Immigration of Latin Americans to United States

The Promised Land?

Anna Drygalska

• United States were built by immigrants

• US. used to spread immigrants over different parts of the country

• The immigrants have a great contribution to build an American power

• Nowadays more and more immigrants – mostly of Latin-American origin – come to United States, many of them – illegally

“migrant worker” – definition• a person who is or has been engaged in a

remunerated activity in a State of which he or she is not a national, including those who have moved voluntarily to search economic opportunities, refugees and asylum-seekers who are in paid employment in countries other than their own, and people trafficked for the purpose of labor exploitation

The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (Migrant Workers Convention) adopted by General Assembly resolution 45/158 of 18 December 1990 and came into force on 1st July 2003 after the ratification process

Immigration in numbers

• In last 20 years the number of illegal immigrants in US doubled

• The number of Mexican immigrants has been increasing constantly from 1965:– in 70’s - 640 tho were legally in US– in 80. – 1,65 ml– in 90. – 2,25 ml

• there are more Latin American – origin immigrants in USA than the Afro-Americans

• Immigrants usually work in fruit farms, building industries and they do simple services.

• In 2002 the income per capita in US was four times higher than in Mexico

• Last year money send by Latin Americans working in USA to their country was the second source of Mexico’s income (after petroleum) – 20 mld dollars

+/- of immigration for Americans

• cheap manpower – cheaper, more competitive products

• employees usually don’t pay the insurance for immigrants

• Some illegal immigrants pay taxes - a contribution to the US budget

• scale of the immigration (legal immigration followed by illegal one)

• children born in USA obtain citizenship and have a right to use social benefits and to learn in public schools

• take away jobs of some Americans

• reduction of wages in some professions

• terrorists may come through the not-well protected border

• Minutemen’s movement - citizens patrol the border• Mexican police or army – corrupted, seem to not

notice the immigrants crossing the border or they even help the smugglers

• Pressure to Congressmans to resolve the situation

December 2005 - new more restricted immigration law:

- illegal immigrants = criminals- prison-penalty for indocumentados - greater punishments for the smugglers and

for people who help immigrants in USA - severe sanctions for employers - protection of the border with Mexico

• Reaction of Latin Americans: the project is racist

• Huge demonstrations (March/April 2006): - 500,000 in Los Angeles

- 300,000 in Chicago - tens of thousands in Phoenix - 7,000 in Columbus

• Slogans: - “We are humans, not criminals”- “We are all Americans”- "We have a dream, too"

• „A day without immigrant” – 1 May 2006

New project of immigration law(Republicans in cooperation with Democrats)

• immigrants who hid in US longer than 5 years (about 7 mln people) would obtain the Americans’ nationality if they:

- prove they have a permanent job,

- pay outstanding taxes

- pay a fine of $ 2000

- pass English exam

- subject to “police environmental verification”

New project of immigration law – c.d.

• Immigrants who have stayed in US shorter than 2 years will be deported

• They can arrive to US only for a temporary work (not longer than 2 years)

• Imm. who have stayed shorter than 5 years, but longer than 2, may apply for “green cards”

George W. Bush point of view• New project compatible with Bush policy• Bush wants to acquire Latin American minority

support for the Republicans before November Congress election

• Bush cares about good relationship with a southern neighbour

• co-operation with Mexico against narcotics and terrorism

• Bush doesn’t want to allow a left-wing “anti-imperialistic” populist Manuel Lopez Obrador to win this-year-election in Mexico

Exploitation of Mexicans in work• A Mexican woman working in a hotel

- supervisor forced her to work more than the Americans at the same time

- He belittled her saying for example: "You Mexicans are taking jobs from Americans"

- threatened to report her to the Immigration and Naturalization Service

- he permitted the White and English speaking workers to physically abuse non-English speakers

- no response after she complained about it to the manager

Exploitation of Mexicans in work – c.d.

• In 2002 Alcoa (an auto industry) in Pittsburgh paid Mexicans a 7 % of what it paid to the others ($ 1,25/h)

- Imm. started to fight for their rights, Alcoa fired 236 of them accusing them of bogus crimes

• Jorge Soriano Bautista: chased by a Border Patrol vehicle which allegedly hit him in the back resulting in his arm being broken. Despite his broken arm, the agents pushed him back under the fence into Mexico

Samuel Huntington: “Who are we?” • The imm. of Latin Americans is different from

earlier ones and has stronger impact on USA – Neighbourhood - US–Mexican border has

3000 km. No other developed country has so long border with a much poorer one

– Magnitude - Hispanics will constitute a 25% of US population in 2050’s; they will be the mayor of California and New Mexico population

– Illegality – Immigration law in 1985 – „amnesty”; 100-350 thousands people illegally crossed the US – Mexican border in 90’s every year.

– Concentration – ghettos: • Mexicans – on the South of California• Cubans – in Miami

– Durability – the influx of imm. would weaken if growth in Mexico were around 11% per year what is quite impossible

– Historical reasons - Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada and Utah were a part of Mexico until the Texas independence war in 1835 – 1836 and US-Mexican War in 1846 – 1848. So some Mexicans believe they have right to these territories

Latin Americans in USA

Thank you for your attention!

Anna Drygalska