Alejandro Portes 2019 Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences

At its meeting in Oviedo, the Jury for the 2019 Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences, made up of M.ª Paz Battaner Arias, Adela Cortina Orts, Sir John Elliott, Juan Pablo Fusi Aizpurúa, Silvia Iranzo Gutiérrez, Manuel Menéndez Menéndez, Montserrat Moreno Marimón, Sami Naїr, Emilio Ontiveros Baeza, Jaime Pérez Renovales, Rafael Puyol Antolín, Isaac Querub Caro, Myriam Seco Álvarez, Fernando Vallespín Oña, chaired by Carmen Iglesias Cano, Countess of Gisbert, and with Mauro Guillén Rodríguez acting as secretary, has decided to grant the 2019 Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences to the Cuban American sociologist and demographer Alejandro Portes.

Professor Portes has made fundamental contributions to the study of international migration, one of the major challenges faced by contemporary societies. Through innovative concepts such as the ethnic enclave and segmented integration, he has elucidated the conditions under which migratory flows can be beneficial for both immigrants and host countries. In addition to his contributions to the knowledge of minorities in the United States, he has carried out numerous studies in Latin America and Spain, where he has been a mentor and collaborator of several generations of researchers. The Jury also wishes to highlight his contributions to the field of economic sociology and to the analysis of the informal economy.

Oviedo, 29th May 2019