Mexicans in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Mexicans in the United Kingdom include Mexican
-born immigrants to the United Kingdom
and their British-born descendants. Although a large percentage of Mexican-born people in the UK are international student
s, many are also permanently settled and work in the UK as the community expands into its second generation.
but behind Chile
(fifth out of all Latin American countries, again behind Chile
but ahead of Peru
).
According to the Institute for Mexicans Abroad
, there is a slight imbalance in terms of gender with 47% of Mexican-born people resident in the UK being male and 53% female. Students make up around 40% of the population, whilst 13% are working in the UK. Spouses and children combined make up 9% of the Mexican-born population in the UK. The Institute for Mexicans Abroad has identified London
as having the largest Mexican community in the UK as well as the most diverse, with many not actually registering with the consulate. Mexicans in the British capital tend to work in low paying jobs in the service sector (i.e. restaurant, cleaning, hotel and bar staff). There are significant numbers of Mexican students located in the university towns of Sheffield
, Oxford
, Cambridge
, Warwick
, Manchester
and Liverpool
. There is evidence of increasing numbers of British nationals
illegally employing Mexican domestic worker
s with invalid or without work permit
s.
, organisations
and club
s in the UK. MexSoc UK was established by Mexican postgraduate students in the UK and arranges academic, sporting and social events year-round that involve no fewer than twenty British universities. Exatec UK is an alumni organisation for former students of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education
living in the UK. The British Mexican Society is a long-established Mexican association, formed in 1942 by the Mexican ambassador to the UK. It remains a strong promoter of Mexican culture
in the UK and organises many charitable events. Mexico Amigo is another example of a group established by Mexicans in the UK that specialises in fund-raising events – Mexico Amigo was set up in 1990 by a number of London-based Mexicans.
On 23 June 2011, a group of Mexican entrepreneurs and companies lead by Yves Hayaux du Tilly, Resident Partner of the London Office of Nader, Hayaux & Goebel, established the Mexican Chamber of Commerce in Great Britainwww.mcc-org-uk.com, becoming the first Mexican Chamber of Commerce in Europe and the second outside Mexico in the world.
The Mexican Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom provides guidance and support to all types of organisations in order to catalyse a positive step change in the trade and investment relations between Mexico and the UK. To this end, MCC's offering comprises relevant and informative business presentations as inspirational and learning platforms delivered in the format of breakfasts, business lunches, economic briefings and evening networking events.
The MCC is dedicated to building networks, connecting businesses and creating opportunities for our members.
MCC's mission is to facilitate the development of our members' business interests in the UK and throughout Mexico and Latin America; Raise the profile of Mexican business in the UK; promote members' interests with relevant government and business bodies in the UK and in Mexico; create productive networking and business opportunities; Foster strong relationships with the UK government and business leaders in order to promote Mexican business in the UK; and provide information, preferential purchase schemes and other services, which bring measurable value to members.
The Honorary Chairman of the MCC is HE Ambassador Eduardo Medina Mora, Ambassador of Mexico in Great Britain.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
-born immigrants to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and their British-born descendants. Although a large percentage of Mexican-born people in the UK are international student
International student
According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development , international students are those who travel to a country different from their own for the purpose of tertiary study. Despite that, the definition of international students varies in each country in accordance to their own national...
s, many are also permanently settled and work in the UK as the community expands into its second generation.
Demographics and population
According to the 2001 UK Census, 5,049 Mexican-born people were living in the UK. Mexico was the 102nd most common birthplace for British people; ahead of LithuaniaLithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
but behind Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
(fifth out of all Latin American countries, again behind Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
but ahead of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
).
According to the Institute for Mexicans Abroad
Institute for Mexicans Abroad
The Mexican government’s commitment to the Mexicans who live and work abroad led to the creation of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad , a decentralized agency of the Foreign Ministry....
, there is a slight imbalance in terms of gender with 47% of Mexican-born people resident in the UK being male and 53% female. Students make up around 40% of the population, whilst 13% are working in the UK. Spouses and children combined make up 9% of the Mexican-born population in the UK. The Institute for Mexicans Abroad has identified London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as having the largest Mexican community in the UK as well as the most diverse, with many not actually registering with the consulate. Mexicans in the British capital tend to work in low paying jobs in the service sector (i.e. restaurant, cleaning, hotel and bar staff). There are significant numbers of Mexican students located in the university towns of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, Warwick
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. There is evidence of increasing numbers of British nationals
United Kingdom national
United Kingdom national is a term used differently in various United Kingdom Acts of Parliament. Most commonly, it refers to the following classes of persons:* British Citizens;* British Nationals ;...
illegally employing Mexican domestic worker
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
s with invalid or without work permit
Work permit
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...
s.
| Year | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 52 | 74 | 116 | 100 | 105 | 145 | 160 | 175 | 145 | 135 | 115 |
Culture and community
There are numerous Mexican-run associationsVoluntary association
A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
, organisations
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
and club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
s in the UK. MexSoc UK was established by Mexican postgraduate students in the UK and arranges academic, sporting and social events year-round that involve no fewer than twenty British universities. Exatec UK is an alumni organisation for former students of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education
The Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education commonly shortened as Monterrey Institute of Technology or Monterrey Tech is one of the largest private, nonsectarian and coeducational multi-campus universities in...
living in the UK. The British Mexican Society is a long-established Mexican association, formed in 1942 by the Mexican ambassador to the UK. It remains a strong promoter of Mexican culture
Culture of Mexico
Mexico has changed rapidly during the 20th century. In many ways, contemporary life in its cities has become similar to that in neighboring United States and Europe. Most Mexican villagers follow the older way of life more than the city people do. More than 45% of the people of Mexico live in...
in the UK and organises many charitable events. Mexico Amigo is another example of a group established by Mexicans in the UK that specialises in fund-raising events – Mexico Amigo was set up in 1990 by a number of London-based Mexicans.
On 23 June 2011, a group of Mexican entrepreneurs and companies lead by Yves Hayaux du Tilly, Resident Partner of the London Office of Nader, Hayaux & Goebel, established the Mexican Chamber of Commerce in Great Britainwww.mcc-org-uk.com, becoming the first Mexican Chamber of Commerce in Europe and the second outside Mexico in the world.
The Mexican Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom provides guidance and support to all types of organisations in order to catalyse a positive step change in the trade and investment relations between Mexico and the UK. To this end, MCC's offering comprises relevant and informative business presentations as inspirational and learning platforms delivered in the format of breakfasts, business lunches, economic briefings and evening networking events.
The MCC is dedicated to building networks, connecting businesses and creating opportunities for our members.
MCC's mission is to facilitate the development of our members' business interests in the UK and throughout Mexico and Latin America; Raise the profile of Mexican business in the UK; promote members' interests with relevant government and business bodies in the UK and in Mexico; create productive networking and business opportunities; Foster strong relationships with the UK government and business leaders in order to promote Mexican business in the UK; and provide information, preferential purchase schemes and other services, which bring measurable value to members.
The Honorary Chairman of the MCC is HE Ambassador Eduardo Medina Mora, Ambassador of Mexico in Great Britain.
Notable individuals
See also
- Mexican peopleMexican peopleMexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
- Latin Americans in the United KingdomLatin Americans in the United KingdomLatin American migration to the United Kingdom is a phenomenon dating back to the early 19th century. However, up until the 1970s, when political and civil unrest became rife in many Latin American countries, the United Kingdom's Latin American community wasn't particularly large...
- Mexico – United Kingdom relations