A chill from Mexico
Slowdown south of the border sends a chill this way
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Dec. 13, 2009, 9:04PM


Conventional wisdom says that when the United States sneezes, Mexico catches pneumonia.

No doubt. The truth in that venerable saw has been proved repeatedly during the global economic crisis of the past two years. Effects of the downturn here have been visible and consequential south of the border: Tens of thousands of Mexican immigrants have been forced to return home, unable to find the work that had drawn them to this country.

Alas, the CW also works in reverse: Economic troubles in Mexico have an undeniable impact here, even if we don't always notice. Easy access to this country's job market has long served as a reliable safety valve against pressures of unemployment, poverty and social unrest south of the border. But what happens when that reliable safety valve is pinched closed?

We're finding out. Mexico is hurting, and its economic ills cannot be ignored by this country. That is the message delivered by Mexico scholar Denise Dresser in the Outlook piece, “As oil production fades, Mexico is losing its clout,â€