Relative deprivation and migration: The case Tamaulipas

Abstract

Migration is too diverse and multifaceted to be explained by a single theory. Economics, Sociology and Geography have provided theoretical schemes explaining migration. During the last few decades the dominant theoretical framework in the analysis of Mexican migration to the United States has been the migrant network theory. Contrarily, relative deprivation theory has received less attention. However, from the example of Tamaulipas' undocumented farm workers employed in the United States, it can be inferred that relative deprivation theory offers a better understanding of the etiology of migration.