Economics and Immigration — Got Milk?
Zully Kuster contacted me when she learned about our Homeland initiative; she had something to share. I knew Zully emigrated from Uruguay 23 years ago, so when I scheduled a time to meet with her I thought I would hear details of her immigration story. What I heard instead was her passion for the community she serves. For the past ten years she has been working with Hispanic families. “I am very proud of being embraced by them and my relationship with them. They trust me and I am able to help in a holistic way.”
As our Homeland team has met and listened to residents throughout the region we have heard a range of opinions regarding why people immigrate to America. Listen to what the community has shared with us here and here, and share your thoughts too. Hearing different views on the question of why anyone would risk their life to come here I searched the web for more information. An article in the World Savvy Monitor explained the situation in Mexico as a lack of economic institutions and infrastructure:
Put simply, Mexico failed to develop the necessary institutions and infrastructure to promote its own competitiveness in the free market it had joined. Mexico’s weak laws and culture of corruption, from its judicial to electoral systems, limited its attractiveness to investors and entrepreneurs who require that the state honor contracts, punish lawbreakers, and create an atmosphere of trust and stability. The result is that Mexico can be a difficult place to do business, severely hampering its economic growth.
When other countries were lined up at the starting line as globalization took off, Mexico was distracted politically. Ironically, the political reforms that were occurring around this time were mostly positive and badly needed. The authoritarian system of the PRI was coming undone — first at the local and municipal level and finally at the federal level in 2000 when PAN candidate Vicente Fox was elected President. But economically, this was not a great time for the messiness and diffused responsibility of a young democracy. Mexico was trying to build new political institutions at the same time it needed to build new economic institutions.
Zully Kuster says she understands Americans who are frustrated with the situation of undocumented immigrants, but she also wants people to know why people would leave friends and family behind, risking everything to come to America.
Category: Economy
