Thread: Poll: Majority of Mexicans See US As 'Exploiter'

By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
March 21, 2006

(CNSNews.com) -- Why is the United States a wealthier nation than Mexico? A new Zogby poll asked Mexican and American citizens that question and others.

Seventy percent of Americans said the U.S. is wealthier because there is plenty of opportunity and work available in the United States, but 62 percent of Mexicans said the U.S. is wealthier because it exploits others, the Zogby poll said.

As for why Mexico is poorer, 38 percent of Mexicans blamed corruption and 36 percent blamed government policies. Likewise, 36 percent of Americans said Mexico is poorer because of government policies and 35 percent blamed corruption.

The Zogby poll examined how Americans and Mexicans regard each other. It found that 62 percent of Americans believe a strong relationship between the two countries is important for America's future; but only 52 percent of Mexicans said it was important for their country to have a good relationship with the United States.

Immigration

Both Americans and Mexicans agreed that the U.S. economy benefits from the labor of immigrant Mexicans.

Nevertheless, a majority of Americans want U.S. lawmakers to crack down on illegal immigration. Sixty-two percent of Americans said they favor "more restrictive" immigration policies, the Zogby poll said.

Fifty-seven percent of Americans said they would favor a U.S. economic development program for Mexico if Mexico agreed to accept more controls on immigration. But 53 percent of Mexicans opposed that idea.

And while 69 percent of Americans oppose a U.S. proposal to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border, 90 percent of Mexicans oppose the idea.

Personal attributes

On a personal level, 84 percent of Americans said they held a positive view of the Mexican people, but only 36 percent of Mexicans had a positive view of Americans.

Other findings:

-- 78 percent of Americans consider Mexicans hard-working, but only 26 percent of Mexicans consider Americans hard-working.

-- 18 percent of Americans consider Mexicans racist, while 73 percent of Mexicans see American as racist.

-- 42 percent of Americans see Mexicans as honest, while only 16 percent of Mexicans see Americans as honest.

The survey was a joint project of Zogby International and a Mexico City-based research and development group.

The survey of Mexicans, conducted Feb. 10-16, included 1,000 interviews and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 points. The survey of Americans, conducted Feb. 3-7, included 1010 interviews and had the same 3.2-point margin of error either way.

>> Discuss this topic in The Forum

Copyright © 1998-2005 CNSNews.com - Cybercast News Service

In many ways, there is nothing surprising about the findings being reported...first, it seems obvious that people on both sides of the border realize a big part of the ills in Mexico truly are center around it's government's greed, dishonesty and mismanagement...obviously if the country was being run correctly, there would be no reason for all of these illegals to flock here for work.

It does not surprise me that a lot of Mexicans see us as dishonest...they in some fashion are being taken advantage of as witnessed by the over 200 billion a year in Depressed American wages. They are taking advantage of us...especially those of us in the middle class by stealing our jobs, while those hiring them are taking advantage of them by paying them less than their American counterparts. Viscious circle.

Maybe a solution...let's make Mexcico our 51st state. Then we would all be free to buy second and vacation homes along the HUGE expanse of ocean front property they have down there, and bring our uniquely American touch to that desolate land. Furthermore, the Southern Border is only about one third as large as ours, so would be FAR EASIER to defend and secure, so we could take all that money saved in border security and start pumping it into rejuvenating their economy. It could be similiar to the Lousianna Purchase way back when!

Pinto Bean

There are so many things in that poll that warrant discussion. I've always felt that we are creating a new resentful underclass with the overwhelming number of illegals , anchor babies and family re-unification laws (which is by the way a vast pyramid scheme , one person could eventually equal hundreds). Most of the poll's findings are no surprise ;however, I am disappointed that more Americans do not favor the border fence. Maybe it was the way the question was worded.

p.s. Family reunification would be so much easier if we sent the home-sick person back to Mexico.

Pinto Bean,

I would have to agree sometimes i think it might be better to make Mexico the 51st state and deal with the corruption in that manner and we could use the military do it, though we would have to stop them from the masses just coming when and if we did something in this manner.

As for the polls, i think they are unrealistic as the polling is wrong my view and isn’t real. I would like that the Mexicans would realize that their problems arise from the depth of corruption within there own political structure.

P

These Polls confirm the utter and complete stupidity of Mexicans! If Americans are so GD lazy, racist and dishonest, why do the dumb bastards(Mexicans) risk life and limb to come here illegally?

Why don't they just stay in Mexico with the millions of other Mexicans who think of each other as hard working, inclusive and honest?

BTW: I wish we could send 15-20 million white people into Mexico illegally. White who would speak English only, demand everything in Mexico be translated from Spanish into English.

Then we would see how inclusive these renegades really are!








-- 78 percent of Americans consider Mexicans hard-working, but only 26 percent of Mexicans consider Americans hard-working.

-- 18 percent of Americans consider Mexicans racist, while 73 percent of Mexicans see American as racist.

-- 42 percent of Americans see Mexicans as honest, while only 16 percent of Mexicans see Americans as honest.

I had a statistics professor at U.T. that used to say "Liars figure and figures lie". I think that's true for a lot of the "fuzzy numbers" the open borders people use, but I don't think that's true with this poll. One thing that you can extrapolate from these numbers is the reason why Hispanics don't assimilate. Why would you assimilate with a culture you don't like, distrust, and resent.
PS maybe we should leaflet the border and tell the huddled masses yearning to be free to turn back or they will be exploited.

PS maybe we should leaflet the border and tell the huddled masses yearning to be free to turn back or they will be exploited.

I like that idea.

And I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about the people who were brought here as kids and think that they should be allowed to stay here because of that. I don't think that any should be allowed to stay because if we allow one, there will be a million others in line with their tale of woe.

I had an idea, though. What about sending the people with some common bond from each country-- like the people who came as kids and don't know their homeland-- to the same place, so that they would have someone to help build their new lives with? Does that sound fair?

For example, we have literally thousands of people in our high schools and colleges who were brought here illegally by border jumping parents who cared so little for them that they dragged them into potential harm. I'e come across some on other forums and they feel threatened because we are looking hard at deportations. What if that hundred thousand or so were to have their own town? I bet it would become a great inspiration to the rest of Mexico if those people are actually educated.

Nothing like biting the hand that feeds you.

President Bush calls them "good-hearted people".....I think it's time for him to see soon JUST WHO the "good-hearted" people are.
AND WE'VE HAD ENOUGH. WARN EM THEN DEPORT EM.