Or would that be better known as emigration? Well, whatever the correct word, for the first time in history, more people are leaving the U.S. to go to Mexico than the other way around. According to the  Pew Hispanic Center‘s report released this past spring, deportation has something to do with it.

But by and large the vast majority are moving there by choice. Say again?

From an economic standpoint, Mexico is a desirable location because it’s basically just cheaper to run a company there. Look what happened to Steris. The Mentor, Ohio-based medical supply company relocated to Monterrey several years ago.

Monterrey also happens to be the home to a burgeoning industry known as call centers. Those emigrating to our neighbor to the south have one much needed commodity: the ability to speak English. And speak it well, with an appreciation and understanding of our slang and the products that these centers are hawking: Internet, cell phones and cable. To do that, one pretty much has to live here a long time.

According to the study, those emigrating are Mexican-born immigrants and their children. The Pew study found that from 2005 to 2010, about 1.4 million people moved from Mexico to the U.S., but during those five years slightly more Mexican immigrants and their U.S.-born children moved south.