As I travel around the country, I am always intrigued by the motivations of people coming to Mexico to live. I have previously written about my experience as an immigrant to Mexico, including why I am thankful for living in my newly adopted country and what I miss or don’t miss about my native United States of America.
Of course, the flow of “snowbird” retiree immigrants coming to Mexico from the United States and Canada is nothing new. What is new — and the team at Mexico News Daily has written extensively about it — is the diversity of the more recent waves of immigrants coming here.
Digital nomads, artists, younger couples, families with children, corporate management expats, as well as people from a diverse mix of countries in South America, Europe, and even Asia are all increasingly common in cities and towns throughout the country.
What also seems to be new (or at least, far more common) are immigrants coming for very different reasons. In many parts of Mexico, a large percentage of people would say that one of their main reasons for coming here is the lower cost of living and/or much better weather than where they came from.
They most often did not cite motivations “for leaving” but rather more reasons “for coming.” Lately, I’ve found that the reasons “for leaving” are growing (some cite social reasons, healthcare costs and quality, political reasons, etc.) and the reasons given “for coming” are also growing. Some of these motivations include being drawn to the culture (music, art), the food, wanting to start a business, and to learn the language, to name a few.
Perhaps the most fascinating trend I am seeing is that of first- or second-generation Mexican-Americans moving to Mexico to live.
I am referring to children born in Mexico whose parents moved them to the U.S., or to children of parents who were born in Mexico and at some point moved to the U.S. They grew up in the United States but this diverse group of immigrants is moving back to every part of Mexico. They vary in terms of age, professions, socioeconomic status and motivations but they’ve all decided to come here in search of something better.
This is the inspiration behind a new upcoming MND series called “My American Dream is in Mexico.”
We will tell the stories of these immigrants, explore their diverse motivations, their journeys on both sides of the border, the reactions they received from family and friends upon making the decision, and compare and contrast their lives before and after the move.
We will learn about what has been exciting, surprising, fun and difficult for them in making the move. We will profile people from across the country, with very different backgrounds.
Throughout the world, the lives of immigrants are often oversimplified, misunderstood and stereotyped.
The reality is that each immigrant has his or her own complex motivations and emotions behind the decision to leave home. These stories will help us to better understand their hopes and dreams — and maybe even our own.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for over 27 years.
