Resumo

ARIAS, Patricia. A History of Migrant Entrepreneurs in Mexico. 1940-1960. Relac. Estud. hist. soc. [online]. 2018, vol.39, n.155, pp.277-308. ISSN 2448-7554.  https://doi.org/10.24901/rehs.v39i155.387.

Since the 1990s, a new line of research has developed that focuses on small-scale entrepreneurs in “ethnic” businesses established by different migrant groups in the United States and Europe. In the context of this line of discussion, the cases presented in this article illustrate that Mexico also had internal migrants who set up small-scale businesses that went on to become successful ventures. Internal migration to several cities in the country surged in the 1940s, and some migrants from rural areas began to develop specific, small-scale productive activities. In contrast to the vast majority of migrants, the individuals studied herein did not enter the wage-work sector; by far the field most widely-studied by researchers. Rather, in just a few years, they became prosperous businessmen who transformed not only their own lives but also the fate and trajectory of their home communities. Based on three well-documented historical cases, this article explores and discusses the structural, cultural and personal factors that made the viability of those businesses and entrepreneurs possible. The comparison of the three cases led to the proposal of the notion of ‘social franchise’ as an instrument for understanding the characteristics and dynamics of the business model that characterized this form of migrant entrepreneurship in Mexico.

Palavras-chave : internal migration; entrepreneurs; non-agricultural activities; production specialization; social franchise.

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