El sur en el norte : La emergente sociedad civil migrante

ccording to demographers, one in eight Mexican adults is in the United States. In Hirschman's terms one could assume that they have opted for the "exit" instead of the "voice." However, many are exercising their "voice" from the other side of the border through what can be called a "migrant civil society" -a space of collective reunion in the migration process that shows the persistence of "loyalty" " This cross-border area of ​​Mexican society is constituted through four main strands: grassroots social organizations, civil organizations directed or influenced by migrants, media managed or influenced by migrants, and autonomous public spaces. In terms of the objectives of these new social subjects, some look mainly towards Mexico, others are more articulated to the struggles to change the US, while others have overcome this dichotomy and struggle to change the two societies at the same time. These practices can be characterized in terms of "civic binationality". At least until recently, Mexican political parties had not managed to take deep roots in this migrant civil society, but now it remains to be seen what impact the recently gained right to the migrant vote will have on it in the context of the 2006 presidential elections.