The 0.5 Generation: Children Moving from the United States to Mexico

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, a generation of children crossed the border from the United States to begin their lives anew in Mexico. While all were international migrants, their roots spread far and wide. Some were migrant returnees born in Mexico; others had only ever known a life in the United States. Distinguishing returnees from new arrivals seems simple, but defining these youths’ affiliations in their new homes in Mexico is much more complex and yields new insights that enrich our contemporary understanding of inclusion and belonging.

This book is the product of twenty-five years’ worth of fruitful interdisciplinary dialogue and research on these children’s trajectories, tracing their journeys and studying integration--or lack thereof--into Mexican society and institutions.

Víctor Zúñiga is Professor of Sociology at the School of Law, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Mexico, and Emeritus Professor of Mexico’s Sistema Nacional de Investigadores. He is coauthor of Les Sources de la Sociologie.

Silvia E. Giorguli is President of El Colegio de México, where she has served as professor and director of the Center for Demographic, Urban and Environmental Studies. She was President of the Mexican Society of Demography and is a member of Mexico’s Sistema Nacional de Investigadores.