School integration of recent Mexican returnees from the US in a border context

• In Event: Back home: Well-being of return migrants in Mexico

Abstract

How is the school integration of recent migrants from the U.S. in Mexico? Previous studies have found that there is a direct association between recent migration from the U.S., school drop-outs and age-grade gaps in Mexico. However, due to limited information sources, there are few studies about the school integration process of these students. In junior high schools at the metropolitan area of Tijuana, we examine how the students´ interest in school varies depending on recent migration from the U.S., years spent in Mexico since their arrival and the years of schooling achieved in the U.S. In order to accomplish this goal, a multivariate logistic regression model is estimated, based on the Migration and School Integration Survey 2017, and 29 in-depth interviews are conducted to migrants from the U.S. The results show that these migrants exhibit a lower interest in school, which is a function of less years lived in Mexico and more years of schooling achieved in the U.S. In addition, we identify diverse mediating mechanisms of this association such as: limited proficiency in Spanish, the absence of a sense of belonging to Mexico and a poor relationship with teachers at school. In Mexican schools, welcoming programs for students, as well as follow-up models (that include Spanish as a second language) are needed, in order to facilitate the inclusion of these students and to broaden their learning opportunities.

Author

• Eunice D Vargas Valle, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte