That’s how Life is over there, Isn’t it? Family Life Changes among Mexican Non-Migrants who Stayed behind

Abstract

Th is article studies the experiences of the non-migrating kin of Mexican undocumented emigrants to the United States. It examines the negotiations and changes in family life of those who stayed behind by looking at spouses’, siblings’ and parent-children’s relations. First, it analyzes the perceptions and imaginaries that non-migrants hold of migrants’ life abroad and introduces three possible outcomes for its conceptualization: positive overcompensation, neutral perspective and negative compensation.It also analyzes the positive changes in family dynamics for the individual self-perceptions of those who stay behind. Subsequently, it discusses the role played by the extended family in the household arrangements following emigration. Lastly, it explores the relations and adjustments taking place between return-migrants and those who stayed behind.Así es la vida allá, ¿no?: Cambios en la vida familiarde mexicanos no migrantesResumenEn este trabajo se estudian las experiencias de los familiares no migrantes de mexicanos indocumentados en Estados Unidos. Considerando las relaciones de cónyuges, hermanos, padres e hijos, se pretende lograr una mejor comprensión de los cambios y negociaciones en la vida familiar de los que se quedan. En primer lugar, se analizan las percepciones e imaginarios de los no migrantes sobre la vida de sus migrantes en el extranjero y se sugieren tres conceptualizaciones al respecto: sobrecompensación positiva, perspectiva neutra y compensación negativa.Posteriormente se estudia el rol que la familia extensa y política juega en los arreglos intrafamiliares. Por último, se discuten las relaciones y reajustes que tienen lugar entre los migrantes de retorno y los que se quedan.

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Keywords

• Mexico-United States migration
• transnational family relations
• compensation
• non-migrants staying behind
• extended family

How to Cite

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