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

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.