One in two Mexicans has family in U.S., poll finds

[jmc247]

Source: Reuters

Almost one in two Mexicans has a family member working in the United States, and a third of those were sent money in the past year, according to a survey published in Mexican daily El Universal Monday.

The poll of 1,000 people showed 45 percent had at least one relative across the border and 61 percent rated the money they send as “very important,” illustrating Mexico's reliance on remittances.

Some 11 million Mexicans in the United States sent home a record $23 billion to their families last year – Mexico's second-biggest source of foreign currency after oil imports, even dwarfing the tourism industry.

Read more: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20070430-0956-mexico-usa-.html

[BadGimp]

1. oy vey

Man wait till the oil field collapses and the 40% of government revenue they receive starts diving.

Of course if the OilCos have their way the prices will just keep rising.

This is a very scarry story. It reinforces why there will NEVER be meanigful and effective imigration reform that stems the flow of illegal workers accross our borders from Mexico. Never! We are so screwed.

[jmc247]

2. My real problem with Mexican immigration has been

so many don't come here to stay and assimilate. Instead they come here and make money, but send it back to Mexico and then return home after a few years.

[sandnsea]

6. Opposite for most people

They want them to go back home after they're all used up here. That's what the Guest Worker program is for. I think you're the first person I've seen complain because they aren't staying.

[pinto]

3. Understandable, imo. Whether legal or illegal here, they are supporting families

stretched by the faltering Mexican economy.

Yeah, some are here illegally. Some are residents with green cards, as well, I'm sure. Some may be naturalized citizens who send money back to family in Mexico. The survey doesn't make a distinction.

All in all, I don't see a problem with that piece of the picture, except that it speaks to the glaring divide in Mexico between sustainable employment income and poverty, and the obvious opportunity work in the US represents - whatever the risks.

To be blunt, I favor a more porous border, not less.

I favor supporting an open, legal migrant population across our border.

I favor more oversight on employers, here, who may exploit migrants' legal status and fear of deportation.

I favor encouraging migrant support of our economy, above board, on the books. And, likewise, I favor the support migrant workers provide in State and Federal taxes on their income.

I favor minimum wage regulations for all employees, regardless of legal status.

I favor sharing the wealth of our economy in cooperation with Latin American citizens who choose to work here.

If we're going to have a global economy, we might as well start building some parity here in our own back yard.

[w4rma]

4. I favor none of that idealistic BS unless the economies are similar.

They aren't. To fix this problem we have to stop allowing our government to screw over the Mexican economy. If they have a good economy at the bottom and no huge income gap like they do, then the problem won't exist.

This isn't happening anytime soon and I'm not going to screw over blue collar folks in America by pushing some idealistic porous border immigration BS.

[pinto]

5. Agree about the income gap. Both here and across the border.