Ticket out of town

With fewer construction jobs to go around, some Latino immigrants are opting to leave the U.S.

And as immigrants leave, Latino businesses see profits squeezed

By Cristina Bolling
cbolling@charlotteobserver.com


PHOTOS BY DANA ROMANOFF – dromanoff@charlotteobserver.com
Plaza Fiesta Mall on Carowinds Boulevard has had a slow start in sales due to the tight economy. Shop owners at the mall say that many people come to browse and eat, but not many people are buying.

Tough for everyone
Over the year ending in May, unemployment rates rose nationwide, the U.S. Department of Labor reported.
Hispanics: from 5.8 percent to 6.9 percent
Whites: from 4.0 percent to 4.9 percent
Blacks: from 8.4 percent to 9.7 percent


Ana Caballero opened Hollywood Beauty Supply in early May in the Plaza Fiesta Mall. Caballero says business has been slow but believes it is improving.


Latinos line up at Autobuses ADAME on North Tryon Street which offers a daily bus service to Mexico. With the slowing economy, Autobuses ADAME has seen a large increase in their one-way travel to Mexico with fewer people riding the bus arriving in Charlotte.



It's a warm Friday night, and Angel Lopez slumps in his parked Mitsubishi and calls his mom in Puebla, Mexico. He has bad news:

No voy a poder mandar dinero esta semana.

“I won't be sending money this week.�