Author: Araceli Almaraz
Entrepreneurship as assimilation processes: Recent experiences of Haitians in Tijuana, Mexico
As in the rest of Mexico’s norther border region, cities in the northwest like Tijuana experienced diverse immigrant waves throughout the 20th Century. Thousands of people arrived to this city dreaming to cross to United States, others suffered deportation proceedings from the US, and many others arrived on their own initiative from different parts of Mexico and other countries. Prior to the 1950s, Tijuana experienced mainly the establishment of diverse groups pushed by national events (1888-1936), prohibitionist policies in the United States (1910-1933), and interest in new opportunities for accumulation (1916-1950). The most prominent entrepreneurial groups were Mexicans, Italians, Spaniards, and Americans. Over the past three decades, new transit groups have emerged in Tijuana, including stranded Haitians, an atypical migration group. The experiences of Haitians in this city stand out. At least 4,000 Haitians are stranded in Tijuana seeking their integration in different ways. In this talk, I show how the Haitian community operates to find jobs, seeks to integrate into Mexican culture, start educational activities, and launch entrepreneurial initiatives and projects.