NAFTA as the spur for Mexican Immigration
Down here in Texas, NAFTA was, and still is, probably a far bigger deal than it is to most of the rest of the country. The manufacturing job losses have been felt disproportionately in the older industrial areas of the country, East Coast, Rust Belt, Detroit, but down here in Houston, we really are one of the two main transit points for the goods coming in from Mexico.
One of the things I strongly remember as a selling point of NAFTA was the claim that it would greatly lower illegal immigration by raising the standard of living of the average Mexican. Remember that?
Well, today, I ran across this very interesting interpretation/theory/analysis(?) in a WAPO editorial pointing out the disaster that NAFTA has been for the agricultural poor and working class Mexicans, and how this has led to an increase in illegal immigration.
I just thought this might be worth a mention with CAFTA on the table.
One of the things I strongly remember as a selling point of NAFTA was the claim that it would greatly lower illegal immigration by raising the standard of living of the average Mexican. Remember that?
Well, today, I ran across this very interesting interpretation/theory/analysis(?) in a WAPO editorial pointing out the disaster that NAFTA has been for the agricultural poor and working class Mexicans, and how this has led to an increase in illegal immigration.
So, who did NAFTA really benefit? Not the American worker. Not the Mexican worker. It appears to have benefitted only the corporations who shifted the jobs out of America.
I just thought this might be worth a mention with CAFTA on the table.
2 Comments:
That op ed's dead on.
By Justin, at 11:53 AM
I know. It just kindof sturck me hard for some reason.
Mike
By mikevotes, at 12:34 PM
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