A Nation of Emigrants

By David FitzGerald,

Book cover of A Nation of Emigrants: How Mexico Manages Its Migration

Book description

What do governments do when much of their population simply gets up and walks away? In Mexico and other migrant-sending countries, mass emigration prompts governments to negotiate a new social contract with their citizens abroad. After decades of failed efforts to control outflow, the Mexican state now emphasizes voluntary ties,…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked A Nation of Emigrants as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I love this book because it discusses the nebulous legal spaces migrants inhabit as they cross international borders.

First, despite credible borderlands scholarship that challenges the fixed and permanent nature of borders, this book shows that borders still matter–the sender nation loses human capital while the receiver nation gains human capital.

I also really like this book because it shows how governments of sender nations play a part in migration: their lax or stringent outbound migration requirements play a large part in determining if migrants choose to stay in host countries or repatriate. 

Want books like A Nation of Emigrants?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like A Nation of Emigrants.

Browse books like A Nation of Emigrants

Book cover of Troublesome Border
Book cover of Decade of Betrayal: Mexican Repatriation in the 1930s
Book cover of Miracles on the Border: Retablos of Mexican Migrants to the United States

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,584

readers submitted
so far, will you?