Thread: Activist: Mexican economic development part of imm. solution

Activist: Mexican economic development part of immigration solution
By Cathy McKitrick
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 09/23/2008 07:00:01 AM MDT


Raul Lopez teaches a class at the Centre de la Familia on how to invest in small business here and in Mexico. ( Paul Fraughton / Salt Lake Tribune)Posted: 6:46 AM- Latinos leave their homelands - and heritage - and come to the United States for many reasons.
It's more than just a quest for jobs, says Raul Lopez-Vargas, a native of Mexico City, who now lives in Salt Lake City.
"We look here for what we don't find there - democracy and the opportunity to participate in civic life," Lopez-Vargas said. "To me that's very important."
An anthropologist by profession, Lopez-Vargas, 50, is a legal resident of the United States. He and his wife, Allison Rowland, share an activist bent. She works as budget and research director for the watchdog nonprofit, Voices for Utah Children.
A former vice-president of Salt Lake City's Centro Civico Mexicano, Lopez-Vargas helped organize a federation of a dozen "hometown clubs" - community organizations - last fall to give voice to the broad spectrum of Mexicans living in Utah.
"At the last Census, there were 300,000 Latinos here and we think at least 250,000 of them are from Mexico," Lopez-Vargas said. "There are 64 different languages in Mexico and several Mexican Indian tribes."
Lopez-Vargas spends his Thursday nights helping to teach an entrepreneurial training class at South Salt Lake's Centro de la Familia. Its aim is to help participants take advantage of Mexico's "3 for 1" program.

Under that program, the Mexican Federal, state and municipal governments match funds invested by immigrants for projects that will enhance their native communities.
"We have to start thinking about solving undocumented immigration by helping with economic development in Mexico," Lopez-Vargas said. "Then, if our people have to go back, they can work there."
This past Thursday, the Centro de la Familia classroom - lined with flags from nations Group to elect leaders this weekend:

Every three years, members of the council of the Institute for Mexicans in Foreign Lands (IME) in Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming elect a new counselor to serve as liaison between their people here and the Mexican government.
This Saturday, the 27 voting members of the four-state council will select that representative from five candidates: Idaho resident Lucio Prado, and Utah residents Yolanda Espinoza, Victor Galindo, Roshibita Lopez and Gabriel Perez.
The vote opens with the presentation of candidates at 10 a.m. in conference room B of the Salt Lake City Library, 210 E. 400 South.
Raul Lopez-Vargas, technical advisor to a Federation of 12 Mexican hometown organizations formed last fall, had been a candidate for the IME slot but pulled his name from the list Monday to protest what he views as an undemocratic and unethical process.
"The local (council of) IME has refused to make this election open to the Mexican community," Lopez-Vargas charged Monday in a press release. "Instead they have attempted to keep this election a secret."
Luz Robles, who directs Zions Bank's Business Resource Center, has served as this region's IME council representative since 2006, a job she says is purely advisory and voluntary.
"The whole idea is to bring resources and information," she said. "The richness happens when the IME members meet" a nationwide event that occurs twice a year.
Robles is one of seven election committee members who selected the caucus model for this year's four-state vote over more complicated and costly ways to hold an election.
"Ideally, you want a democratic process but to think that 400,000 could participate in a fair process without funding that was truly the biggest problem," Robles said.
Lopez-Vargas had hoped for a full debate among the candidates, and also a chance to vote in Saturday's election. By joining this region's IME council, he also wanted to raise its public profile.
"If you ask Mexicans on the street if the council exists, they'll say no," Lopez-Vargas said. "They don't know about it and don't participate."
Robles, a Democrat, is currently running against Republican Carlton Christensen for the state Senate District 1 seat that serves Salt Lake City's west side and part of West Valley City.
In response to Lopez-Vargas's criticism about the IME council, Robles said that he is one of "a couple of people who are disgruntled with it."
More information about the role of IME can be found online at www.ime.gob.mx. cmckitrick@sltrib.com
throughout the Americas - brimmed with energy as visiting Mexican dignitaries listened to proposals.
Ruben Soriano spoke of developing an eco-friendly tourist attraction in Susticacan, Zacatecas, an area defined by caves, mountains, hills and a reservoir.
Besides a restaurant that features local fare, camping, kayaking, horseback riding and mountain biking would also beckon to environmentally-minded visitors.
About three-fourth's of the town's residents have emigrated elsewhere to get work, Soriano said, and the remaining 1,200 residents continue to nurture old traditions.
Other projects pitched Thursday included a facility to package Mexican crops to sell in Utah, and a greenhouse that would safeguard indigenous plants in an environmentally sensitive area.
Genaro Pastor, the visiting mayor from Callepec, Puebla, urged participants to be tenacious.
"One of the problems you'll face . . . these projects are contrary to the selfish interests of some authorities," Pastor said. "Part of your community needs to come and demand that local [Mexican] municipal mayors pay attention to your project."
Gonzalo Palsa, Centro de la Familia's chief executive officer, said that participants in the first 16-week training program graduated in April, the next batch will finish next month.
"We're providing Latino families with economic development opportunities and the power to think and sustain their families," Palsa said.
Other class sponsors include the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Wells Fargo Bank. About half of its graduates launch projects here in Utah, without the benefit of Mexico's 3 for 1 match.
Curriculum for the class is produced by the Kauffman Foundation based in Kansas City.
"We have a couple of graduates who are now doing import and export of Mexican-grown vegetables," said Silvia Norman, a vice-president & Latino banking manager for Wells Fargo.
"It's a win-win because it requires employees on both ends."
cmckitrick@sltrib.com


http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10536835

This is not assimilation.

Thought this post might be interesting:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-132510-poland.html+eonomy
Lopez is right that something needs to be done about Mexico's situation, but at the moment we Americans should not be the contributor. The Mexicans have to do it themselves, while the US can give advice, which costs taxpayers nearly nothing. Since Calderon is facing a huge threat within that country, and Bush has already given him $1.4 billion in aid, we should do nothing more except slam the borders shut.
I hate to imagine that this administration has done its finest to bring down the success of the American people to a level that will homogenize us into the New World Order, or the North Amrican Union to begin with.

Originally Posted by vortex

Thought this post might be interesting:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-132510-poland.html+eonomy
Lopez is right that something needs to be done about Mexico's situation, but at the moment we Americans should not be the contributor. The Mexicans have to do it themselves, while the US can give advice, which costs taxpayers nearly nothing. Since Calderon is facing a huge threat within that country, and Bush has already given him $1.4 billion in aid, we should do nothing more except slam the borders shut.
I hate to imagine that this administration has done its finest to bring down the success of the American people to a level that will homogenize us into the New World Order, or the North Amrican Union to begin with.

Private companies can do alot to show Mexico's government how to be more effective in handling its finances and employing its people better for the construction of hospitals and schools but we know Mexico's government well enough to know that they are a bunch of slobs who could care less.

Mexico is not our friend, they are our enemy. We should ditch the political correctness and start telling Mexico the cold hard truth that it needs to hear, not a bunch of obsolete, weepy, "third world development" crap.

Raul Lopez-Vargas, technical advisor to a Federation of 12 Mexican hometown organizations formed last fall, had been a candidate for the IME slot but pulled his name from the list Monday to protest what he views as an undemocratic and unethical process.
"The local (council of) IME has refused to make this election open to the Mexican community," Lopez-Vargas charged Monday in a press release. "Instead they have attempted to keep this election a secret."

But of course, how else will they retain control? Corruption is the norm.

Latinos leave their homelands - and heritage - and come to the United States for many reasons. It's more than just a quest for jobs, says Raul Lopez-Vargas, a native of Mexico City, who now lives in Salt Lake City.
"We look here for what we don't find there - democracy and the opportunity to participate in civic life," Lopez-Vargas said. "To me that's very important."

Oh gawd, I'm splitting a gut laughing so hard!!! There is only ONE reason people come here illegally and that is SPONGE off US citizens! Witness education and medical. Witness welfare spent on anchor babies - MILLIONS of anchor babies.

Democracy and civic participation? LOL don't make me laugh! More like cry racism until we get our way whine and sob stories.

Why don't the mexicans in this group have this "council" in MEXICO?!?! Try for REFORM in MEXICO?

Oh that would be too much like hard work, it's much easier to freeload here.