The Strange Case of Mexican Emigration

There are many strange elements in the current debate over illegal immigration, but none stranger than the mostly ignored role of Mexico.

Are millions of Mexican citizens still trying to cross the U.S. border illegally because there is dismal economic growth and a shortage of jobs in Mexico?

Not anymore. In terms of the economy, Mexico has rarely done better, and the United State rarely worse.

The Mexican unemployment rate is currently below 5 percent. North of the border it remains stuck at over 7 percent for the 53rd consecutive month of the Obama presidency. The American gross domestic product has been growing at a rate of less than 2 percent annually. In contrast, a booming Mexico almost doubled that in 2012, its GDP growing at a robust clip of nearly 4 percent.

Victor Davis Hanson is a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a recipient of the 2007 National Humanities Medal

The truth about Mexico is that it suffers from “Old Europe Disease”, in which there are two social classes: the very rich, who control everything; and the poor, or “everybody else”.

But that, by itself, is not a real problem or a divisive one. The real disease is that their very rich strive to remain an exclusive club, by keeping others out. Denying them earned promotion and wealth. “Keeping them down”

This is the real Old Europe Disease.

The mindset that if your are wealthy, unless your wealth is an island surrounded by a sea of poverty, it is somehow diminished. That in your mansion on the hill, unless you can look out your window at the poverty, and yes, hate filled protests at you and your wealth, your riches lose their savor.

You champagne loses its bubbles. Your caviar becomes bland. Your fine art looks dull. And all because there is a shortage of contrast between your wealth and everyone else’s poverty.

This is not limited to Mexico, either. You’ll notice that the great economics conferences are always held in great buildings in big cities, where the poor are incited to protest. Just once such a meeting was held in a grand castle in a rural area, and despite its luxury, it was not enjoyed.

Compare multi-billionaire Bill Gates to Mexican multi-billionaire Carlos Slim. Gates has probably indirectly created a dozen or two billionaires, hundreds of multimillionaires, thousands or even tens of thousands of millionaires. He doesn’t mind one bit.

Carlos Slim has never intentionally or indirectly creates a single one, who wasn’t already a relative or close friend already wealthy. And Slim just doesn’t grasp why anyone with money would *allow* such an enrichment to happen.

Importantly, while Slim is a “King Midas” in Mexico, all of his investments in the US have been disasters. He just does not grasp how we do things here.

But this is the bottom line to Mexicans. No matter how smart, hard working, inventive or industrious they are, in Mexico they will never hit it big. They *must* come to America if they want to do that.

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