Thread: Cash crunch cuts short odysseys

Cash crunch cuts short odysseys
A worsening U.S. economy has halted holiday trips back home for some immigrants from Latin America
By JAMES PINKERTON
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Dec. 21, 2008, 10:48PM


For years, caravans of immigrants have jammed southwest border crossings while returning to Mexico and Central America for a holiday vacation, their cars and trucks crammed with gifts for their extended families.

But this year, the U.S. economic meltdown has cut into this festive holiday odyssey as fewer immigrants can afford to make the long trip. And mixed in with those who manage to go home for seasonal visits are a number — as yet unknown to demographers — of immigrants who have decided to return permanently.

It is a trend seen by immigration activists at the local Central American Refugee Center, where many immigrants say they are having trouble finding work in Houston and are falling behind with their bills.

"This year, people are making decisions that are not like they did in other years," said Nelson Reyes, the center's director. "They are looking to see how it would be to go back and live in their native country."

Elizabeth Vazquez, a naturalized U.S. citizen, is driving to Monterrey this holiday season to see her family. But the tough economy has meant she will bring gifts only for her young nieces and nephews.

"Usually we take a lot of presents, but not this time," said Vazquez, a 37-year-old homemaker and the mother of three young children. "It's because of the money. When I come back, I have bills to pay."

Mexican consular officials say this year the troubled U.S. economy has slowed the traditional surge of Mexicans returning for the holiday season. The Mexican government conducts outreach programs for their citizens, called "Paisanos," to smooth these annual vacation trips, mindful of the importance of the nearly $24 billion in remittances sent home during the year.

"The Paisanos that go back to Mexico every year and return, we have seen a relative slowdown, and I think it's perhaps due to the slowdown of the U.S. economy," said Carlos Gonzalez Magallon, Mexico's consul general in Houston.


Heading home
Mexican immigrants returning home permanently can apply for documents at the consulate allowing them to bring their household goods to Mexico without paying customs duties. This year, Houston officials handed out 37 percent more of the household duty exemptions than in 2007. They also saw an increase in educational transfer documents, which allow children to enroll in Mexican schools, from 39 last year to 135 in 2008.

But those numbers are small compared to the large size of Houston's Mexican and Central American immigrant population.

Gonzalez said his office has not seen large increases of Mexican immigrants who are going home to Mexico for good, based on the relatively small number of government travel documents issued in Houston.

"I would say we haven't seen a massive return of Mexicans," Gonzalez said.

Meanwhile, a number of national indicators point to to dramatic changes in immigration patterns which have been steady for nearly two decades.

The Census Bureau reported in September that immigration into the U.S. slowed dramatically in 2007 as the country added half a million immigrants, down from 1.8 million who entered the year before. Mexico's central bank estimates that total remittances in 2008 will be down to $23.5 billion, nearly a 3 percent drop from 2007.

The Mexican government recently reported that there has been a 42 percent drop in the number of people trying to enter the U.S. illegally in the past two years.


Waiting for amnesty
Outside the Mexican Consulate, Guatemalan native Edgar Tzul sat in his minivan and waited for his Mexican-born wife to get automobile registration papers. She is going home to Mexico this year, but Tzul said he was staying here in hopes of qualifying for potential immigration amnesty if legislative reform is spurred in Washington, D.C.

But many of his friends are returning home for good, not only because of the scarcity of construction jobs, but because they are being snared in stepped-up enforcement at worksites, he said.

"They're aren't going home because they want to, it's because they are getting picked up and deported," Tzul said. "Those who go home will try and find jobs, and adjust to the situation there."

Others say an unprecedented wave of killings by competing drug cartels, along with a nightmarish incidence of kidnapping, is keeping them in Houston.

Manuel Rosales plans to make his annual trip home to Torreon in northern Mexico, but he said many of his countrymen are afraid of being assaulted by bandits or kidnappers.

"There are less going home, and it's because of what they say on the news — Mexico is having (crime) problems and people are afraid something could happen," said Rosales, 63, as he stood in line Friday to get car import papers at the Mexican Consulate.

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James Pinkerton always writes articles in the Chronicle in an attempt to get Houstonians to feel sorry for the poor illegal immigrant. Pinkerton doesn't seem to understand the difference between those that come here legally and those that come here illegally.

Pinkerton needs to wake up, ALL Americans are being effected by economic conditions. I would love to take a trip out of the country to visit my wife's family but the economic conditions prevent it right now. You might think this guy would feel some sense of sympathy for the American families that bust their tail end to make ends meet and then have to see they money make life possible for those criminals who are here illegally. Does he honestly think any cares if they can't come and go to Mexico because money is tight?

There are few illegals in my town but 3 moved in next door to my daughter a little over a year ago (they never had any funiture) , by this summer there were 7 cars parked out front and 7 to 10 living in the house (who knows where they were from) but none spoke english.

Week before last 3 cars loaded to the hilt inside and the top of their new cars piled 3ft high covered in blue tarp moved out, this week the rest moved out...The Landlord told my daughter they all lost their jobs and were moving back to their home country, mostly Mexico.

What a relief, we had no idea who was living there and it drove us crazy as my daughter 2 children 14 and 17 were alone in the mornings before school. I can not tell you what a relief to have them gone, it is hard to trust people you don't know and can not understand a word they say so you can not communicate with them...with all the crime in this country it keeps you scared for your family everyday.

I will also tell you my daughter lives in a upsale neighborhood, but they get so many in one house and split the rent so they can afford to live there, so no matter where you live anymore it really does not matter.

They also let the yard go to crap...must of been a job illegals do not do anymore...But the American citizens in the neighborhood work their butts off to keep it nice place to live.

All the neiborhood is thrilled this week NOW lets hope the owner does the right thing and gets people who care in the house.

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

I will also tell you my daughter lives in a upsale neighborhood, but they get so many in one house and split the rent so they can afford to live there, so no matter where you live anymore it really does not matter.

They also let the yard go to crap...must of been a job illegals do not do anymore...But the American citizens in the neighborhood work their butts off to keep it nice place to live.

Same story here in Houston. These people rent a home in good neighborhood and literally choke the community to death. 7-8 families live in one home. They park cars everywhere including the lawn. The have parties and BBQ and drink in the front yard all the time. Typically the yards go to the crapper and the whole neighborhood starts looking like a ghetto with the trash they throw everywhere. Slowly but surely homes start going up for sale and people just leave. Then more of them move in.

Our HOA is fighting back hard. We have a bunch of homeowners here that are not going to take it. We call the police and complain to the HOA so much they for the owners of these home to take action.