Remesas internacionales y pobreza: estudios de caso en Michoacán y Oaxaca (International remittances and poverty: case studies in Michoacan and Oaxaca)

Resumen

Este trabajo analiza cómo las remesas internacionales, ayudan a los hogares a paliar su pobreza. Se toman como referencia, dos localidades indígenas de Oaxaca y una urbana en Michoacán, en éstas se realizaron entrevistas a jefes de hogar para indagar sobre la migración, las remesas, el modo de vida y los ingresos que generan en sus actividades cotidianas. El ingreso se compara con el costo de la canasta alimenticia y de bienestar, para establecer cuáles bienes y servicios pueden adquirir los hogares y cómo esto mejora al tener remesas. Los resultados exhiben que las remesas son un complemento sustancial para que más hogares puedan comprar alimentos, y más de ellos pueden comprar la canasta de bienestar.

Clasificación JEL: F22, F24, I32, O15 

Abstract

This paper analyses how international remittances help households to alleviate their poverty. In this aim, two indigenous communities in Oaxaca and one urban in Michoacan are taken as reference, in each one, depth interviews to heads of households were done to inquire about migration, remittances, livelihoods and the income they generate in their daily activities. The income is compared with the costs of baskets of the food and well-being, to establish which goods and services can acquire the households and how this help them to improve when they having remittances. The results show that remittances are a substantial complement so that more households can buy food, and more of them can buy the welfare basket. With the first one, they get better lives, in some cases it is only while they have remittances, in the second one accumulates assets and long-term capabilities.

JEL Classification: F22, F24, I32, O15