Mexican Migrants Return South: Transborder Testimonials of Resilience and Adaptation in Mexico City

Abstract

Migration from Mexico to the United States is a prominent topic in the U.S. and is the foundation for many political agendas and policy debates. However, return migration has received comparatively little attention in academia or policy initiatives. This thesis/documentary film examines the lived experiences of young adult Mexican return migrants in Mexico City, those with extensive histories in the United States who have been forced to return due to deportation or untenable living conditions as undocumented individuals in the US. Through an ethnographic research project, consisting primarily of a testimonial-based documentary film depicting the lives of return migrants, this study investigates transnational identity, liminality, structural violence, and the roles of community and resilience in adaptation to a new and unfamiliar country and culture. This project uses qualitative data from interviews, field observations, and video documentation to present a nuanced and candid view of how return migrants are forced to create a life in an unfamiliar place while at the same time giving rise to an emerging bicultural and transnational demographic in Mexico City.