Linking NAFTA and Immigration (Part 1)

After some immigration debate with my father (the former RISD student and rock musician has matured like most Boomers) over apple pie and ice cream at my regular Doughty Family Dinner last Sunday, I've decided to compile some immigration / migrant worker / remittance / etc information.

As you probably know, I coordinate a child-care program for a non-profit in Olneyville, Providence that (to put it simply) provides English classes for Spanish-speaking immigrants. While my personal politics may differ from many of my coworkers, there are some undeniable truths about our responsibilities to human rights and our responsibilities to recognize our own power and influence as causal factors in this wave of immigration from south to north.

Here's some food for thought.

"During the NAFTA debate in 1993, advocates assured the U.S. and Mexican people that it would greatly alleviate unauthorized immigration by increasing employment opportunities in Mexico and closing the gap between U.S. and Mexican wages. But the promise of prosperity has been a mirage for millions of Mexicans: the value of the Mexican minimum wage dropped 23 percent in NAFTA's first decade; 19 million more Mexicans are living in poverty than 20 years ago, and today, one quarter of Mexico's population cannot afford basic foods."
-Linking NAFTA and Immigration by Ted Lewis for The San Diego Union-Tribune

Today is a conference in DC entitled:
Linking Agriculture, Development, and Migration: A Critical Look at NAFTA, Past, Present, and Future

Global Exchange has done a great job putting this information together, and they have a petition to Congress that you can sign online if you'd like.

Please realize that building a fence is not going to solve our problems.

xoxo
Carlita