Ourgrations

Mexico-U.S. Border: Effects on Mexico

Illegal Mexican immigration has been a growing problem in the United States over the past few decades. The problem has existed for a long time, but it has just recently become an extremely hot topic in the United States. Before September 11th the problem of illegal immigration in the United States was not treated as such a high priority as it is now. When September 11th happened, our nation become less trusting of foreigners, and as a result "there has been a big drop in Mexican immigration to the United States since the 9/11 terrorist attacks" (Beyond ¶5). Our nation is now attempting to appear more focused on it's security by increasing border patrol. President Bush was recently in Arizona where he gave a speech saying, "since I've taken office we've increased funding for border security by 60 percent" (Bush 2005 ¶8). More money and troops are being used to protect our border. However, the solution to illegal immigration in the United States may involve more than just using more forces and money to protect our border.

Illegal immigration has been a problem in the United States for a long time and there is no known solution that will immediately solve the problem. It is near impossible to prevent every single illegal immigrant that tries to enter the United States from succeeding. So instead of focusing on what we can do here in America to prevent illegal immigrants from getting into our country, I want to focus on why so many Mexicans risk there lives to try to get into the United States. With all of the current problems in Mexico, it is easy to see why so many Mexicans try to illegally enter the United States.

Maybe the most obvious reason for illegal immigration is money. Mexico's economy went through a very hard time between 1994 and 1995. At this point in the countries history "50% of the population fell into poverty" (Wikipedia 2006). With half of the population living in poverty, the people began to look for ways to improve their living conditions. I came across one story of a family that improved their lives. It tells of a young boy and his mother who "shared a small adobe house in Morelos, a small community five hours south of Mexico City. The one-room dwelling was topped with clay shingles, a dirt floor at their feet" (Townley ¶1). This family was determined to make their lives better. Their first attempt to enter the United States failed and left them with "$20 to their names, not nearly enough to immediately make the trip a second time" (Townley ¶6). It took them three tries before they successfully made it into the United States. Once in the United States they lived in a barn for a while which was in even worse condition than their home in Mexico. The boy in the story says that "there were cockroaches and rats and a water pump below the building's floor that operated loudly nonstop" (Townley ¶9). But one positive aspect was that since they were in America, the boy could go to school and get an education. With that education he got a job and bought a house for his family. He got a full scholarship to college where he graduated and then began to work for the Boy Scouts of America. His life now is better than it ever could have been if he had stayed in Mexico. This shows why some many Mexicans are willing to risk traveling to America.

If Mexico's economy does not improve than there will continue to be immigration to the United States. In an article by Bill Mundell he suggests that " if Mexico were able to attain the growth rate of China, not only could you stop the immigration north, you could even reverse it" (Mundell ¶3). One of the main problems with Mexico's economy is their taxes. They have a " punishing tax system, which depresses growth and disproportionately hurts the poor" (Mundell ¶4). The way their taxes are set up is that the middle class people end up paying the most taxes. Because of the high taxes and their low income, they are never able to progress and improve their lives.

Because of the many regulations on business in Mexico, it is very difficult to create jobs for people. One of the main problems relating to business is that " it costs a firm an average of almost 20 months of wages to fire a worker, placing Mexico in the bottom 20 percent of the world, according to the World Bank, in terms of labor flexibility" (Mundell ¶6). People are scared away from creating their own businesses because of its high risk. Mexico ranks in the bottom 30 percent of the world in terms of enforcing contracts, so this makes people even less likely to create their own businesses (Mundell ¶6). Without businesses creating jobs, people are left to search other places for job opportunities. Even when people have a secure job in Mexico they get paid much less than if they worked in America. Because of Mexico's poor economy, "a low-skill Mexican worker earns five to six times as much in this country as back home, assuming he or she could find a comparable job there" (Sanchez ¶1). It is easy to see why people would come to the United States to do the same job that they were doing in Mexico.

Mexico's environmental problems also cause people to immigrate to America. One of the most serious problems they have is air pollution. Air pollution in Mexico is especially bad in the large cities such as Mexico City, which "has the worst air pollution in the country and ranks among the most polluted cities in the world" (EIA ¶6). Many of the people living in these cities would rather move to a large city in America where the pollution is not so bad. In a recent study it was found that "respiratory ailments related to air pollution were the cause of death for at least half of the more than 2,800 minors who died in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez" (EIA ¶5). Many families immigrate to America so that they do not have to live in such filth. The pollution is dangerous for them and their children to be around.

Many people in Mexico spend their whole lives attempting to get into the United States. Some of them are successful, but those who aren't successful are left with no money and some even lose their lives. If Mexico can fix it economic and environmental problems then illegal immigration into the United States will decrease. The fact is that " economic stagnation in Mexico creates the momentum that drives the population to look for better opportunities elsewhere" (Mundell ¶3). Until the economy in Mexico is fixed and living conditions there are improved, people will continue to try and illegally enter the United States.

References

Beyond the Border. Immigration Issues. http://www.pbs.org/itvs/beyondtheborder/immigration.html

Bush, George W. (2005, November). Border Security and Immigration Reform. Speech Delivered in Tucson, Arizona. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051128-7.html

EIA: Country Analysis Briefs. Mexico: Environmental Issues. 2004. http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/mexenv.html

Mundell, Bill (2006). Chron Watch Forum. To solve America's immigration problems, solve Mexico's domestic problems. http://forum.chronwatch.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26726

Sanchez, Marcela. Washington Post. Our Sad Neglect of Mexico. May 28, 2005; Page A25. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2005/05/27/AR2005052701194.html

Townley, Wendy. University of Nebraska Omaha. Small Steps to a Better Life. 2006. http://www.unomaha.edu/news/features/salgado_a.php

Wikipedia. Economy of Mexico. 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Mexico