Full Citation

Title: Drug-Related Violence and Forced Migration from Mexico to the United States

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2012

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Abstract: When President Felipe Calderon took office he declared a war on drug lords, thus initiating a war of attrition which has claimed more than 40,000 lives in the last 5 years. In this paper I document how this escalation of violence has led Mexicans living close to the northern border to migrate to the United States. Using data from the American Community Survey to estimate murder rates, I present evidence that the United States southern states have seen the largest increase in Mexican migration from 2005 to 2010. I also show that these new migrants are college educated, which is in high contrast with the archetypical Mexican migrant in the United States. My analysis also shows that there is a correlation between business openings and murder rates in Mexico. I conclude that the war on drugs is making wealthy well-educated Mexicans leave the country, thus diminishing the available skilled labor force and investment needed for future economic development.

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Authors: Gomez, Eva A.

Publisher: Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Economicas A.C.

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Migration and Immigration, Other

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