Internal and External Pressures: An Analysis of the Longevity and Cancellation of the Bracero Program, 1942-1964

• In Event: Interpersonal and International Relations: Inter-American Connections During the Cold War

Abstract

The definition and elaboration of a national immigration policy is generally considered a matter of domestic policy. The design of immigration policy is generally conceive in a sovereign fashion and without intromission from external pressures. Still, it can be difficult for legislators to escape the influence of international interests and contexts, including refugee movements, global demographic growth, and international conflicts. The Bracero Program created in 1942 is an example of the impact of the international context (World War II) and of the strategic interests involved in the elaboration of a program of seasonal workers between Mexico and the United States. However, the reasons that explain its endurance until 1964 can’t be attributed entirely to the weight of international interests. The cancellation of the program took place during the Cold War and it is difficult to identify the causes of the American government’s decision to end this collaboration with Mexico in any external factor. This presentation analyzes the modification of the decisional process related to this program of importation of Mexican agricultural workers. First, to facilitate the comprehension of the chronology, I will present some theories of the decisional process that emphasize the national and the international factors. Then, I will identify the moments when internal pressures (unions, agroindustry, civil rights associations, etc.) are preeminent and those when external pressure become an important factor to explain the longevity of this collaboration between Mexico and the United States.

Author

• Catherine Vézina, Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas