US Citizenship for our Mexican Children! US-born Children of Non-Migrant Mothers in Northern Mexico

ABSTRACT

We analyze the presence of non-migrant US-born children aged 0–4 in the northern states of Mexico and associated factors by parental nativity. Based on the 2020 Mexican Census, we describe the location, population size, and sociodemographic profiles of these children. We also estimate regression models to examine factors associated with children’s US nativity. We found that US births to non-migrant mothers have become a more prevalent source of US-born children than return migration in recent years. Non-migrant US-born children slightly declined from 2010 to 2020 and continued to be concentrated in northern states, particularly in the border municipalities. Multivariate regression models reveal that, among children of Mexico-born parents, being non-migrant US-born was associated with higher levels of parental schooling, socioeconomic status, or cross-border employment. Births in the U.S. are more common among Mexican middle-upper status families suggesting a selection process that may contribute to social reproduction by increasing their children’s future socioeconomic opportunities relative to Mexico-born children. However, among those with US-born parents, US birth does not vary by socioeconomic status showing those with easier access to the United States and transnational social capital do not need additional resources to secure US citizenship.

KEYWORDS:

• Births
• citizenship
• dual nationality
• migration
• family strategy
• Mexico

Acknowledgements

We thank Francisco Lares for his support with ArcGIS mapping tools.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 We evaluated if we could include children with returnee mothers as another comparison group, but due to their small size (456 cases, 320 US-born) it was impossible to perform all the models. In the pooled model, the only variables significantly associated with being US-born were parental US-nativity and cross-border employment, indicating that those with greater US or transborder links had the possibility to give birth in the U.S. after returning to Mexico.

2 We examined including monthly income from work of all household members as an independent variable, but it was not significant in any of the regression models estimated. In March 2020, in northern states, the mean income in households of Mexico-born children was 17,677 pesos, compared to 32,107 of US-born children, approximately 893 and 1,621 USD, respectively. Among US borns, those with Mexican parents had a mean household income slightly higher than among those with US-born parents, of 33,704 versus 27,215 pesos.

3 For the index, we tested the inclusion of other household services and features captured in the Census microdata, but the selected seven assets and services were those that contributed most to the factor analysis.

4 Unfortunately, census questionnaires do not capture possession of a visa to visit the US, a residency permit to live in the U.S. or the acquisition of US-citizenship by naturalization. However, it is likely that people in reproductive ages with papers to live in the U.S. also take advantage of this status to work there, and we capture cross-border employment.

5 This option produces the best groups of similar values and maximizes the differences between classes.

6 Aguascalientes, Colima, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, San Luis Potosí, and Zacatecas.

7 We examined incorporating household structure into the multivariate models, but it was not significant. Father absence seems to be compensated for with the co-residence and support of grandparents.

8 It is relevant to note that parents delay the birth registration as Mexican citizens of their US-born children until for some reason they need to proof Mexican identity; i.e., only 42% of the US-born children aged 0–4 in northern states had already Mexican birth registration (estimates based on 2020 Census microdata). This registration involves paying a fee (less than 50 USD) and presenting some documents: the original and apostilled US birth certificate of the minor along with its translation in Spanish, proof of Mexican citizenship by at least one of the parents, and proof that the minor is not registered in Mexico and has not been assigned a Clave Única de Registro de Población (CURP).