Economy may force immigrants out
12/10/2008 06:27 PM
By: Miracle King

CHAPEL HILL – Unemployment and a sluggish economy could force many immigrants to abandon the American dream in North Carolina and return to their native countries.



That's the decision facing Eduwiges Alberas, who is one of about 600,000 Hispanic immigrants living in North Carolina.



"It's fine for right now. I don't know," Alberas said. "The next three months or so -- I don't know what happens here because a lot of people don't have no work."



Jaqueline Hagan, author of "Migration Miracle" and associate professor at UNC Chapel Hill, has been studying the movement of immigrants from Mexico to America for more than 25 years.



She said with employment scarce, some Hispanic immigrants and their families are considering leaving the country.



"The cost of being separated from your family is a tremendous emotional cost," Hagan said. "And it's always been balanced with stable employment."



She said the single most important factor driving migration is the workforce, and with unemployment in North Carolina at an all-time high of 7 percent, a mass exodus may be looming.



"I think that we are going to see some return right about now because Christmas is coming, and so migrants are going to want to go home at Christmas time if they can," Hagan said.



Hagan said many immigrants depend on specific industries to flourish – like hospitality, maintenance and construction.



Small businesses that cater to immigrants could be impacted if thousands decide to leave.



That's just one of the fears facing Marissa Claudio. She and her husband own Latino American Taxes and Services.



"If for some reason the people leave, we don't have job. Because who makes the taxes?" Claudio said.



According to the Pew Hispanic Center, North Carolina's Hispanic population is the 12th largest in the nation.

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