Migration Regions
A couple of decades ago, I undertook an exercise to map the regional distribution of Mexican migration in the United States, and the results were fairly modest — unlike the regional analysis I proposed for Mexico in Clandestinos (2002), which still holds up today. We now have far more information at our disposal; we know that the Mexican presence in the United States is both widespread and concentrated, and that patterns of concentration and dispersion remain in place.
Similarly, in Mexico, every municipality in the country (2,478) records some degree of migration experience, but the historic region of western Mexico remains, to this day, the country’s leading source of out-migration. The same holds true in the United States: Every county (3,144) reports the presence of people of Mexican descent.
And when it comes to immigration regions in the United States, there may be some surprises. For this analysis, we will look at three hypothetical regions to which undocumented immigrants in general, and Mexicans in particular, tend to go: the West Coast, the East Coast and the border region. According to the source, Migration Policy Institute, there are an estimated 11.3 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, of whom 4.6 million are Mexican. In absolute terms, they are therefore the largest group, but in relative terms they account for only 40%.
This marks a significant change from the overwhelming predominance of undocumented Mexicans in the early 1980s. The West Coast region, made up of three states — California, Oregon and Washington — is home to 3.4 million undocumented immigrants, nearly 2 million of whom are Mexican, representing 58.3%. Unsurprisingly, California accounts for the overwhelming majority: 2.9 million, of whom 1.7 million, or 59%, are Mexican.
Mexicans are also the majority in Oregon, where they account for 65%, and in Washington, where they represent 51%. The picture is different on the East Coast; however, it is home to 5 million undocumented immigrants, of whom fewer than 1 million are Mexican, amounting to just 21%.
Florida is the state with the largest number of undocumented immigrants, at 1.2 million, but Mexicans account for only 12%. It is a state with very strict anti-immigrant policies, where the South American population is large and diverse, and where undocumented Venezuelans predominate. In this East Coast region, Mexicans are concentrated in Georgia (37%) and the Carolinas (35% in South Carolina and 39% in North Carolina).
Also significant is the presence of 135,000 undocumented Mexicans in New York (16%) and 130,000 in Massachusetts. In the other East Coast states, the Mexican presence is considerably smaller. The diversity of migratory origins, together with the smaller Mexican presence in the region, contrasts sharply with the West Coast.
Meanwhile, the border region, comprised of four states — California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas — is home to 5.2 million undocumented immigrants, 3.1 million of whom are Mexican, accounting for 59%. It should be noted that in this analysis, California overlaps, as it is also included in the West Coast region.
As noted, California is a key destination for undocumented migration, but Texas is as well, with 1.9 million undocumented immigrants, of whom 1.1 million are Mexican, accounting for 57%. If we compare the eastern and western regions, the Pacific region contains the majority of undocumented Mexicans — 2 million — whereas the Atlantic region has fewer than 1 million.
What is also striking is that the Atlantic region has a total of 5 million undocumented immigrants from a wide range of origins, whereas the West Coast is home to 3.4 million undocumented immigrants, more than half of whom are Mexican. In addition, the Atlantic states are home to nearly 3 million Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens but regarded as immigrants, concentrated mainly in Florida and New York; this contributes to the East Coast’s Latin American character, alongside Dominicans and Cubans.
The U.S. coasts and the border form a region with a very high presence of Mexicans and Latinos more generally, whether documented or undocumented. The center of the country remains predominantly white and has a relatively small undocumented population, with the exception of Chicago, which proves the rule.
One could say that, in both the popular and academic imagination, undocumented immigrants are concentrated on the southern border, which is indeed true and unsurprising (5.2 million). However, a very similar number of undocumented migrants (5 million) are located on the Atlantic coast, where Mexicans are a minority.
Similarly, in Mexico, every municipality in the country (2,478) records some degree of migration experience, but the historic region of western Mexico remains, to this day, the country’s leading source of out-migration. The same holds true in the United States: Every county (3,144) reports the presence of people of Mexican descent.
And when it comes to immigration regions in the United States, there may be some surprises. For this analysis, we will look at three hypothetical regions to which undocumented immigrants in general, and Mexicans in particular, tend to go: the West Coast, the East Coast and the border region. According to the source, Migration Policy Institute, there are an estimated 11.3 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, of whom 4.6 million are Mexican. In absolute terms, they are therefore the largest group, but in relative terms they account for only 40%.
This marks a significant change from the overwhelming predominance of undocumented Mexicans in the early 1980s. The West Coast region, made up of three states — California, Oregon and Washington — is home to 3.4 million undocumented immigrants, nearly 2 million of whom are Mexican, representing 58.3%. Unsurprisingly, California accounts for the overwhelming majority: 2.9 million, of whom 1.7 million, or 59%, are Mexican.
Mexicans are also the majority in Oregon, where they account for 65%, and in Washington, where they represent 51%. The picture is different on the East Coast; however, it is home to 5 million undocumented immigrants, of whom fewer than 1 million are Mexican, amounting to just 21%.
Florida is the state with the largest number of undocumented immigrants, at 1.2 million, but Mexicans account for only 12%. It is a state with very strict anti-immigrant policies, where the South American population is large and diverse, and where undocumented Venezuelans predominate. In this East Coast region, Mexicans are concentrated in Georgia (37%) and the Carolinas (35% in South Carolina and 39% in North Carolina).
Also significant is the presence of 135,000 undocumented Mexicans in New York (16%) and 130,000 in Massachusetts. In the other East Coast states, the Mexican presence is considerably smaller. The diversity of migratory origins, together with the smaller Mexican presence in the region, contrasts sharply with the West Coast.
Meanwhile, the border region, comprised of four states — California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas — is home to 5.2 million undocumented immigrants, 3.1 million of whom are Mexican, accounting for 59%. It should be noted that in this analysis, California overlaps, as it is also included in the West Coast region.
As noted, California is a key destination for undocumented migration, but Texas is as well, with 1.9 million undocumented immigrants, of whom 1.1 million are Mexican, accounting for 57%. If we compare the eastern and western regions, the Pacific region contains the majority of undocumented Mexicans — 2 million — whereas the Atlantic region has fewer than 1 million.
What is also striking is that the Atlantic region has a total of 5 million undocumented immigrants from a wide range of origins, whereas the West Coast is home to 3.4 million undocumented immigrants, more than half of whom are Mexican. In addition, the Atlantic states are home to nearly 3 million Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens but regarded as immigrants, concentrated mainly in Florida and New York; this contributes to the East Coast’s Latin American character, alongside Dominicans and Cubans.
The U.S. coasts and the border form a region with a very high presence of Mexicans and Latinos more generally, whether documented or undocumented. The center of the country remains predominantly white and has a relatively small undocumented population, with the exception of Chicago, which proves the rule.
One could say that, in both the popular and academic imagination, undocumented immigrants are concentrated on the southern border, which is indeed true and unsurprising (5.2 million). However, a very similar number of undocumented migrants (5 million) are located on the Atlantic coast, where Mexicans are a minority.
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