Posted on 07/02/2009 6:58:34 AM PDT by traumer
When 21-year-old Rigoberto was working on construction sites in the US, he could earn up to $400 a week.
Now that he is back home in Mexico, working as a farmhand, he makes just $65.
And that is why there are estimated to be between eight and 12 million Mexicans in the US.
It is also why the US economic crisis spells disaster for its southern neighbour.
I met Rigoberto in a pretty little town in central Mexico called Jungapeo. I also met Martin, who has three sons working in the US.
But times are hard for them too - and they can no longer afford to send money home to help him out.
Like millions of Mexicans, Rigoberto and Martin know what it feels like to be victims of a recession made in America.
Tourism hit hard
Here is a remarkable statistic: in the first three months of this year, more Mexicans crossed the border heading south - in other words, coming home - than in the opposite direction.
Empty beach in Cancun Beaches and hotels in Cancun are largely empty this season
That is how bad it is.
In normal times, the money sent home from migrant workers north of the border is the second biggest source of revenue for the Mexican economy - and so far this year, it is down nearly 20%.
No wonder the overall economy is on course to shrink by nearly 6% this year.
So what about tourism, another major revenue earner?
It is another disaster.
In Cancun, the country's most popular holiday destination, I found the hotels and the beaches half-empty.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Here we go ...
Boo frickin hoo!
Maybe they shouldn’t have hitched their wagon to our horse.
Cost of living is 1/10 of what it is here too.
All things are relative.
“there are estimated to be between eight and 12 million Mexicans in the US... “
Oh really ?
Barf
Nashville’s illegals have dwindled..
Its amazing how sometimes the press actually let facts get in the way of their agenda
Since when are there between 8 and 12 million Mexicans in the US? There are that many in California alone! I'd say there are at least 18 million ILLEGAL Mexicans in the US, and a similar number of legal Mexicans here.
“GOOD...send em’ all back...”
I’m all for putting more gaters in the Rio Grande ...
>> All things are relative.
Yep, and things are “relatively” better for Mexicans when they have “relatives” living as criminals in the US.
It ain't too much fun for the Americans either. Where did the idea that we're supposed to employ all of Mexico come from?
So...there was no illegal job here, so they went back to Mexico. There’s a clue to how to handle the illegal immigration problem in there somewhere.
Help is on the way! Just yesterday I was standing behind a guy at the bank who was swapping a bunch of cash for a money order...He and the teller were speaking Spanish.
I’m sorry but I just don’t really feel bad about this...
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