Population Center Research Themes: Immigration
About Immigration at the Pop Center
Immigration is a major factor in U.S. population growth and growth in other countries. In Europe, immigration is replacing natural increase as the major source of growth. The world over, governements are debating how to regulate, manage, and integrate immigrants.
Population-related research on immigration at Berkeley is focused on:
- Immigration to the United States in Historical Perspective
- Health and Immigrant Populations
- Economic and Political Consequences of Immigration
Immigration Research Projects
Project Title: The Impact of Mexican Antipoverty Policy on Illegal immigration to the US
BPC Affiliate: Paul Gertler
Funding: BPC
Other Themes: Population Health, Data Collection, Family
Description: In this pilot we propose to evaluate the impact of Mexico’s antipoverty program, Oportunidades (formally known as Progresa), on illegal immigration to the US. We hypothesize that a Mexican will migrate to the US if the expected economic return is higher than staying put. The first possible effect is that an improvement in living standards may reduce the value of taking the risk of illegal immigration for financial gain. However, the cash transfers may help finance the fixed costs of immigration, which are substantial, and provide a safety net for the family who remains in Mexico while waiting for remittances from the migrant. Second, we hypothesize that the cohorts who benefited from the Oportunidades educational benefits are less likely to migrate benefit from the cohorts who were not eligible from the education benefits. This is because the returns to Mexican education are likely to be higher in Mexican than in the labor market for illegal immigrants in the US that is primarily unskilled labor.
Project Title: Learning Civic Engagement: Political Socialization in Asian- and Mexican-Origin Families.
BPC Affiliate: Irene Bloemraad
Funding: Russell Sage Foundation
Description: ???
