Open Letter

The history of the world and the history of all people is greatly centered a round migration. All people are believed to have originated in Africa and migrated to all the other parts of the world; some people crossed the land bridge into North America and other s built  rafts to travel to the islands of the south pacific. But all people owe the current location to someone’s migration; either that of an ancient relative or by the own migration. The reasons for migration have varied greatly.  People have migrated to better resources or to escape persecution and away from war torn regions. 

                The current  global migration patterns are not as fueled by the traditional reasons from the past today migration is fueled by the economics of the global economy.  During the 1970’s the business practices of the multinational conglomerates changed the economic structure of many countries.  Lands which had existed for  thousand s of years based around  agriculture suddenly found that their lifestyle was changed  due to the presence of multinational conglomerates. The women’s movement of the 1970’s also brought women out of their traditional roles and provided cheap labor to the factories. The use of women in the labor force caused  men, who had traditionally been the breadwinners, to migrate to other lands in search of  work. The multinational conglomerates were not interested in hiring men because they feared that men were more likely to organize into unions and that they would be more demanding of hirer pay.

The success of the American labor unions and their ability to gain  advantages for their clients partially brought about the internationals changes. Companies were interested in keeping their profit margins high so they saw the rest of the world as cheap exploitable labor. One of the side effect of the movement of factories is that people are now being pulled from their home countries to the  countries that  have the strongest economies.

As has been the case in the past  criminal organization have long been the first to exploit emerging trends. While nations are still trying to understand and curb the numbers of illegal immigrants coming to their lands Criminal organizations were transporting increasing numbers of  illegals into countries with strong economies.    Criminal organizations quickly found that they could  make huge profits is what has become know n as “human trafficking“. Unlike other illegal enterprises no capital  is required for the product, the criminals do not have to grow anything  or produce any illicit products.  Human traffickers have become known as “coyotes” in Mexico and “snakeheads” in China  and found that the only thing necessary for the practice of this business is a means of transport. All different types of transport are  used be they ship, planes, or the immigrants own feet. Criminal organizations typically exploit the immigrants in the destination country.  Migrants can be forced  into prostitution or  other slave like conditions.

                The current patterns of migration are global. Even though  here in the American Southwest the focus of illegal immigration is Mexico.  Of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living  in the  United States  60 percent are thought to be from Mexico.  While the United States has long used Mexican labor it has  usually been seasonal with the workers returning to their families in Mexico.   When the United States ended the Bracero programs the seasonal worker became semi permanent .  The workers stayed longer because it is becoming increasingly  difficult  and dangerous to cross the borders and enter the United States. Mexico enjoyed a brief period of economic prosperity with the  advent of the maquiladoras. The maquiladoras are factories located along the border with the United States. Many jobs that had been formerly done by Americans were shipped  to Mexico were the workers were cheaper.  When the international companies realized profits would be even cheaper if labor was done in Asia, Mexican workers lost their jobs the same way Americans had.  With their new proximity to the American border the Mexican workers looked to the United States for employment.  Currently the second largest  source of income for Mexico (after their state owned oil industries) is the remittances that come from the United States, this is  significant reason that Mexico pushes so heavily politically on the United States  to legalize immigrants. Mexico’s  citizens provide much needed money to its  economy  and  Mexico citizens living in the United States don’t use any of Mexico’s resources.