Is Mexico's racism problem driving the U.S. immigration problem?

[Ivan Seeking]

Recently, while talking with a buddy who has spent a fair amount of time in Mexico, he commented that when down there, it becomes clear that skin color largely determines social status. "Do you mean Cortez never left", I asked. "Exactly", he said.

Perhaps this explains the actions of the Mexican government which apparently wants its citizens to come to the US - aiding the immigration problem. So, one must ask if in effect, are the Spaniards running the Aztecs into the US?

...It turns out that racism in Mexico, both against blacks and dark-skinned indigenous Indians, has a long history. Mexico's colonial past has left its mark on modern-day society. Prejudice toward "pureblood" Indians from those who are "mixed-blood" (Spanish and Indian) is rife. Almost uniformly, people who are darker-skinned and of Indian descent make up the peasantry and working classes, while lighter-skinned, Spanish-descent Mexicans are in the ruling elite. Fox himself comes from that background, as his appearance makes evident.

This inequality may explain in part why the majority of immigrants coming into the United States fall into the darker-skinned category. Beyond the failure of the Mexican government to sustain a decent economy, darker-skinned Mexicans have a difficult time getting work because of job discrimination [continued]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2005/08/03/cstillwell.DTL

 

[Pengwuino]

I've been wanting ot make a thread about racism... i swear it is everywhere! And white on black racism is probably one of the least occurring forms around here. Around here it feels like african americans are like, 10x more likely to be targets of racism from mexicans and asians then from white people. Then you have racism against asians from mexicans, mexicans against asians, asians against other asians, it's like a tangled web of hatred going everywhich way against every race.

 

[edward]

Mexico has historically celebrated its Indian and Aztec heritage, but that is as far as it goes. The more "Spain" in the blood, the higher ones social status in Mexico.

When immigrants from Mexico became noticeable in the 1980's, the immigrants were mostly lighter skinned hispancs who spoke some English. They had work skills in the building trades and even automotive repair.

More recently the flow of immigrants has been comming from the southern mexican states, especially Chiapas. It is very obvious that these people are of mostly indian heritage. They are also the people who have given Irish blooded Vincinte Fox the most problems.

So in essence as I have said before, Fox is dumping his social and racial problems on the USA. Many of the recent arrivals from southern Mexico are not literate even in their own language, nor do they have the work skills necessary to do anything except basic manual labor. Lanscaping and hot tar roofing are their primary occupations in Southern AZ. If they get hurt on the job, they are out of a job.

Any substancial slow down in the American economy, especially a slow down in the building boom, is going to have consequences to which our politicians are turning a blind eye.

 

[Pengwuino]

Geez edward, do you write for any magazine or something? That sounded good enough to publish (and no sarcasm intended!).

 

[Astronuc]

Mexico has historically celebrated its Indian and Aztec heritage

I think that has been largely superficial. It gets tourists and their money into the country.

I used to go to Mexico periodically, and in the big cities, one could see incredibly beautiful buildings and neighborhood, and within a km or few, one could unbelievable squalor. On the border towns, I saw things that defied my sense of reality. I could not believe human beings lived in such horrific conditions. That was 25+ years ago, and it still the same.

 

[edward]

I think that has been largely superficial. It gets tourists and their money into the country.

I used to go to Mexico periodically, and in the big cities, one could see incredibly beautiful buildings and neighborhood, and within a km or few, one could unbelievable squalor. On the border towns, I saw things that defied my sense of reality. I could not believe human beings lived in such horrific conditions. That was 25+ years ago, and it still the same.

The border towns have actually gotten much worse in the last 25 years. My wife and I used to go to Nogales Sonora several times a year. We even made friends with a few of the local shopkeepers there. At Christmas time we would trade American made toys for Mexican ceramic and leather goods. Sadly those days are gone now.

Drawn to Nogales by the jobs that NAFTA brought, the Mexican workers soon saw those jobs heading to Asia.

Nogales has grown into a squatters city of over 300,000 people living in shacks made of scraps of tarpaper, cardboard, plywood and corrugated metal. People scrounge through the garbage dumps to hopefully find anything that might be useful or edible.

There is no adequate sanitation. In many areas sewage runs down the sides of the streets. Children beg on the sidewalks of the tourist shopping areas until the police come and chase them away.

It is a total third world country just seventy miles south of my home.

 

[Pengwuino]

I can backup the idea that its gotten worse in the past 25 years. My entire mother's side of the family has its fair share of visits seeing as they're a mix a texas natives and people born in Mexico. They don't really comment on how bad it is now, just how good it was "back then".

 

[edward]

Geez edward, do you write for any magazine or something? That sounded good enough to publish (and no sarcasm intended!).

LOL Penguino: That was just an extra cup of Starbucks enhancing my usually stodgy writing skills.

 

[Astronuc]

Nogales has grown into a squatters city of over 300,000 people living in shacks made of scraps of tarpaper, cardboard, plywood and corrugated metal. People scrounge through the garbage dumps to hopefully find anything that might be useful or edible.

That describes the suburbs of Juarez 25-30 years ago. One could seem quite clearly from El Paso.

NAFTA has not helped those people. Rather, it has enriched a few factory owners (and some managers) who pay pitiful wages to rather poor people. These people then look across the border and they 'see' that there is a better place. The other way is worse.

The way NAFTA was implemented hurt far more people than it helped.