Thread: Immigrants riding out bad economy

Immigrants riding out bad economy
Few Mid-South Hispanics returning to Mexico despite jobs decline
By Daniel Connolly

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Despite the economic crisis and December being the time that many Hispanic immigrants make the trek home for the holidays, there doesn't appear to be an exodus from the Mid-South.

Observers say that travel costs are high and, probably more important, many immigrants would face limited job prospects in the poor countries they left.

That's not to say more people won't go. Mexican foreign minister Patricia Espinosa has said large numbers of her countrymen might come home, and some have already made the leap.

In the Mexican town of San Jose de Lourdes, Rogelio Ortiz told a USA Today reporter that he had returned from Memphis for a visit and stayed.

"Why go back now? There's no work," he said.

Solid statistics don't exist, but interviews suggest cases like this are relatively rare. The number of children of immigrants enrolled in Memphis City Schools is up this semester, and there was no sign of a decrease before the holidays, said Andrew Duck, supervisor of the system's English as a Second Language program.

There has been no increase in applications for permits to transport household goods into Mexico, a step many people returning home would make, said Andres Chao, who runs the Mexican consulate in Little Rock and whose district covers Memphis.

He said Mexico's economy is not strong, and that it is much more likely that immigrants who have lost jobs would move to other places within the United States.

Such movement is bringing some immigrants to Memphis. For instance, Jacobo Perez Ramirez says he brought his wife, daughter and a grandchild to Memphis in September after he lost his job as a printer's assistant at a Chinese newspaper publisher in Los Angeles and heard there was work here.

The 59-year-old is originally from Mexico's Tlaxcala state and has been in the U.S. since 1979. He's still looking for steady work while the family stays at a friend's house. He has applied at a staffing agency and helps out at a restaurant the friend runs. He said he expects to lose his house in California because he can't make mortgage payments.

"If there's progress, we'll stay here," he said. "If not, return to Mexico."

He doesn't expect a quick turnaround.

"This country will need more than five years to recover."

A substantial percentage of immigrants in the Memphis area are here illegally, the legacy of years of successful business lobbying against enforcement of immigration laws.

Father Carlos Monroy, who runs Hispanic ministries for the Catholic Diocese of Memphis, predicts many immigrants will stay as long as they can and are hoping Barack Obama's election will bring an amnesty program like the one passed in 1986.

Efforts to pass a legalization program and related measures failed in 2006 and 2007, and the federal government is arresting more illegal immigrants in the interior of the country.

Arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border dropped 39 percent between 2005 and 2008, likely because of a combination of heavier patrols and because potential illegal immigrants believe they won't find jobs.

Such statistics encourage supporters of increased enforcement.

However, the economy, not enforcement, appears to be the most powerful factor causing immigrants to think about leaving.

Take the impact of the financial crisis on the construction industry, which in Memphis is dominated by immigrants from Mexico and Central America. In the important home-building sector, the number of permits issued in Shelby County in the past 12 months is the lowest since the 1970s, according to Chandler Reports.

Many construction workers have seen their hours cut or have lost their jobs.

Immigrants' hard times are affecting businesses that cater to them. On a recent Friday night, Dalia Gomez was behind the counter at U-Fashion, a store that sells brightly colored evening gowns and other women's clothes in El Mercadito de Memphis, a Hispanic shopping mall in Hickory Hill.

The 29-year-old Mexican immigrant owns the shop with her husband, and said many of her female clients work in warehouses. They report that there's less work, and some say they're leaving -- she has heard a store nearby is selling lots of suitcases. Gomez says her sales have dropped from about $2,000 to $2,500 per week last year to $500 to $600 now.

She's cutting prices and giving away free items like flip-flops, while her husband's day job as a plumber helps the household budget.

She has hope that the business will stay afloat because the mall has several shops in the same place to attract customers.

"We want to continue," she said.

Hispanics in Memphis

Shelby County's Hispanic population stood just under 35,000 in 2006, or about 4 percent of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That's up from nearly zero 15 years earlier.

A study by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation concluded that in Arkansas, just over half of all immigrants -- not just Hispanics -- were in the nation illegally.

www.commercialappeal.com

Why DON'T they just cut and run on all of their credit card debt and other purchases made on time? Do you mean they actually plan to drive the Escalades back and keep paying for them?

Observers say that travel costs are high and, probably more important, many immigrants would face limited job prospects in the poor countries they left.

March is going to be a really bad month ... watch the exodus begin in massive numbers

we are just seeing the end of the beginning, not the other way around... March will be severe with January and February being very bad ... but March is going to be a crusher...

2009 is going to be so bad you will see the most hardened Illegal Alien running for the borders.. I would bet my bottom Dollar .. but then again, the value will be worthless

These people think Obama will give them citizenship.. and he may try, but job losses is going to be so severe the Democrat's will not even raise the issue until 2010... by the way, 2010 is just supposed to be really bad instead of severe

what i believe will end is all benefits to EVERYONE and that will be the clincher.. no more free meals no more HUD and rent off the tax payers back

No Pedro .. you haven't seen anything yet... and for those that think Obama can save us from a very hard and long L shape recession instead of a V or a U shape you got another thing coming .. if we skirt out of a depression it will only be because the federal government hides the data from the people and you find out about it long after the fact (Depression) is over

Why should illegal aliens return to their drug, crime, gang and poverty infested third world cesspools when they can use stolen identities (soon to be legalized by Obama as he supported this in S-2611) to receive unemployment, welfare, food stamps, social security and other benefits as health care, welfare, education and not pay one frickin' dime in taxes because "those nasty struggling gringos" will cover the tab? They also will be hired for any b.s. stimulus jobs this b.s. government proposes which will amount to a massive tax payer subsidized illegal alien jobs giveaway for more cheap labor and votes while Americans continue losing their jobs. For this "government" to discuss amnesty and instant citizenship for millions of impoverished illegally here who will bring in millions more impoverished family members while more Americans lose their jobs and face cuts in medicare, medicaid, other benefits and resources, lose their homes and state and local governments go belly up taxing us out of our socks attempting to stay afloat once again illustrates how out of touch this government is with struggling Americans. We have been abandoned by Washington as they care only about open borders for cheap labor and more votes. They have deliberately destroyed the middle class in the interest of socialism. We have been screwed so far up our posteriors it hurts when we sneeze.........

Father Carlos Monroy, who runs Hispanic ministries for the Catholic Diocese of Memphis, predicts many immigrants will stay as long as they can and are hoping Barack Obama's election will bring an amnesty program like the one passed in 1986.

Yes then they will be eligable for every social program available and not just their anchor babies! GREAT and something tells me Obama is oblivious to this or he also has already made a deal with Calderon to take better care of the poor from his country!!

The 59-year-old is originally from Mexico's Tlaxcala state and has been in the U.S. since 1979. He's still looking for steady work while the family stays at a friend's house. He has applied at a staffing agency and helps out at a restaurant the friend runs. He said he expects to lose his house in California because he can't make mortgage payments.

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So much for illegals not getting home loans and being part of the Bail
Out problem! DUH!!!!

I'm glad Obama will be busy and hopefully to busy to enact Amnesty

The problem is he has so many demanding he keep his promises....payback for votes you know !