Author: Paramjit S. Sahai
Mexico and its Diaspora in the United States: Policies of Emigration since 1848
2011
Migration policies between asymmetrical states
Does the author succeed in achieving her objectives? To do so, it would be necessary to understand the prepositions that she set for herself or the hypotheses she wanted to prove. Are migration flows and policies linked to variations in the United States-Mexican relationship and could Mexico, as a weaker actor, control ‘immigration flows’ and address their causes and effects? Délano’s book is a window on migration flows – an examination of Mexico’s emigration policies covering different periods and connecting migration policies with overall policies. She also raises the issue of whether asymmetry in the relationship between a sending state and a receiving state has an impact on migration policies. How does enhancement of economic relations impact emigration policies? Is there a direct or indirect interaction?Diaspora vis-à-vis communities
Délano correctly sets the ball rolling as she grapples with the definitional problem by noting that people relate to the word ‘Diaspora’ in different ways. She opts to use ‘Diaspora’ in the title as opposed to the more commonly used term, ‘Mexican Communities’, a term that denotes the temporary nature of migration to the United States. ‘The term Diaspora reflects the continuing struggle within the Mexican State to define its position on emigration’, as well as to capture ‘the diversity of Mexican migrants and their organizations’. She notes that the Diaspora has not acted as ‘a unified bloc with common goals, either in relation to their political objectives in Mexico or the United States’. This non-unified approach is equally true of other Diaspora groups across the world, including the Indian Diaspora.Migration and foreign policy perspective
The book views migration from the foreign policy perspective and how it emerged from the agenda of ‘low politics’ to ‘high politics’. There is a growing recognition that it impacts other interests of the state and could create ‘conflict situation’ if not fully addressed. The migration issue has to be seen in bilateral, regional, multinational, and transnational contexts. Délano touches on the domestic sensitivity of migration-related issues. She also recognises that security issues act as a damper. Furthermore, increased economic engagement through groupings, such as the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), has created a positive environment for discussion of migration-related issues. Given this importance, should there be coupling or decoupling of migration from other issues? The preference is for decoupling, although experts are divided.A passive vs active approach on migration
Délano notes that over the years, a passive approach on migration issues has given way to an active involvement on the part of Mexico. While there was more active involvement during the period 2000–2006 in the administration of Mexican President Vincent Fox, the same is not true in the administration of Felipe Calderon since 2006. Mexican migration policy transformed itself from the traditional policy of ‘limited engagement’ and ‘limited response’ to a proactive policy during the 1990s. This happened under pressure from domestic and transnational actors and the growing strength of the Mexican Diaspora in the United States. The focus is on addressing “the causes of emigration, economic rights in Mexico and protection of their rights in the United States’. The strength of the Mexican Diaspora has also resulted in changes in their citizenship laws and voting rights.Engagement, the best option on migration
There are hurdles faced by the sending country (Mexico) in pursuing its agenda on migration. Délano comes to the conclusion that engagement is a far better option, as otherwise it would have more to lose. While recognising the constraints arising from an asymmetrical relationship, she also recognises that the sending country could get meaningful concessions by using the available channels like lobbying in the United States to put across its view point.Domestic compulsions still dictate
Migration from Mexico to the USA is a complex phenomenon and there is no parallel in the world. So much so that ways have to be found to create frameworks, through institutions like the Institute of Mexicans Abroad (IME) and the Consular Identity Card (Matricula), which facilitate in safeguarding the interests of undocumented persons. Nonetheless, domestic compulsions ultimately rule and in the case of the United States, it is becoming more complex with the involvement of the states in the formulation/implementation of emigration policies. It is such compulsions that have so far derailed President Obama’s Agenda on Migration, which has eluded consensus among the Democrats and the Republicans.Formalised vs flexible approach
Délano raises a fundamental question, as to whether a formalised relationship on migration would be more in Mexico’s national interest. Given the practical difficulties in reaching a bilateral agreement with the United States, Délano opts for a flexible approach and the need to avoid a straightjacket situation. She concludes that ‘interdependence and the framework in economic integrations have provided Mexico, even though a weaker state, with a wider space for action’ on emigration policies. This may be true for Mexico, but may not be so for other sending countries. There is, however, a growing realisation among them not to accept things passively, as they make efforts to safeguard the interest of their Diasporas.A comprehensive treatise
Délano needs to be complimented for a comprehensive treatise on the evolution of Mexican emigration policies and the role of its diaspora in the United States. Her work equally touches on the political clout that the Diaspora has acquired in Mexico and provides a mine of factual data, and useful information and analysis for understanding the relationship ‘not in the limited context of migration, but in the larger context of bilateral relationship, between the two countries’.
You may also be interested in
British Diplomacy in Turkey, 1583 to the Present: A Study in the Evolution of the Resident Embassy
The NIRSA Diaspora Strategy Wheel and Ten Principles of Good Practice
A Diaspora Strategy is an explicit and systematic policy initiative or series of policy initiatives aimed at developing and managing relationships between homelands and diasporic populations. These policy initiatives vary from highly formalised and structured programmes to projects that are quite light in conception and application. A diaspora strategy is perhaps best thought of then as an overarching framework for providing a level of coherence to the range of diaspora policies devised and implemented by a variety of agencies. The NIRSA Diaspora Wheel is designed as a checklist for poli...
Mexico and its Diaspora in the United States: Policies of Emigration since 1848
This book is unique in many ways and is different from other studies on migration and diaspora. Délano looks at migration from the perspective of a sending state, focusing on its role in the evolution of emigration policies, as they are shaped under diverse pressure. Spread over a period of over 100 years, the content is neatly divided into five distinct phases. A departure from other studies, the emigration process is seen through the prism of a social scientist and not that of an anthropologist, as is the standard pattern. Its focus is on Mexican emigration policies, yet the same are not se...
Consular Law and Practice, 2nd edn
The author of this book is a member of the US State Department's Senior Executive Service, Chairman of the International Law Association Committee on the Legal Status of Refugees, and Adjunct Professor of Law at the American University. It is not a new book but is still available on demand from OUP (when you look at the price, though, who is holding the pistols is a moot point). The first edition was published in 1961, shortly before consular law was codified in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963), and the method of the second edition is correspondingly different in emphasis - d...
Conclusion of 5th Conference for Honorary Consuls of Estonia
The 5th Conference of the Honorary Consuls of the Republic of Estonia concluded on Saturday, 31 May. There were 73 honorary consuls from 44 nations all over the world in attendance. When summing up the conference, the honorary consuls emphasised the necessity of holding such events. They felt that the conference offered them a chance […]
United States Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Tehran (United States of America v. Iran)
The Consular Dimension of Diplomacy
Migration and Remittances Factbook 2016
India’s diaspora diplomacy
Diaspora Diplomacy: A Case Study of Uganda
International migration in the 21st Century is attracting a lot of attention of policy makers due to its global impact and increasing linkages to development in an era of increased cooperation and interdependence between countries.
Think global, act local: Honorary consuls in a transforming diplomatic world
This paper concentrates on the understudied subject of honorary consuls and their conduct of trade, tourism, and investment promotion. It seeks to highlight how states are using honorary consuls to extend their network for increased consular coverage; overview why localities, regions, and municipal hubs are increasingly more important than national capitals in terms of business […]
Diaspora Diplomacy: Philippine Migration and its Soft Power Influences
Diaspora Diplomacy: Philippine Migration and its Soft Power Influences is about the remarkable and untapped soft power that international migrants possess and how various sectors-from governments, NGOs, business, and international organizations- could tap this valuable resource to enhance global cooperation and development. With compelling stories from Filipina and Filipino migrants in San Francisco, London, Dubai, Dhaka, and Singapore comprising the large Philippine diaspora, this book illustrates how this widespread community performs numerous acts of public diplomacy, bridging the cultural ...
Global Diasporas: An Introduction
Consular Services Annual Report 2008/09
Consular Law and Practice, 3rd ed
First published in 1961, Consular Law and Practice is a classic work of great interest and practical use to diplomats, consuls, and international lawyers.
The Craft of Diplomacy: How to Run a Diplomatic Service
Paradiplomatic’ Relations between the United States and Kosova: A Friendship between an Elephant and a Mouse
Naim Dedushaj's thesis 'Paradiplomatic relations between the United States and Kosova' studies the relations between the Albanian nation and America that date way back in history. The first Albanian immigrants moved to the United States in the second half of the 19th century. The major migration flows from Kosova and other parts in ex-Yugoslavia took place in the 20th century.
The transformation of consular affairs: The United States experience
The inertia of Diplomacy
Diplomacy is used to manage the goals of foreign policy focusing on communication. New trends affect the institution of diplomacy in different ways. Diplomacy has received an additional tool in the form of the Internet. In various cases of interdependence and dependence interference in a country’s affairs is accepted. Multilateral cooperation has created parliamentary diplomacy and a new type of diplomat, the international civil servant. States and their diplomats are in demand to curb the excesses of globalization. The fight against terrorism also brought additional work for diplomac...
The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey
If God ever gave mankind a mission – it was not so much to multiply as to walk. And walk we did, to the farthest corners of the earth. Homo sapiens sapiens is the only mammal to have spread from its place of origin, Africa, to every other continent – before settling down to sedentary life ogling a TV screen or monitor, that is.
The Visa Dimension of Diplomacy
The Scottish Diaspora and Diaspora Strategy: Insights and Lessons from Ireland
Consular Diplomacy: A Conceptual Framework for Analysis and Decision Making
This dissertation explores the consular functions performed in three developed countries and draws from that data to develop a conceptual framework for decision making and analysis of consular affairs. The paper examines the historical evolution of consular functions and the problems of defining consular functions on a universal basis. The findings of this research initially define the categories of consular services performed in contemporary diplomacy, and subsequently, conceptualises how each function may become relatively more important to a nation state. Among the important finding of this...
