Mexican Migrants And Their Parental Households In Mexico

Fomby explores how U.S.-bound migrants participate in systems of intergenerational exchange with their families remaining in Mexico. Taking the perspective of migrants as adult children in their families of origin, she considers the factors associated with inception of migration careers, and asks how migration by selected children affects the social and economic organization of the parental household. Fomby's review of theoretical and empirical research shows that the dominant focus on male labor migration overlooks how migrants continue to relate to and influence parents and siblings. She shows that migrant-sending parental households in Mexico are distinctive in their composition, and that migrants continue to make significant economic contributions from abroad.