Migration has links to U.S., China trade ways

UNION-TRIBUNE
May 6, 2007
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/busi ... 6dean.html

Cinco de Mayo is supposed to commemorate the Mexican army's defeat of a French invasion force 145 years ago, but with all the Mexican flags flying in Old Town and the Gaslamp around this time of year, you'd think that fabled battle occurred much closer to San Diego.

Of course, some of the people waving those flags are gringos who know nothing of the Battle of Puebla, but instead use the holiday as an excuse to quaff some Coronas and listen to some fine mariachi music.

Yet the recent popularity of the holiday underscores the influx of Mexican immigrants moving north of the border. About 11 million native-born Mexican nationals live in the United States – half legal residents, half undocumented, according to Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C.

That's roughly equal to one-tenth of the Mexican population, although some economists say the number of immigrants may be much higher – close to a sixth of the population.

About 800,000 undocumented immigrants arrive each year, although that number is tempered by hundreds of thousands who return home, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.

Alarmed by such statistics, immigration hawks have proposed a number of drastic measures: Build a wall at the border. Issue national ID cards. Put more illegals in jail. Send in the National Guard.

Before taking radical actions, however, why not take a look at why this mass migration is happening? A spate of recent studies suggest the latest wave of immigration parallels a decline in the Mexican economy. And the root causes of the decline have as much to do with trade policies in Washington, D.C., and Beijing as with economic blundering in Mexico City.

“The most important reason for immigration is the lack of expectation of having good living standards in Mexico,â€