Upwards of 1 million Mexicans are successfully crossing into the US each year, leaving behind a dearth of laborers. Increasingly, that void is being filled by people like Santiago - poor Indians from remote villages throughout Mexico.
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"Our workforce has left," says Tomas Torres, the general secretary of Zacatecas. "So these other people come here, lured by the high demand for seasonal labor. But then they decide to stay."
In no part of Mexico is this situation more evident than in Zacatecas. It has the highest per-capita emigration rate of any Mexican state - an astounding 1 of every 2 Zacatecans are estimated to reside in the US. That opens the door to migrants who come from poor Indian towns in states like Veracruz, Hidalgo Durango, Jalisco, and San Luis Potosi.
"In the last six years, many more people have come from other states to work here," says Laura Macias, a radio reporter in Tlatenango, in the fertile south of Zacatecas. "They come to work, but they stay and cause problems."
According to Ms. Macias, the laborers, largely Huichol Indians from neighboring states Jalisco and Nayarit, have increasingly been accused of thefts, assaults, and even murders in the normally quiet community. The accusations have led to hard feelings toward the newcomers, and tensions in Tlaltenango are on the rise. But, Macias admits, it's proven hard to link crimes directly to any of the Huichols, and she wonders if part of the problem isn't that "locals are resentful that outsiders are earning money in their town."
Then there's the culture shock. "These people are trading in their traditional Indian clothing for Nike tennis shoes and Yankees hats," says Torres. "Sometimes they arrive and they don't even speak Spanish. And they end up begging in the streets."
Sounds like California to me. Also it mentions in the story how they are taken advantage off by farmers, endure horrid living conditions and work on promised pay.
The only thing missing in the story that would make it identical to the situation in the United States is that they don't provide them free healthcare, education and welfare assistance driving their taxes through the roof and providing them with services even their citizens don't get.
Hello!! Now they know how we feel!!! Maybe if they would keep their people in their own country then neither the United States or Mexico would have an immigration problem!!!!
Posted by: Azaria at
October 8, 2004 10:02 AM
Editor,
Its time for you to learn how to do research; immigration plays a vital part in the United States economy. Also, for your information, illegal immigrants are not eligible for wealth fare, or free healthcare, and we pay taxes just like everyone else in this country. Unless you can prove me wrong. Think before you write and have a nice day.
Posted by: Ismael Silva at
October 8, 2004 11:31 AM
It's time to go read through some of my entries before saying I do no research. There are about 30 immigration entries, all with references.
"Unless you can prove me wrong"
Go read the entries, unless you are just closed minded and won't accept anything anyone tells you as the truth even if they have documentation to prove it.
Im in the construction industry and working with the mexican illegal aliens is a nightmare, they cant speak english and they know nothing about OSHA requirements. Because of this, they are extremely dangerous to work around, not to mention they steal!!!
Posted by: safety guru at
October 12, 2004 11:56 AM
I just have to give you major respect for this article. People all around me complain about these things all of the time, but no one has the guts, I would rather use another word, to say anything. I do not hate the immigrants, but give me a break, LEARN ENGLISH. It makes me sick!!!
Posted by: amber at
October 12, 2004 06:29 PM
ONE DAY USA WOULD BE UNITED STATES OF AMIGOS
Posted by: OPINION at
October 28, 2004 06:01 PM
This goes to Safety Guru; You are one of those people that complain too much and you still using them for cheap labor, you know how all this work. If they are extremely dangerous to work around how come you don't hire African-American or Caucasians.
Posted by: guest at
February 10, 2005 03:01 PM
Southern California is being completely swamped with illegals from mexico. Its bankrupting our state, emergency rooms are closing because they use them for minor illnesses and don't pay, most never learn english, and they will steal anything not tied down.
Its just unbelievable that nothing is being done to stop them coming over our borders, even though terrorists posing as mexicans are coming across also. The whole situation is totally out of control, on top of that, the damn mexican government prints up pamphlets on HOW TO ILLEGALLY cross into the U.S. When we try to do something about it (citizen groups reporting illegals), the mexican government SUES the U.S. Friggin unbelievable, not only do they encourage illegal immigrants to cross, but they are now going to tell us we CAN"T get rid of them?
This whole thing is coming to a head, as the do nothing Bush administration is kissing mexicos butt and the citizens aren't going to take it any more. Its really going to be a showdown here in southern california.
Posted by: Steve Grant at
March 2, 2005 10:58 AM
Before you begin berating the policies of the U.S. government, you should probably learn how to do so in proper grammatical fashion.
our state is in a lot of trouble. they don't have the money to pay the police, fire or anything else but they are building a new stadium.if the mexicans would pay there fair share there would be no problem.
Posted by: BILL at
October 3, 2005 12:15 PM
God did NOT make the United States for one race one language. theres plenty of work in the United States. if a mexican or any one els gets a job its there job your just mad because thay can work beter then you and work for less its your errer not theres.
a lot of them are forced to do crime because thers so meany hard asses not leting them work thay are peple you are peple you are no beter then them. stop being intalerint amd stop being RACIST!
Posted by: lisi at
November 6, 2006 06:26 PM
Oh my, I cant say enough about the frustration and downright anger I feel every time I go anywhere. Im force fed spanish and have to pay for all the extra advertising in that language. Illegals will ruin our sovereign country. They are multiplying like rabbits, sucking us dry of taxes, and yes, they are on welfare. Why not come here illegally? they have more rights than we do. just try to go to the E.R. and wade through all the illegals there, and no insurance? citizens cant get away with not paying, but illegals can and do all the time. Theres nothing we can do about it, our gutless politicians will have to deal with them once all the citizens move out of the country, having no other recourse, call me selfish for wanting to spend my money on...myself. They know they are winning.
Posted by: Tracy at
March 28, 2007 03:24 PM
I lived next to mexico, they have trashed there cities and now they are trashing ours. Yes I think they all should go back and work on there own cities before they mess up frederick city also, they have taken over so many places and the good people in this city are moving away from them, leaving stores to close down. They trash the city, bring more of there familys here and no they all dont pay taxes and the city knows that and they are not doing any thing about that but they will take our money away from us. I have seen places in Frederick that has gone to the pigs when they move in. They cant even take care of there own kids, they are out at night running around selling drugs and the city will not do any thing about it, but they are willing to lock up people that where born in this city, I say dont move alway lets take back our city and make them move.
Posted by: alex at
October 10, 2007 11:37 PM
I can't believe you used the RACISM card. There's nothing racist about wanting to protect your own country. And yeah, the difference is that we're all here LEGALLY, so why then do we have to suffer. I am from the UK and I had to come here with a VISA, and go through the immigration process LEGALLY and pay the FEES and PAY TAXES!
Why the HELL do I have to go through all this when these mexicans and other illegals can come over here and then BOSS US around. Fat 'mesicans' in the grocery stores demanding that we speak Spanish. I hate spain, and I wish to God they had never poisoned the Americas with their lazy, filthy blood. Now we have to put up with hordes of these illegal mexicans, fat and unhealthy, dirty and illiterate. The US needs intelligent hard working people to move here, but we can't get jobs because we don't speak Spanish.
I'm sick of seeing everything in Spanish, I don't want to press 1 for english (soon it will be 2), I don't want to have to wade through hordes of fat mumma mexicans and their little fat dumpling brown babies with shit all over them because they don't change their diapers when I am out. I'm sick of it. If you are a mexican illegal immigrant YOU DISGUST ME, and your people are a failure. You have given the world NOTHING except the burrito. You are a worthless, genetically inferior race of cockroaches that are strangling this country.
Can you understand why we hate you so much? You ghettoize every town you're in, you bring down the standard of living, your disgusting kids grow up to be 'gangstas' and ruin everything for the civilized people. How about the shootings in LA this week? I hope you're outraged at how MEXICANS can go around shooting up kids, it's not like we're talking about one off psychos or serial killers here, I'm talking about a WAY OF LIFE. You dirty animals idolize crime, drugs and money and the whole gangsta life, you're worse than the blacks who are equally bankrupt in this country.
Look at Mexico. A corrupt, disgusting little cesspit of a country. You have achieved nothing, you have given us nothing, you are culturally bankrupt, life draining cockroaches. You are ILLEGALS and you have NO STATUS. You don't even have a status as person. You are NOTHING and no country on Earth will ever respect you. You have proven yourself to be a corrupt and untrustworthy nation of animals. You should be struck off the map and your borders should be lined by a 1000 foot wall of fire and radiation. I'm talking gamma rays here. I want to sterilize your entire rat nation. You're women pop out babies like bad ideas. You're so dumb you follow the catholic cult instead of true christianity so you won't use BIRTH CONTROL! We'll don't you know you should be married before having sex too you animals? Do you know what separates us from the animals? We THINK. We plan ahead for events in our lives. We educate ourselves and we make goals and reach anything we want to because we're able to think ahead and strategize. All you people seem to be able to do is cause trouble. You're illiterate and spell everything with z's. We'll listen up you mesicanz because us LEGALS are through putting up with your bullshit. We're taking this country back (again) because your own dirty cesspit country is a good example of just how you are unable to achieve anything. You people are fit for nothing except dumb animal labor. You're animals, consuming and breeding. How does this make you feel? Are you proud of your country? The the bastard child of Spain, another stinking rat-infested hole.
Leave us alone, we're so sick and tired of you mexicans it's not even funny. I want to never see another dirty brown, pig faces, overweight sweaty, greasy babushka with 10 kids. I want to never see little brown punks on the street with guns. I want your nation sterilized and quarantined immediately. I want you all deported, arrested, shipped out, and gone, do you hear? And don't bother replying to this with some stupid and illiterate string of spanglish cuss words because you're simply too dumb to register on my intellectual radar. I'm saying goodnight to you filthy cockroaches. Consider your role in history, as dirty slaves to the US. You are nothing and never will be ANYTHING. EVER
If immigrants wouldn't agree to work for lower wages employers wouln't hire them and "use" them. But lets face it they don't come over here to work. Mexicans believe they OWN AZ,CA and TX and are working hard to take it back. Mexicans have a birth/death rate of 8 births to 1 death. every anchor baby has the potential to bring 90 relatives into this country legally. Think about that America! what kind of world are we leaving our children and grandchildren. NOW is the time to act. it isn't racist it's preserving our way of life.
Posted by: cactusflower38 at
August 7, 2008 11:35 AM
