From “Latin Americans” to country-based distinctions: A case study of the migratory motivations and adaptation experiences of Mexicans in Australia

Abstract

Despite a history of Latin American migration to Australia dating back at least as far as the 1970s (del Rio 2014), and significantly increasing numbers of Latin Americans migrating to Australia in recent years, albeit from a small base, little has been written about Latin Americans who migrate to Australia or their reasons for doing so. According to del Rio, there were 105,886 first-generation Latin Americans living as residents or citizens in Australia in December 2012 (2014, 176). As of the same date, Mexicans are the ninth largest group of Latin American migrants in Australia at 3,259 people. Chileans, Brazilians, and Argentineans are the three largest groups with populations of 24,937, 14,510, and 11,986, respectively. Although few Mexicans migrated to Australia throughout the twentieth century, since the 1990s when the effects of globalization became palpable (including the acceleration in the flow of information, finance, and populations) larger numbers of Mexicans have been arriving in Australia, presenting a more compelling reason to study this community within the Australian context. This chapter examines why the Mexicans who migrate to Australia make the decision to migrate and their reasons for choosing Australia as their destination. The analysis is based on qualitative and semiquantitative research involving 282 Mexicans in Australia that explored the questions of why Mexicans move to Australia, how they are incorporated into their host society across different domains of family, work, leisure, and social life, and why Mexican migrants choose to either return to Mexico, stay in Australia, and/or continue to be engaged in various ways with their country of origin.