriculture in the US during harvest season and then returned home. For the past decade, however, most immigrants have come from Central America, primarily from the countries of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Cuba. And they stay. These immigrants are joining family members already in the US. And they’re not just going to the four southwestern states of Texas, California, Arizona, and New Mexico anymore—they’re spreading to 42 states across the US.
These demographic shifts indicate a regional mindset is taking hold. Shifting from the Mexico-US-Mexico migration to a four nation-US pattern suggests that more people see the US as a feasible destination. The increase in target states from four to 42 suggests more points of connection between countries. Having people stay-put instead of seasonally migrate suggests strengthening family ties across countries. That immigrants are coming from farther away indicates that people don’t find such distances as onerous as they once did. That more immigrants are coming from Cuba could even suggest that an old Cold War nationalistic mindset is giving way to a more regionally cohesive one.
While escaping violence and poverty may be the immediate motivation for many to migrate, the overall patterns suggest that people are thinking more broadly about where they live and where they can go. As people continue to move back-and-forth across borders, we can expect a regional mindset to take hold even more firmly.
References:
Washington Post, “A snapshot of where migrants go after they’re released into the US,” 14 April 2019.