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Most Mexicans in U.S. Have No Thought of Returning Home

More news stories on Hispanic Immigrants

Latin American Herald Tribune (Caracas), January 6, 2009

Some 54 percent of Mexicans who emigrated to the United States have no thought of returning to their native land, even though they foresee difficult times ahead because of the economic situation, according to a survey published Friday in the daily Reforma.

On the contrary, 41 percent say they are thinking of returning or know someone who is ready to do so.

The United States is home to some 12 million Mexicans, roughly half of them undocumented. More than 90 percent of Mexicans who have emigrated live in the nation to the north.

The great majority, 96 percent, of those who returned to Mexico during the Christmas holidays were on vacation, while only 2 percent came back to stay.

Of every 100 Mexicans who have emigrated to the United States, 77 believe that this year it will be harder to find work compared with 2008, and describe the crisis as grave.

Even so, 49 percent believe that things are going well or very well in the United States, while 46 percent say the situation is bad and 3 percent describe it as fair.

The economy is the United States’ main problem for 47 percent, followed by unemployment for 28 percent and racism for 4 percent.

And 61 percent trust that under the administration of the next president, Barack Obama, the long-awaited immigration reform will probably be enacted, although 33 percent dismiss the possibility.

Fifty-six percent of Mexican migrants in the United States describe their opinion of Obama as positive, compared with 13 percent who approve of outgoing-President George W. Bush.

With regard to Mexican President Felipe Calderon, 72 out of every 100 emigrants approve of his administration, with 9 percent expressing a negative perception and 19 percent with no opinion.

The poll was carried out Dec. 20-21 among 522 returning emigrants at various locations along the Mexico-U.S. border.

Remittances from emigrants working in the United States constitute Mexico’s second-biggest source of revenue after oil exports.

After growing at a 15 percent annual rate during the first six years of this decade, the flow of remittances slowed sharply in 2007 and 2008.

In 2007, Mexico received $23.97 billion in remittances, up just 1 percent from the 2006 level, while the $19.97 billion emigrants sent home during the first 10 months of this year represents a decline of 1.92 percent from the same period in 2007.

Original article

(Posted on January 6, 2009)

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Comments

1 — Peejay in Frisco wrote at 6:16 PM on January 6:

The Mexicans that steal bottles and cans from all of the recycling bins left out at night for the garbage company to get in the morning make more money than Mexican professionals earn in Mexico.And the liberals moan about how their standard of living is so much lower than ours. Whose fault is that? Ours?

2 — Question Diversity wrote at 6:33 PM on January 6:

In the last several months, there have been a number of MSM stories about Mexicans and other Indo-American illegal and legal aliens returning home b/c of the bad American economy. (Some of them were covered here on AR). My reaction was this: They’re leaving “depressed” America to go home to “prosperous” Mexico? Gimme a break!

I now tend to think that those stories were MSM propaganda to coopt immigration being a hot button right wing issue during the Presidential campaign and in general.

3 — A Reader wrote at 6:36 PM on January 6:

Deport them all.

4 — q wrote at 6:50 PM on January 6:

“They will stick around despite the recession.”

Of course. And why wouldn’t they? It’sd the smart thing to do.

The politicians here are spineless and cowardly and cater to them as if they were royalty, instead of crime and poverty units. And, they can raise hell and protest. which isn’t a good idea in their own countries, because they’re apt to get their heads cracked.

But the biggest magnet is the social programs, and keep in mind this country has the easiest and most lucrative pickings of anything south of the border.

I’ll bet a good portion of them are wishing for collapse so they can loot and rob to their heart’s content, killing the goose that lays golden eggs.

5 — Anonymous wrote at 9:47 PM on January 6:

For years we have been subjected to this “12 Million” Mexican figures; why isn’t this ever revised???

6 — flyingtiger wrote at 12:18 AM on January 7:

Mexicans are going to stay, despite the bad econmy, because the USA is still safer than Mexico. We have less crime, even in the mexican ghettos, and best of all no one is trying to kick them out.
I am shocked that they dislike GWB so much. This is the man who wanted to give every illegal citizenship and a free home and was willing to destroy the economy to do so.

7 — Anonymous wrote at 1:06 AM on January 7:

The second and third generations of these emigrants are the ones this country needs to worry about. Those descendents no longer have the same drive to work as the first generation. Coupled that with inferior genes and this country is in deep, deep trouble. The hispanics are big and fast breeders plus they just keep coming and not just from Mexico. Plus they are letting in more blacks. What a mess.

8 — Schoolteacher wrote at 4:00 AM on January 7:

Why should they go home? Will Mexico give them free medical care? Subsidized housing? Food stamps? Opportunities for lucrative criminality? Electricity and clean water? A society that is, despite the decay that appalls Whites, much more orderly and peaceful and honest than the Motherland?

9 — Anonymous wrote at 1:25 PM on January 7:

Schoolteacher at 4:00 AM: Bill Gates lives a lifestyle that is much better than mine, but that doesn’t give me the right to break into his house and take up residence…

10 — RealityCheck wrote at 1:38 PM on January 7:

Last night on ABC, there was show called “What Would You Do?” which had a set up where actors portraying a racist white cashier and 2 latino immigrants who couldn’t speak English would create a scenario to see how customers in the store would react to racism. The white cashier made racial statements to the 2 immigrants that were over the top. Some people we’re on the same page and some people did nothing and some people chewed out the white cashier spewing racial statements. The overall point of the piece was to generate sympathy for illegal aliens.

11 — Question Diversity wrote at 9:13 PM on January 7:

Reality Check:

There was another show last night on ABC, called “Homeland Security,” mainly about law enforcement headaches relating to non-white illegal aliens. How ironic that on the same night ABC would tell the truth and lie about illegal immigration.

12 — Bobby wrote at 3:20 PM on January 8:

“They will stick around despite the recession”

Not until the “gravy train” of taxpayer benefits is taken away from them will they return to where they came from illegally. Not until the food stamps, free schooling, free meals at the free schools, free dental care, free medical care, and in general free assistance of every type imaginable to facilitate their stay here—will they ever leave. Anything short of removing every reason for them to be here is not going to result in their leaving. The reason is, Mexico for example, has no problem seeing them go hungry and they won’t protest Mexico, like they protest and bite the hand that feeds them.

13 — David K wrote at 5:31 AM on January 9:

13% approval rating for Bush? Just goes to show the total stupidity of Republicans pandering for the illegal sympathy vote. My guess is if Bush had tried to expel all illegals, his Hispanic approval numbers would actually be higher!

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