Gendered Patterns of Remitting and Saving among Mexican Families with U.S. Migration Experience

Abstract

This article explores patterns of remittance sending among male and female migrants from Mexico to the United States, and patterns in the use of remittances among receiving households in Mexico. It also identifies variables that determine remittance sending and saving behaviors in migrants’ most recent U.S. trip. Results reveal gendered differences in the investment and consumption strategies adopted by families in communities of origin. Despite marked differences in the capacity of women to generate remittances and savings compared with men, patterns of remittance use by families in communities of origin are not substantially distinct, though female migrants are more likely to send remittances for investments in human capital than male migrants. In addition, remittances and savings sent by male migrants are more likely to be used in housing improvements and investments in productive capital than those sent by women. These differences do not necessarily reflect migrants’ preferences, but mirror the sociocultural contexts in which decision-making about remittances, savings, and spending take place.