Extending the Theory of Cumulative Causation for Two Competing Migrations: The Case of Internal and International Migration from Mexico

Estela Rivero-Fuentes, Princeton University

The theory of the Cumulative Causation of Migration postulates that past migration in a community will bring increased migration in the future through the effect of social networks and economic and social changes product of remittances. This statement has been tested in the case of migration from Mexico to the United States, showing that the proportion of individuals that have migrated increases with the level of past migratory experience. Nevertheless, the theory of cumulative causation has also some implications for internal migration that have not been explored before, mostly under the assumption that internal migration and international migration are independent. Using data from the Mexican Migration Project, I explore the relation between the evolution of internal and international migration at the community level, and show that the cumulative causation of each.