SF Chronicle: 10% of all Mexicans are now living in the U.S.

[Newsjock]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/05/21/MNGFQIVNAF1.DTL&type=politics

The current migration of Mexicans and Central Americans to the United States is one of the largest diasporas in modern history, experts say.

Roughly 10 percent of Mexico's population of about 107 million is now living in the United States, estimates show. About 15 percent of Mexico's labor force is working in the United States. One in every 7 Mexican workers migrates to the United States.

Mass migration from Mexico began more than a century ago. It is deeply embedded in the history, culture and economies of both nations. The current wave began with Mexico's economic crisis in 1982, accelerated sharply in the 1990s with the U.S. economic boom, and today has reached record dimensions.

It is unlikely to ebb anytime soon.

"There is no scenario outside of catastrophic attack on the United States that would make immigration stop," said Demetrios Papademetriou, president of the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank.

uh-oh!!

[Ms. Clio]

1. This is the sentence I would emphasize

It is deeply embedded in the history, culture and economies of both nations.

[Jim Warren]

8. This is the sentence I would emphasize

"The good news is that a million Mexicans were on the street recently demanding good jobs and good government and justice," Roger Noriega, former assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, told a recent panel at the American Enterprise Institute. "The bad news is they were marching in someone else's country. Every day, thousands of Mexico's most industrious people leave their families behind ... leading many to wonder why Mexico's political class is not capable of creating economic opportunity for its citizens in a land rich in mineral wealth, hydrocarbons, agricultural potential and human capital."

[Kerrytravelers]

2. I'm jumping into a front row seat for this one!

:popcorn:

Anyone want to share a bag? I could possibly finish the whole thing by myself.

How about a beer?

[yardwork]

3. More than 10% of the U.S. used to BE Mexico

Is this an issue of immigration or simply an issue of people moving around as they always have? Most of the "Mexicans" who are emigrating to the U.S. are American Indians. Their ancestors have been living in this part of the world for thousands of years. So in the 19th century a big part of "Mexico" got grabbed by the "United States of America." This is supposed to make a difference?

In the history of human life on this hemisphere it is nothing.

[Kerrytravelers]

4. Sure nobody wants a bag?

:popcorn:

[yardwork]

5. Sure. Toss me some of that popcorn.

I'm probably going to need it.

[Kerrytravelers]

6. Sure is quiet in here.

Like the quiet before the storm.

You might need a really big bag.


Oh hell. Let's just pull out the whole damn machine.

[Zynx]

7. Yeah. The South of this country forced us into a war over Texas to spread

slavery. The Mexican American War was nothing but bold faced imperialism fought for a disgusting cause.

[Cleita]

9. I trust the PEW Hispanic Center for their statistic gathering but

if you read their studies, even they state that their demographics are estimates only based on what information they could gather.

[SoCalDem]

10. Since humans got feet, we have been on the move

When we hunted and gathered, we followed the food.. We are still doing it..only this time it's for MONEY to BUY the food..

Borders are always breached unless there's a guy with a machine gun watching "who goes there".

[Cleita]

11. This is so and I wondered why no one is bringing this up.

We are nomadic by nature and will go where we can make a living. This is how we got all over the earth to begin with instead of just developing in one locality.

[KittyWampus]

18. Yes, and humans have been killing each other over access

to land and resources while they do that wandering.

Humans have NEVER been able to just move anywhere they wanted without having to fight for access and to maintain access.

[Cleita]

20. I hope you are just hyperventilating because if you read history

that isn't always true. Many new tribes moved into territories as family groups, not that many at a time establishing trade and other exchanges to settle into those places. Eventually they become assimilated. This is what we have been experiencing with our immigration history in the last two hundred years.

Yes, there were the conquering types too, but it wasn't always that way and in the Neolithic age, the archaeology has turned up very little warfare in those times that were mostly hunter and gathering nomads before they turned to agriculture.

[KittyWampus]

16. What you gloss over is that throughout human history we have had tribes

and it was belonging to a clan within that tribe that one had access to food and resources.

No tribal affiliation- no access to food or other resources.

And if you trespassed on another tribe's territory your life was in jeopardy.

And even within ones tribe/clan, access to food and resources were regulated by custom.

[SoCalDem]

17. Gloss-free.. just stated a fact

People have always moved, and have borne whatever consequences that came with the moves.. Lots of people did not fare well.. Survival of the fittest is all about that.. We have not changed all that much, have we?

[Cleita]

19. Not entirely true.

Nomadic tribes even today often have handshake agreements with their neighbors, for trade and other exchanges, often sealed with marriages.

[lindisfarne]

12. I suspect over 50% of the world's Irish live in the US. n/t

[Cleita]

21. I read an article some time back that had actual figures of

people of Irish decent living around the world, not just here and yes they far outnumbered the Irish living in Ireland.

[slackmaster]

13. The statistic makes no real difference, but it has some Gee Whiz power

It's the kind of number that will rouse some people out of their complacency to do something about it, or at least form an opinion.

[Jed Dilligan]

14. What percent of people of English ancestry & speech

now live in the US? More than ten I bet!

[BlooInBloo]

15. Do they say what % of Americans live outside of America?

Just curious....