Introduction: The View from Both Sides of the Border

Things have slowed down here on the blog.  I don't want to blame it all on the recession, but...

Anyways, I have reaccessed what I want to do with the 'dude' and how I want to proceed with other interests that might not correspond with the original intent of the this blog and the interests of the 5 family members who still visit this place.   So the 'dude' will move on with its original mission and some of my special interest niches will get their own forum.

Which brings us to 'Both Sides of the Border.I am introducing this blog to serve as a portal for my insights, research, and opinions on issues related to the U.S.-Mexico border.  Topics will include: Immigration, Drug Violence, Border Security, Cultural Experiences, and other subjects relative to the region. 

Feel free to go over there if there is interest.  Also, feel free to go over there to enhance my website stats and buoy my fragile ego.

I support the Dream Act. Here's why

While in no way a comprehensive solution to our immigration mess, the Dream Act represents a positive idea that should be supported and further developed by both sides of the aisle. (For text of the bill as it currently stands in the house click here.) Citizenship should be earned and this bill does a good job of providing the right kind of carrots for the kind of immigrant that will add value to our country.

Let's be honest, we can't blame the kids for whom this bill was drafted. They didn't create these circumstances. And before we lay all the blame on their parents, let's realize that our economy and government have long let the conditions for illegal immigration flourish. If we weren't so willing to pay these immigrants a tax-free pittance for their hard labor I doubt we would be facing our current immigration mess. But this is our reality and we would be best served by taking steps to improve it.

The bill focuses on paving a way for deserving immigrants a chance to go to college or serve in the military. There are plenty of strings attached to prevent this from being a free ride. And no these students won't be taking away grants and in-state tuition for those legal kids. The bill contains no language about in-state tuition, leaving that decision to each State. It merely gives some very deserving students the opportunity to attend college or the military and to earn an expedited path to citizenship through conditional permanent residency status.

There is an economic incentive to pass this as well. The CBO estimates that it will reduce the deficit by $1.4 billion annually. Some might bring up the opposing figures offered by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) but their perspective is too biased and their methodology too flawed to seriously to be seriously considered. Nonetheless, here is the link to their take.

The bill is not perfect and there are things that need further clarification and discussion. (i.e. in-state tuition, need to be part of larger reform, vague protections for anyone who simply starts an application, etc...) And, ideally this would be a small piece in a larger bill that truly fixes our immigration mess. Unfortunately that is not the case at this moment.

In the meantime, this is a worthy bill. It gives some relief to a group who can truly contribute and participate in America. And it will help in keeping the spotlight on an issue that only continues to grow.

There's more than just one type of "Hispanic"

The points of view on both sides of the immigration debate have become so hardened that it is fast becoming near impossible to reach any kind of middle ground or mutual understanding. That is unfortunate because both sides have valid points worth considering.

One tactic that both sides use, to their own detriment, is to paint the entire other side with the same general brushstroke. I guess that makes sense if you are trying to defeat something and not work with it. If there is one thing I've learned over the years it is that stereotypes and perceptions are lazy and often counterproductive. Travel to Italy and compare the cuisine from region to region and than compare it our traditional definition of "Italian" and you'll know what I mean. Not all Italian's eat lasagna and not all Mexicans are law breaking criminals who are undermining the "American" way of life.

Peel back the onion a bit and you get a far more intricate and complicated picture.

That is certainly the case with both sides of the immigration debate. Peer beyond the talking points of both sides and you can start to make some real ground. Right now I want to spend a few moments talking about the many nuances of the Hispanic community living in the U.S.

The Pew Center does a good job gauging the sentiment of the Hispanic Community. Many will argue that the Center is too liberal, but I don't find it to be too bad to where I can't use their data. Their surveys are comprehensive and often times they provide the source data for any surveys or research done.

I recently reviewed one of the surveys that was conducted before the primary elections of 2008. Most of the questions are centered on political opinions and immigration policy. The link to the full report can be found here. I pulled the data-set, a sample size of just over 2,000 respondents, and played with it in SPSS. Here are a few interesting findings:

• Over 66% of the respondents viewed their quality of life as "good" or excellent.
• 77% were "very" or "somewhat" confident that their children growing up in the U.S. will have better jobs than they do.
• While more Hispanics affiliated themselves with the Democratic party and considered that party more attuned to their interests, the numbers were still relatively small. 42% didn't think that either party listened to them and and 37% consider themselves independent.
• Over 83% think that we have "too many" or just the "right" amount of immigrants in the U.S.
• 65% believe that discrimination is a "major problem" and an additional 19% believe that it is a "minor problem".
• 41% stated that they or loved ones have experienced discrimination in the past year.
• 46% are fluent in English as well as Spanish.
• 52% of respondents are employed full-time, 31% are not employed.
• 48% earn less than $30k/year.

There isn't anything particularly groundbreaking with this study. In fact, data can be pulled by both sides to validate their positions. But if you look at the numbers more closely you see a more diverse and pluralistic Hispanic Community. About the only thing that truly galvanized them in one direction was their opposition to implied or potential discrimination.

So what is the point of all this? We can't simply place the same broad set of assumptions on the Hispanic population as a whole. I know Hispanics here legally and illegally. I know Hispanics who are Republicans and those who are Democrats. I know some who want to stay here and pursue the American dream and others who are here for lack of better options back home. I know those who look down upon illegal immigration and those who see it as the only necessary route to both earn a wage as well as serve a demand here in the U.S. I've met some who are honest, some not so much. They are just as varied and diverse as any group.

Let's be a little more careful with our generalizations and seek to understand before we draw any conclusions.

Addendum:
A recent survey from last month reveals once again how diverse the Hispanic population is. In many ways it is a follow up to the 2007 survey that was mentioned above. Its findings are somewhat surprising and uncover a sizable divide within the community regarding the benefits and proposed treatment of illegal immigrants. Very, very interesting. Link to summary here.

Does Arizona have it right or wrong when it comes to immigration?

With the Health care issue shelved for the moment, the public discourse is allowed to move onto other viable issues, namely immigration. And Arizona once again proves that it is ground zero for immigration policy and enforcement. The latest salvo fired is the imminent passage of State Bill 1070. Check the full bill here.

For many, Arizona has become a laboratory, for good or bad, for immigration enforcement. Because of that it gets additional scrutiny from all corners of the U.S. and both sides of the political spectrum.These articles from the LA Times and Deseret News are just two recent examples.

So what does this bill do and why is it so controversial? It essentially grants law enforcement more power in determining whether or not someone is in the U.S. legally or not. So is this good or bad? Depends on who you ask.

• From a left of center perspective it is a gross violation of basic human rights and an open invitation for racial profiling.
• From a right of center perspective it gives law enforcement that ability to actually enforce immigration laws that are already on the book.

I certainly understand the concerns from both sides. If anything I hope that this bill, and its resulting buzz, will push the spotlight to how broken our federal immigration policy is. We need some kind of dialog. Both sides have valid points and unless there is some meaningful dialog the fringes will continue to paint the rest of us into two horrible corners.

There are so many questions that need to be addressed and answered. Questions like:

• Until we get a decent national policy in place, what rights does an illegal immigrant have?
• What public services should a likely non-tax paying illegal immigrant have access to?
• Are local resources best spent enforcing immigration laws?
• How much do economic concerns play into the immigration debate?
• What should be the minimal requirements for letting someone enter the U.S.? How many people should be allowed to permanently immigrate to the U.S.? What about temporarily?

Most of the questions that need to be asked and are complex because we have a system that is crippled and manipulated for political reasons. If we were to start over we could simplify the process and make something that works. The current band aids, whether they be amnesty programs like the Bracero or ad-hoc enforcement like the minutemen, simply aren't good long term answers.

Immigration and role reversal

This recent LA Times article does a great job of uncovering a dynamic within the immigration debate that the average layperson usually doesn't see. I think it provides some interesting context to the Mexican position on the continued immigration discussion.

The last several decades have seen a huge swelling of immigration from Latin America, specifically Mexico. Any look at the numbers will reveal this. The Mexican government has fought for Rights of immigrants living in the United States and it tacitly, scratch that openly, approves of this illegal and unchecked northern exodus. For a blatant example view this guide that the government published to help immigrants on their journey north. From the perspective of the government, immigration relieves a measure of burden in providing for the needs of a vastly impoverished citizenry.

Keep that in mind when you read about the plight of immigrants from sub-Mexican Central America as they cross Mexico en route to a better life in America. Do I smell hypocrisy? Mexican's have a wretched history of treating these immigrants worse then the treatment that Mexican immigrants receive in America. As a missionary in Texas I met many Salvadorians or Hondurans who were far more scared of being caught by the border patrol. They weren't afraid of being caught, they were mortified of the treatment that they would receive at the hands of the Mexican's once they were dumped at the other side of the border. I've also lived in various parts of Mexico and it doesn't take long before you realize the presence of a very tangible racism that occurs between the different ethnicity groups that comprise that nation. Let's just say that the majority of the indigenous Hispanics that make up the illegal population in the U.S. are also treated like the dregs of society in Mexico as well.

I agree that everyone should be treated with a certain level of dignity, regardless of whether or not they broke the laws to get here. But next time someone from Mexico decries the treatment of illegal immigrants in the U.S. they ought to look back at their own country in shame. For their paisanos are doing a much worse job with the way they are treating their immigrant neighbors from the Honduras or Nicaragua.

Mexican Immigration Post #1: Addendum: Required Reading

The following are several books that help shed some light on the Mexican culture, border culture, and Mexican politics. There are several others worth noting but I've found these to be the most accessible and descriptive.

1. Labyrinth of Solitude, Octavio Paz: This is a classic piece of literature from the Nobel Laureate that really delves into the psyche of the Mexican people. If you can understand this you can really get a better understanding of the hopes and fears of the nation.
   
2. True Tales from Another Mexico, Sam Quinones: A great read that helps illustrate the different subcultures within Mexico through crisp chapters depicting such subject matter as Chalino Sanchez, Jesus Malverde, and mob justice.
   
3. Bordering on Chaos, Andres Oppenheimer: Though slightly dated it reads very well and allows you to look at Mexico from a more macro lens. It covers the major events that have shaped Mexican politics and culture over the last 100 years. Some of the insights into things like the Mexican Peso crisis of 1994 read as fast as anything put out by Grisham.
   
4. Distant Neighbors, Alan Riding: A slightly drier book in the same vein as "True Tales." Each chapter explains an event, culture, or mentality that is absolutely critical to understanding Mexico.
   
5. Batos, Bolillos, Pochos and Pelados, Chad Richardson: Written by a professor and former Stake President in my South Texas mission this book takes a more academic look at the impact that immigrants have had on border communities, particularly the Texas Mexico border. It is a great sociological read that helps elucidate the fascinating mosaic of people that make up border communities.
   

Immigration Post #1: The Mexican Perspective

They brave an arduous journey across a treacherous desert with only a few possessions and the blind faith in the prospects for a better life. In their ignorance they give their meager earnings to a man, called "El Coyote", who promises to take them safely across the desert and into a community with a job and stability. In reality they become hostages to a treacherous underworld that is exacerbated by a criminal element and allowed to operate by an inept domestic legal system.

These people will live in a drop house and share a room with 5 or 6 other anonymous Mexicans who are also searching for the same stability. They are virtual hostages to the Coyotes who control the trade of human smuggling. Their families are threatened back home if they act out of line. Their conditions are deplorable. Their rights are minimal. The houses in which they live are a blight upon communities throughout the U.S. And they are more then willing to put up with all of this so that they can make $10 a day trimming the bushes in your backyard.

Who are these people?
What are their motivations?
Why do they risk so much to get so little in return?

The following numbers taken from the Pew Hispanic Center are a staggering reminder that we are literally sitting on top of a powder keg. If we are unable to answer and address those questions above we will have little luck in dealing with an issue that is becoming larger by the minute.

• There are 12.7 million Mexican immigrants in the U.S. as of 2008. They are 32% of all immigrants. The next largest group, Filipinos, trails at a distant 5%.
• About 11% of everyone born in Mexico is in the U.S.
  
• 59% of all illegal immigrants are Mexican nationals. 76% of all illegal immigrants are of Hispanic descent.
  
• The graph below visually depicts the astounding growth of this group over the recent years. No fancy regression analysis is needed to determine where that line will be in several years given current patterns.

Those numbers highlight a monumental seismic shift that is taking place in regards to the demographics of the United States. It doesn't take a high priced study to tell us this when all we need to do is drive over to the nearest home center. The Hispanic, particularly, Mexican neighborhoods are becoming an increasingly bigger part of the community. Depending on your perspective this number represents the demise of the American way of life or the fruition of the grand American dream.

That is a debate for another entry. Right now I want to focus on the Mexicans who are willing to sacrifice everything to come here and take a job that most Americans find demeaning. We are taught that to fully understand an issue we must understand the perspective of the other side. Here is the point of view from that other side.

The numbers for Mexico are more difficult to nail down. Any quoted numbers will come from the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) of Mexico. This is the Mexican equivalent of our US Census Bureau. Their numbers are widely considered unreliable. I will primarily use anecdotal information and observations to color my depiction. I will use numbers, where possible, to back up observations and assertions.

Now lets move on to those questions regarding who they are and what motivates them.

To the typical US citizen "these people" are just another group of Mexicans. It is a lot easier to lump them together into one uniform group. But beneath the surface Mexico, like any other large nation, has a complex cultural and demographic milieu that should be understood. Mexico is a nation of over 106 million people, why are over 11% of their population fleeing their nation. Are they fleeing? Let's look at a few things.

Mexico is a nation of huge economic disparity. The wealthiest 10% of the nation controls around 50% of the wealth. Did you know that the richest man in the world, Carlos Slim, is Mexican? This is the land of the "Mordida" where corruption is not only rampant but an openly accepted cost of doing business. Those who are politically connected make all of the money. Those who aren't suffer and their only solace is the occasional bone thrown at them by the party in power, most notably PRI, to placate them and prevent another revolution. Credit doesn't really exist. A middle class doesn't really exist. As a Mexican you are either born into wealth, exercise corruption for a living, or you accept your lowly station in life. While there are a notable exceptions to this rule there is little infrastructure in place for the typical industrious Mexican to get a head.

Mexico is also a nation of huge racial disparity. Race and wealth go hand in hand in Mexico. The lighter your skin the better off you are. The indigenous or indian populations are among the poorest in the world. The largest concentrations of these populations are in Southern Mexico in states such as Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Chiapas. As expected these are the poorest states in Mexico. Despite superficial attempts made by the government towards greater equality these groups still languish in poverty. They are poorly educated because most children, out of necessity, are forced to work in substandard conditions in order to help sustain the essential needs of their families.

Mexico is also a nation of strong families and strong national pride. Their Catholic roots and lower economic conditions help explain the larger families. Their pride in a strange way stems from their long history with Spain and other invaders. They have long been a nation that has been exploited. Research the word "chingar" and you will have great insights into the Mexican psyche. The fact that they nationalized their oil away from US foreign corporations in the 1940's and that PEMEX is still state run in spite of economic common sense is directly attributed to their national pride and their defiance towards those foreign interests who once meddled in and sought to control their affairs.

These three characteristics go a long ways in helping us understand the circumstances behind their decision to live in these conditions on foreign soil. So a few observations that will generally be right regarding most Mexican immigrants.

1. They most likely are from the poorest communities in Mexico. As such there is a greater likelihood for illiteracy and low education.
2. They are most likely from the darker, mestizo, populations that are more predominant in Central and Southern Mexico.
3. A majority of the immigrants do not consider their status in the U.S. permanent. They are Mexican first and trying to work to send money home to their families. The US is a means to their financial ends.
   

What does the rest of Mexico think about this trend? I would venture a guess and say that they are somewhat relieved by massive emigration. Fewer mouths to feed, fewer jobs to fill, and fewer votes to buy. Since the vast majority of Mexican immigrants are poorer and uneducated there is no real concern for "brain drain". They typically aren't losing their engineers and doctors to America. They are losing a workforce for whom there is no work. Also if immigration is greatly reduced they potentially lose their 3rd largest source of income in the form of foreign remittances sent from the US to families in Mexico.

While this is a general brush stroke that barely scratches the surface of a more complex situation it does help provide a better picture to the immigration situation. Given the circumstances in Mexico I do not fault the actions of many to find work in the US. I am confident that many of us, if given a similar lot, would take a similar course. I hope to delve more into the Mexican perspective in a couple of more subsequent posts. There is still more to cover from this angle including the elusive question- Mexico has always been at an economic disadvantage to the U.S. so why have we seen such a drastic increase in Mexican immigration over the past few decades?

Understanding Immigration

Immigration and our relationship with our neighbors to the South (That's Mexico for those who are geographically challenged) are, in my opinion, among the most important issues that this nation faces and will continue to face in the coming years. Forget about terrorism abroad, the economy, health care, or our horrible cultural divide. While very important in their own right they get enough attention already. Also, our immigration situation and resulting policies permeate significantly in all of those issues.

I have lived in Mexico and have great empathy and understanding for their people and issues. I have also lived in several areas (Arizona and Texas specifically) that have been negatively affected by illegal immigration so I definitely understand the concerns of long standing citizens. I also am 100% confident that our current policies and attitudes towards this issue are completely inadequate.

I am in no way an expert on immigration policy, one could argue that there are very few, but I do feel like I have a practical knowledge of the key issues that shape both sides of the issues. I will attempt to write a series of entries that attempt to frame these key perspectives and hopefully make some recommendations that could help us out of the current immigration morass that we are currently mired in. This issue is just going to grow so I figure we really need to understand it and deal with it.

Over the next couple of months I will be writing entries. Since 32% of all immigrants are Mexican and 76% of all illegal immigrants are Mexican I want to focus my efforts exclusively on the Mexican-US dilemma when it comes to immigration. Here is a rough outline of what will be covered.

1. A profile of the typical Mexican immigrant and their US motivations.
2. A profile of the typical US resident and their concerns about immigration policy.
3. An outline of the current immigration policies and their strengths and weaknesses.
4. An outline of workable solutions that could improve our current immigration situation.

This is a dicey issue to navigate. Hopefully I can bring something constructive to the subject and hopefully immigration policy can be turned from a huge weakness to a national strength.