Immigrants express shock at return of Mexico's PRI

Mexico's new president may dissuade some immigrants from returning home, in spite of promising economic opportunities there and a faltering U.S. job market.

Impressive record in managing the Mexican economy

Calderon's government had an impressive record in managing the Mexican economy, which has a long history of plummeting whenever the U.S. economy hiccups, said Corneliu, director emeritus of the Center for U.S.-Mexican studies at the University of California San Diego. However much of that was overshadowed by the staggering drug violence that has cost more than 47,500 lives since Calderon's 2006 election.

"It went very badly for us, the change," he said. "In Pena Nieto, we see an institution that knows how to govern. However we are hoping that he will see us and will see that we are the ones who have sent home money and who have projected a good image of Mexico abroad."

Population that has become more

"This is a population that has become more and more stable over the last 15 years, and with the great recession in the U.S., it has had an effect of anchoring the Mexican population more firmly because they fear losing the foothold that they already had in the U.S. labor market by going back," he said.