International Migration in the Age of Crisis and Globalization: Historical and Recent Experiences

by Andrés Solimano

Overview

The international mobility of people and elites is a main feature of the global economy of today and yesterday. Immigration augments the labor force in receiving countries and provides many of the bodies and minds that are essential to any vibrant economy. Talented people are critical to the transfer of knowledge, ideas, fresh capital, contacts, and entrepreneurial capacities. This book is based on a blend of theory, varied country examples, and rich historical material ranging from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. It discusses the conceptual underpinnings of the push and pull factors of current migration waves and their impacts for development on the source and receiving countries. The analysis reviews the historical context under which various migration experiences have taken place – both in periods of internationalism and in periods of nationalism – in order to contribute to debates on the desirability of and tensions and costs involved in the current process of international migration and globalization. These issues are relevant during both times of economic slumps and times of economic growth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521142489
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	07/12/2010
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Andrés Solimano is founder and Chairman of the International Center for Globalization and Development. He holds a PhD in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr Solimano was a Regional Advisor at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Country Director at the World Bank and Executive Director at the Inter-American Development Bank. He was also Director of the project on International Mobility of Talent with the United Nations University-World Institute of Economic Research and served as Executive Director for Chile at the Board of the Inter-American Development Bank. Dr Solimano has written extensively on international migration, talent mobility, growth, inequality, political economy, macroeconomics and international development.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: understanding the trends, themes, and strata of international migration; 2. Why people move or stay put: international migration is the result of compelling and conflicting factors; 3. What happens when international migration happens? The dilemmas posed by migration; 4. How empires, policy regimes, and economic imperatives influenced the mobility of capital and people in the 20th century; 5. Latin America: where volatile economic development, political crises, poverty, and remittance income is a laboratory for studying the determinants of international migration; 6. Who migrates and what they offer: a focus on people and elites with talent, knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills; 7. International migration requires that the global community put it effectively on its agenda.

Editorial Reviews

This book asks critical questions about immigration, an ever present and polemical topic. By revealing the mysteries of the developing world’s immigrant talent, Solimano opens a new chapter on the subject. Using theory, history, and argumentative empiricism about today, he makes a compelling case for treating foreign migrants better.” – Alice Amsden, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

“Andres Solimano has written a lucid and thorough account of one of the most important policy issues facing the global community. He deftly combines an overview of current trends, cogent analysis of the causes and consequences of international labor flows, and a balanced discussion of policy options confronting sending and receiving nations.” – Gordon Hanson, University of California, San Diego

“Migration is once again on policy makers’ radar screens. This book offers an excellent review of a number of important migration topics, including its determinants and impacts. The author examines these issues in both source and host countries, using a judicious mix of analysis and historical examples and making the important distinction between periods of nationalism and internationalism. This volume should greatly benefit migration experts, students, practitioners, and anyone interested in the topic.” – Maurice Schiff, Lead Economist, Latin America and Caribbean Region, The World Bank

“South-North labor migrations have the power of increasing global output. They should therefore be encouraged provided the output gain can be distributed so that everybody is better off. In a brilliant and illuminating analysis, Andres Solimano shows why such an inter- and intracountry redistribution is inherently difficult, why migration is less than socially optimal, and what should be done about it.” – François Bourguignon, Director, Paris School of Economics, and former chief economist, The World Bank

"Andres Solimano adds to a burgeoning literature a highly readable book on the motivations for international migration and the consequences for both sending and receiving countries.... This book will be particularly useful for students and researchers seeking to understand immigration patterns in the context of globalization." - Madeline Zavodny, Agnes Scott College, Journal of Economic Literature

From the Publisher