Mexican Migration to the United States and Family Planning

Kate H. Choi, Princeton University
Erin R. Hamilton, University of California, Davis

Mexican immigrants have higher fertility rates than non-migrant in Mexico and native-born groups in the United States. Although fertility differentials between Mexican immigrants and the other groups are well documented, there is little research that explores why these patterns arise. To address this gap, this paper documents variations in the fertility intentions and contraceptive use of Mexican immigrants, US-born groups, and non-migrants in Mexico. This analysis will help ascertain the extent to which fertility differentials between Mexican immigrants and other groups are due to (1) migrant selectivity; (2) differential access to contraceptives; and (3) socioeconomic disadvantage. For Mexican immigrants, the paper will also investigate how fertility intentions and contraceptive use changes throughout the migration process. This analysis will disentangle to what extent shifts in fertility timing during the migration process are intended or result from the constraints imposed by the migration process. Together, these analyses contribute to the literature on the fertility assimilation of Mexican immigrants.