Economic inequality is key to immigration / LJWorld.com

Archive for Wednesday, January 2, 2008

By Jorge SoberÃ³n

January 2, 2008

As a Mexican citizen living legally in Lawrence, I am extremely interested in the debate about illegal immigration (mainly from Mexico). I am a law-abiding citizen both here and in my own country and therefore I cannot but agree that wholesale breaking of American laws is unacceptable and something must be done to solve the problem of illegal migration and border security. (Mexico has a taste of the same problems with Central American immigrants.)

However, I do believe that Americans are now concentrating almost single-mindedly on measures that address the symptoms, rather than the causes, of the immigration situation. The symptom is a very marked increase, beginning about 10 years ago, in the number of Mexicans coming to work in the United States. The cause is the economic inequality both between the countries and within Mexico.

The fact that hourly salaries in the United States are daily wages in many (but not, by far, all) sectors of the Mexican economy naturally attracts migrants. Despite NAFTA having catapulted the Mexican economy to the "trillion dollars class," as the CIA fact book puts it, this huge macroeconomic improvement has not been able to create more jobs or increase wages in Mexico in a proportional way (wages have increased in Mexico since NAFTA, but mostly in the white collar sector).

In the United States, practically the entire debate about immigration has concentrated on "securing the border" and tougher hiring measures within the United States. These measures are about the symptom, but do nothing about the fundamental cause. Moreover, some of these measures, like toughening border crossings, are probably worsening the very situation they pretend to solve. For example, a recent study by the Pew Hispanic Center shows that increased security in the border is changing what used to be a de facto temporary working situation into a permanent one, because workers, afraid that they will not be able to cross again, bring their families and attempt to stay.

Or consider the effects on the economic causes of migration if the remittances by Mexican workers in the United States (now in the region of 20 billion U.S. dollars annually) would stop as a consequence of some of the radical measures being proposed now. ("Build the wall, and toss 'em back over," as an anonymous comment in the Journal-World puts it).

Does anyone seriously think this would solve the problem? Much as some people may wish it, Mexico will not just disappear beyond the wall, if it is finished. History proves that, in the long term, walls have never worked, and the realities of geography will not change. What can indeed change are the economic and social circumstances. Humanity has always been able to do something about these.

Mexico is a developing country, but many Americans probably do not realize that their neighbor to the south is not just an average poor country. The World Bank regards Mexico as "an advanced middle income country." Mexico is among the 15 larger economies of the world. The GDP of Mexico is larger, for example, than that of Australia or many European countries.

It is the inequality of income, not the total figures, that makes Mexico a poor country and causes emigration, and doing something about inequality is not impossible. We Mexicans are trying hard to solve this problem, which has deep roots in the colonial past. No doubt, in due time, we will, and when that happens, the United States will stop getting workers from Mexico, even without a wall, as it has happened before.

Remember the big migration from Scotland or Ireland or Italy. Did those guys stop coming because some defense was built over the Atlantic coast of the United States, or because their countries developed and migrating stopped being attractive? A more recent example is Spain, not long ago a net exporter of workers and now, with a developed economy, receiving migrants from Africa and Latin America.

I suggest that a really comprehensive discussion would include whether measures adopted by the United States (legislation, law-enforcement, economic) will, in the long term, help Mexicans tackle the root causes of the migratory patterns or delay and hinder us from finding solutions. Certain measures will help to create a southern neighbor which is less unequal (and in aggregate terms the gap is already not that huge) and which has a healthier economy capable of retaining its workers at home.

Mexico shares with the United States 2,000 miles of border and we Mexicans have been trying hard, for decades, to become a fully democratic, modern economy. When we succeed, this almost certainly will diminish migration rates to the United States. Is it in the interest of the American people to consider this fact in your vital discussions about migration? I respectfully think so.

- Jorge SoberÃ³n is a scientist at the Natural History Museum at Kansas University.

Discussion

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2 January 2008
at 6:53 a.m.

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just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (Anonymous) says…

Great column, Jorge, but such rationality will never fit as well into campaign-trail soundbites as the xenophobia and racism that many posters on this forum like to parrot.
2 January 2008
at 9:35 a.m.

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marcdeveraux (Anonymous) says…

stop all the wasted words. the catholic church is to blame, change the church's views on birth control and guess what? not so many people , not so many border hoppers.
2 January 2008
at 9:51 a.m.

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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…

What Mr. SoberÃ³n has to say may well be valid but while Mexico goes through its maturation, the USA cannot and should not be expected to keep its economic, social and physical doors open to illegal immigration.

Build the wall and enforce the border.

Allow Mexico the freedom to develop with all of its population intact.
2 January 2008
at 12:09 p.m.

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kubacker (Anonymous) says…

The people from Scotland, Ireland and Italy were legal immigrants. Spain and the rest of Europe now regret allowing large numbers of Muslims from Africa and others from Latin America, as they watch these intentionally unassimilating people riot and burn their cities all across Europe!

A well built wall plus strong border enforcement is 99.999 percent effective in keeping out of Israel all people who are not supposed to be there, so you Jorge can stop with open borders propoganda! Walls work very well and we're going to have a wall, like it or not!
2 January 2008
at 1 p.m.

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Confrontation (Anonymous) says…

Here's what your illegals contribute to our people:

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/14959452/d…
4 January 2008
at 11:37 a.m.

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nickhawk (Anonymous) says…

I agree that the conditions in Mexico are deplorable and create the desire to come to the U.S. However, how is coming here going to help? The money being sent back doesn't seem to be helping build the economy. The people leaving aren't supplying solutions to the political nightmare that is the Mexican government. I don't doubt that U.S. economic policies are sometimes a hindrance to the development of other nations, they often don't even help ours, but is it really the responsibility of our nation to do so? If it is, then isn't it perfectly legitimate for this nation to demand that Mexico and its people obey our laws? If you accept assistance, you accept rules that go with it.
4 January 2008
at 12:16 p.m.

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ASBESTOS (Anonymous) says…

$241,000,000 per year for 55,000 ilelgal aliens in Iowa. That is $4318 dollars a piece. IN LA County, ca, alone there is $1,000,000,000 a year spent on illegal aliens.

These are “symptoms”, and the Disease is the corrupt political systems in those economies.

The “Disease” is MEXICO, and the other countries that are worribly run. Yes there is poverty there, but they should pay for it.

We should be billing the “countries of origin” for their citizens in our county.

Other countries bill countries of citizenship.

The “open border” is the problem, and the last thing american citizens need to be told is how we should run our country and our border.

Which citizenship are you most fond of and “swear your lalligeance to”?

Mexico is not a “nice neighbor” in fact MExico is an invasive country that needs a good punch in the mouth!

4 January 2008
at 3:08 p.m.

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ASBESTOS (Anonymous) says…

I wonder if Jorge would be as accepting of “immigration” if it was coming from CHINA. It seems as if all the Latino and Hispanic immigration groups are OK with immigration but ONLY from Mexico and Latin countries.

Mexico's problems are just that… Mexico's problems.

Mexico needs to acknowledge the soveriengty of the United States as do ALL Immigrants. Recognize and obey the laws, or do not come here.

You cost more than you are woth if you do not obey the laws.
4 January 2008
at 11:28 p.m.

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kansascrone (Virginia Rigney) says…

I don't suppose any of you endulge yourselves with cheap goods and services. The immigration issue would be a moot point if everyone who gripes about illegal immigration would stop purchasing goods and services from companies who hire illegal immigrants. But it's much easier to demonize economic refugees isn't it?
5 January 2008
at 10:39 a.m.

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coneflower (Anonymous) says…

kansascrone:

Try purchasing goods and services from companies that do not hire illegal immigrants. First, how to identify them? It doesn't exactly say “made with illegal labor” on the label. It's a near certainty that every piece of beef in an ordinary grocery store was slaughtered by an illegal worker in Garden City, working for slave wages in dangerous and despicable conditions. But with most products, it isn't so easy to know whether they were legally produced.

The blame lies with the companies who hire illegal workers and exploit them, and with our government that chooses not to enforce the labor laws that already exist. The workers are just trying to survive. The consumers who try to make moral choices often don't have the information needed, or choices. Just try not buying anything made in China; it isn't possible.

If the U.S. corporations insist on outsourcing all the manufacturing they at least ought to outsource it to Mexico instead of half a world away. It would help Mexico, our neighbor, prosper. That would go a long way toward eventually alleviating immigration problems.

The immigration problem will not be solved as long as the neocons are in charge. They want the illegal labor. A large, nonvoting work force with no rights is their dream.
5 January 2008
at 11:04 a.m.

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Reality_Check (Anonymous) says…

Mexico has pumped out most of its oil reserves in a short time, so in a few years, its govt. will be virtually broke. Then things will get worse.

Again, stop illegal hiring here and the problem goes away. Once we spend enough money on enforcement of existing laws, we can talk about everything else.
5 January 2008
at 11:47 a.m.

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sdinges (Anonymous) says…

“A well built wall plus strong border enforcement is 99.999 percent effective in keeping out of Israel all people who are not supposed to be there…Walls work very well and we're going to have a wall, like it or not!”

FYI - There was once this wall called The Great Wall of China - in fact it still exists. It was built to keep illegal immigrants out (or… barbarians, if you like). One day the Mongols came and somehow the Wall failed to stop them. They overran the entire country and took over its government. They established their own dynasty.

Also, in a place called England, the Romans built a wall called Hadrian's wall (also to keep out undesirables). Actually there were three walls, but Hadrian's is the one most visible today. Alas, picts and other illegal immigrants eventually overran it and forced the Romans to abandon this territory.

Now, in those days, they didn't just put up walls, they also had no qualms about killing illegal immigrants, and still they could not stop them.

I suppose, if you like Israel's wall, we could build an excessively long, heavily fortified wall - we'd really have to bring the troops home, and also enforce compulsory military service, like Israel, to make it work. Then we could fire missiles and guns at people on the other side. It might work. The column written by Jorge seems slightly more reasonable. Then again, compulsory military service might go a long way in improving the ipod generation.
5 January 2008
at 12:27 p.m.

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sdinges (Anonymous) says…

Besides calling me undereducated, did you have an argument that refuted the analogy? Did you find some wall that does work without widespread military service? Is there some reason you've come up with why we should spend billions of dollars on something that historically does not work and that we're not really prepared to maintain?

We can't even manage to maintain levees and bridges, what makes you think our government is going to make an about-face and suddenly be able to make this work?
5 January 2008
at 1:18 p.m.

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firebird27 (Anonymous) says…

What if the US did something very radical. Consider the US taking over the country of Mexico, with the approval of Mexico's citizens. The existing states in Mexico could remain the same. If we did this, we would no longer have an illegal immigrant problem from Mexico. Moreover, we could then implement American law in Mexico to rid this region of its history of corruption. Undoubtedly, this move toward justice would take time, but it might work. In some respects, this political move would be the equivalent of West Germany being united with East Germany. The West has had to pay for the East, but now, what was once East Germany is beginning to flourish.

Like many of you, I have a strong distaste for illegal immigration. It feels like some people have entered your home without your permission, and although the people may clean the house and do odd jobs, they have no problems with charging their medical bills to us and to create other public costs.

To me, the issue is not Mexico, because illegals coming from anywhere in such numbers is a problem.

There is also an ecological issue. A nation cannot plan to be ecological if it cannot control its population. You cannot expect communities to have orderly growth if they cannot come to grips with increases in population. For many communities this is not a problem, but it is for others.
5 January 2008
at 2:22 p.m.

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kansascrone (Virginia Rigney) says…

coneflower says: The blame lies with companies who hire illegal workers and exploit them…

Some of the blame lies with those companies but we vote with our dollars and until we are willing to seek out and boycott those companies, they will continue to hire illegal workers in order to meet the demand for cheap goods and services.

It is true that sometimes it is hard to tell which of these goods and services are the result of illegal hiring practices but often times it is blatant.

I'm just saying that anyone who purchases food from large chains, specifically wallmart, mcdonalds, etc.; hires a contractor or landscaper whose crews consist of non-english speaking immigrants; stays in hotels whose houskeepers are non english speaking immigrants; and gripes about illegal immigration is a hypocrite.

5 January 2008
at 3:16 p.m.

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kansascrone (Virginia Rigney) says…

Posessionannex, I'm telling you that many of the people who whine the loudest about undocumented workers in our country, knowingly purchase goods and services from employers who hire undocumented workers. That is hypocricy.

If you gripe about illegal workers and consciously avoid goods and services offered by employers who hire them; or if you do not banter about “illegal aliens” and shop wherever you please, you are not a hypocrite as far as this subject is concerned.

I just think it is time for American consumers to take responsibility for our part in the immigration issue. As long as we purchase cheap goods and services the employers will continue to hire cheap labor and illegal workers will continue to find a way into our country. It's that simple.
7 January 2008
at 9:16 a.m.

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just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (Anonymous) says…

So let me get this straight, PA. Are you saying that if the US eliminated the minimum wage that illegal immigration would stop?