The Mexican Drug War and the Consequent Population Exodus: Transnational Movement at the U.S.-Mexican Border

Abstract

At the frontline of México’s “war on drugs” is the Mexican-U.S. border city of Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, which has become internationally known as the “murder capital of the world.” In Juárez, which neighbors El Paso, Texas, United States, estimates of the murders in Juárez are as high as 7,643 between 2006 and 2011, leaving approximately 10,000 orphans. Juárez has also experienced an exodus of approximately 124,000 people seeking safety, some migrating to the Mexican interior and others to the U.S., particularly along the U.S.-México border. Based on 63 in-depth interviews with Juárez-El Paso border residents, along with ethnographic observations, we examine the implications of the “war on drugs” on transnational movements and on the initial settlement of those escaping the violence. In particular, we construct a typology of international migrants who are represented in the Juárez exodus: the Mexican business elite, the “Refugees without Status,” and those who resided in México but who are U.S. born or have legal permanent residency in the U.S. This article highlights the role of transnational capital in the form of assets and income, social networks in the U.S., and documentation to cross the port of entry into the U.S. legally, in easing migration and initial settlement experiences in the U.S

Raising children in a violent context: An intersectionality approach to understanding parents' experiences in Ciudad Juárez

“…How gender inequalities played out for families that fled the city due to the violence is an open question that could be investigated in future studies. Interviews with Juárez refugees who now live in El Paso revealed that they face the stress of leaving relatives behind (who do not have crossing visas) and discrimination (Morales et al 2013), but the gendered dimensions of these challenges have yet to be explored.…”

“…Between 2007-2009, Juarez lost 230,000 residents, with 54% of them moving to the US (55,775 residents moved just across the border to El Paso, Texas) and the rest returning to their state of origin (which for the majority of residents is Durango, Coahuila, or Veracruz) (Velázquez Vargas 2012). Those who fled to the US were primarily upper- and middle-class residents (Morales et al 2013). Many residents that remained in the city wished to leave: 42% of residents over 18 surveyed in 2009 were potential migrants, meaning that they desired to migrate to avoid becoming victims of crime, and of this pool, 62% were women who felt vulnerable to crime (Velázquez Vargas 2012).…”

“…In the media coverage about drug wars and drug violence, children, mothers’, and fathers’ daily lives are rarely highlighted. In the academic context, previous research on violence in Juárez has focused on social organizing against the killing of women (Ensalaco 2006; Morales and Bejarano 2009; Staudt 2008; Wright 2001), assessment of trauma and injuries (Diaz-Apodaca et al 2012; Leiner et al 2012), displacement of residents from the city (Morales et al 2013; Velázquez Vargas 2012), and experiences of those intimately involved in the drug war zone, such as traffickers and law enforcement agents (Campbell 2009). Utilizing 16 in-depth interviews with Juárez parents, this study examines how social class and gender, two intersecting social axes, shape divergent experiences with violence in this city.…”

Will peak car observed in the North occur in the South? A demographic approach with case studies of Montreal, Lille, Juarez and Puebla

“…For Juarez we chose a slow demographic growth scenario given the current context of violence [Morales et al, 2013] (projected average annual growth rates of 1.60% from 2006 to 2012 and 1.06% from 2015 to 2030).…”

Transnational Behavior in Comparative Perspective

“…As such, it satisfies the yearning to visit Mexico for nostalgia as discussed earlier. Also, since the outbreak of the cartel wars in Mexico, going to Ciudad Juárez has become more dangerous, deterring many from visiting (Campbell, 2009;Morales, Morales, Menchaca, & Sebastian, 2013).…”