The rise of Mexican entrepreneurial migration to the United States: A mixed-embeddedness approach

E. Salamanca P., Jorge Luis Alcaraz Vargas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Although many studies have analyzed the behavior of high-skilled migration to the United States, few have focused on the escalating migration of Mexican entrepreneurs, and particularly on the determinants of this kind of high-skilled migration. This article addresses this gap through a qualitative approach conforming to quantitative procedures, based on 20 in-depth interviews applied to Mexican entrepreneurs working and/or living in the United States. Theoretically, a mixed-embeddedness approach guides this research because it allows examining both the individual characteristics of Mexican entrepreneurs, and the influence of the home and host countries' institutional contexts on their business endeavors. Findings revealed Mexico's institutional weaknesses, such as insecurity, corruption, and bureaucracy, are important drivers of migration but so are the perception of a friendly U.S. fiscal system, the search for a better quality of life, and the appeal of a more transparent business environment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)197-215
Number of pages19
JournalThunderbird International Business Review
Volume61
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2019
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the staff of the Mexico Center at the Baker Institute (Rice University) for its hospitality, particularly to the Director of the Mexico Center, Tony Payan, for the support and guidance provided throughout the development of this study. Financial support from The Puentes Consortium is gratefully acknowledged.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Business and International Management
  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Political Science and International Relations

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