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Monday, July 17, 2006
Mexican Government Creates Contest to Get Migrant's Stories to the Policymakers
There is a widely known fact among la raza that today's politicians who have declared undocumented immigrants as Public Enemy #1 seem to have forgotten: most undocumented immigrants did not come over with the intention of staying in the United States.

The intent was, is and always has been, for the vast majority of immigrants from Mexico and Latin America, to come long enough to earn some money to help the family back home — then return there, unless home meant dodging bullets from an ongoing civil war.


(Source: San Francisco Chronicle)

It wasn't until we actually started beefing up border patrols and making it too risky to cross back and forth did immigrants resign themselves to living so far away from home.

It is said that roughly 10 percent of Mexico's population, about 107 million people, now live in the United States.

As much as we think immigration is a problem for us and that Mexico is condoning the northward hike by their citizens, we should look at the facts.

In Michoacan, in the town of Tendeparacua, there lives only 600 people today - in 1985, there were 6,000 residents. In the rural areas of the country, other towns like Tendeparacua, are totally devoid of any working-age men.

It doesn't bode well for the country's future not to have a workforce - of any kind.

In fact, demographers say that Mexico is aging and that its population trails the U.S. age profile by 30 years. (Ironic since if it wasn't for the Latino population in the United States, our own population wouldn't be as young as it is.)

Demographers expect the day will come when Mexico will have to import their own labor.

It sure would make things easier if their future labor force consisted of descendants of today's migrants. But by then, who knows how strong the tie, or the memories, would be to Mexico.

Maybe with that thought in mind, and as a preliminary step to address the mass migration from their country to the United States, the Institute for Mexicans Abroad, an initiative of the Mexican Secretary of Exterior Relations, is sponsoring an unique contest.

The First History of Migrants Contest, opened to all Mexicans or descendents of Mexicans, is an attempt by the Mexican government to gather first-hand accounts of the trips north of the border: Why they were taken, what risks were endured, how it went for the women and girls, what kind of support did they receive when they arrived and how they integrated into U.S. society.

The purpose of the contest is to create a space where others can read these stories and reflect on the impact migration can have on families, individuals and whole communities.

It is also, according to the contest's Spanish web site, a tool to be used to better understand the migration phenomenon by the citizenry and policymakers so that when programs are designed to address this issue, the policymakers will know what the exact needs are of the migrants and their families.

The stories must be written in Spanish and there are categories by age (12-20, 21 and older) for both Mexican and U.S. residency.

The winners of the essay contest will each win MXN$15,000 pesos or roughly US$1,364.70.

Also, winners, and a companion, will be invited to receive their prizes with an all-expense paid trip to Mexico City.

The winning essays will be available in the library of the National Population Council and on several government web pages.

Essays can either be mailed to the Mexico City headquarters of the National Population Council or the nearest Mexican Consulate.

Deadline is July 31, 2006.