The Dynamics of Mass Migration
We specify a set of equations defining a dynamic model of international migration and estimate its parameters by using data specially collected in Mexico. We then used it to project the a hypothetical Mexican community population forward in time. Beginning with a stable population of 10,000 people,...
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Published in | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 96; no. 9; pp. 5328 - 5335 |
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Main Authors | , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
27.04.1999
National Acad Sciences National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences |
Series | Inaugural Article |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | We specify a set of equations defining a dynamic model of international migration and estimate its parameters by using data specially collected in Mexico. We then used it to project the a hypothetical Mexican community population forward in time. Beginning with a stable population of 10,000 people, we project ahead 50 years under three different assumptions: no international migration; constant probabilities of in- and out-migration, and dynamic schedules of out- and in-migration that change as migratory experience accumulates. This exercise represents an attempt to model the self-feeding character of international migration noted by prior observers and theorists. Our model quantifies the mechanisms of cumulative causation predicted by social capital theory and illustrates the shortcomings of standard projection methodologies. The failure to model dynamically changing migration schedules yields a 5% overstatement of the projected size of the Mexican population after 50 years, an 11% understatement of the total number of U.S. migrants, a 15% understatement of the prevalence of U.S. migratory experience in the Mexican population, and an 85% understatement of the size of the Mexican population living in the United States. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 Contributed by Douglas S. Massey To whom reprint requests should be addressed at: Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6298. e-mail: dmassey@lexis.pop.upenn.edu. This contribution is part of the special series of Inaugural Articles by members of the National Academy of Sciences elected on April 28, 1998. |
ISSN: | 0027-8424 1091-6490 |
DOI: | 10.1073/pnas.96.9.5328 |