Ex Mex: From Migrants to Immigrants (review)

The immigration debates took center stage in 2006 after the massive immigrant marches of that year. Although media pundits and politicians pontificated on the issue, there was an absence of solid information regarding the internal decision making process on the topic of immigration as it unfolded in the corridors of power of both the U.S. and the Mexican governments. In this succinct work, Jorge G. Castañeda, who served as Mexico’s foreign minister from 2000–2003, provides us with a rare glimpse into the internal discussions between the two governments regarding the issue of immigration from a Mexican perspective. Based on official internal documents from the Mexican and U.S. governments and numerous interviews with government officials as well as task force reports, newspaper articles, journal articles, and other public documentation, Castañeda examines the immigration question historically as well as a public policy issue. He also intersperses the internal debates amongst government officials regarding the immigration issue to highlight the decision making process.

Although Castañeda does provide a bibliographical essay for those who would like to research the topic further, the book is written in a breezy style and without ponderous footnotes that would slow down the narrative and intrude on the author’s personal observations regarding the issue. After reviewing the present state of Mexican immigration to the United States, Castañeda provides a historical context for the present debate. Demonstrating that the ebb and flow of Mexican immigration to the United States is dependent on U.S. labor needs, he observes that Mexican immigration since the early 1990s has remained constant. What has changed is that increased border enforcement and domestic policies have contributed to Mexican seasonal migrants becoming permanent settlers or immigrants, thus the title of the book. He bemoans the fact that these policies have interrupted the traditional phenomenon of circularity. In the past, Mexican migrant labor would come to the United States to work on a seasonal basis, returning to Mexico once the needs of the agricultural cycle were over. With increased vigilance and enforcement, however, the migrant worker found it more difficult to return. Many decided to settle, bringing their wives and children to join them.

This historically unique pattern was further exacerbated by the frequent Mexican economic crises of the last three decades of the twentieth century coupled with a period of U.S. economic expansion. Thrown into the mix was the implementation of NAFTA in 1994, which intensified the de-structuring of the Mexican countryside that began in 1985. Immigration, Castañeda writes, was not a part of the NAFTA negotiations since its inclusion would have jeopardized the treaty’s approval by the U.S. Congress. During the Congressional debates, NAFTA itself was touted as a remedy to the “immigration problem” as it was purported to stimulate job creation in Mexico. This, sadly, did not come to pass. Finally, he concludes that the lasting solution is long-term economic growth in Mexico, which, as the author argues, is impossible without establishing the rule of law, constructing an adequate infrastructure, and improving the educational system.

Recommended for the layman and the scholar, this book illuminates the issue of immigration by providing an analysis from a Mexican perspective. Mexican immigrants will continue to come to the United States as long as there is such a striking disparity of wealth and economic growth between the two countries. This book goes a long way in providing a sober, objective examination of such a contentious issue from one of Mexico’s foremost intellectuals and statesmen. It is an indispensable work for policy makers, politicians, academics, students, and anyone concerned with a topic that will continue to be debated not only in Congress but also in the streets through future immigrant rights marches.