Beyond Smoke and Mirrors: Mexican Immigration in an Era of Economic Integration, Essay Example

With the passing of the Immigration Reform Control Act (IRCA) in 1986 prima facie the United States and Mexico attempted to control the illegal immigration across the North American borders. As a result of further legislation passed in 1990 and 1996 there were so many restrictions to this Act many legal Mexican citizens were not able to gain access to the United States. At the same time the United States was attempting to prohibit immigration to North America they were attempting an international trade compromise with Mexico called the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. “This apparent segregation of persons but insistence of free trade amongst the country troubled both Congress and President George Bush and Bill Clinton.” (Massey, 2003,4). Why was this problem for the two countries; because the IRCA did not slow down either the legal or illegal immigration to North American states? Research shows there were more illegal immigrants entering after the passage of the Act. What the act did was “create a black labour market for Mexican immigrants in the United States, lower the wages of United States workers and worsen the economic conditions for American workers.” (Massey, 2003,15). Mexicans were no longer coming to America for seasonal employment rather they wanted to work here permanent. This is a classic example of how ‘ill-conceived’ policies can backfire and cause a frenzy of unintended and negative consequences.

Political activists and capitalists have manipulated the immigration policy and system to their advantage in order to receive cheap Mexican labour. How did this happen? Simply! The law was passed as a result of complaints from the citizens of our countries that our jobs were going to illegal immigrants. But as a result of the Act passage border patrol has not enforced the issues of deploying immigrant admittance across the North American borders. Yes this sounds shocking but research shows that they have actually promoted the Mexican illegal immigrants to move northward and settle permanently which is precisely in opposition or contrary to what the newest immigration control law proscribes.

The labelling theory suggests that Mexican immigrants have been attached a stigma by upper government and U.S. citizens hence with that stigma they have problems with obtaining permanent residency and receive the lowest of paid jobs in the states. They are not taking the skilled or professional jobs away from Americans for they are taking the jobs that the American people simply do not want. This labelling theory is only as true as the only who labels the person or persons asserts it to the society. People in America have the idea that ‘all immigrants’ are either of bad character or criminal nature. The theory of atavism or socio-biology states that you cannot simply classify an entire culture by their race or immigration status. The tendency to commit criminal behaviour expresses itself in a person’s brain and through physical acceptations. Simply said physical traits are determinants of a person’s behaviour with relation to whether they will commit a crime or not in the future.

Another instance of how capitalists have manipulated the immigration system in order to force Mexican labour in the United States is with the political pressure that was put on Proposition 187. Proposition 187 was passed in November 1994 was passed to prohibit illegal immigrants for using public services and health care in the state of California. It was eventually overturned as unconstitutional in a federal court. It was rule unconstitutional because immigration control is a ‘federal’ issue and ‘state law’ of California was attempting to reform immigration at the state law level. Further social benefits are a federal issue and not to be regulated or governed at a state level. “However, the judge did let stand two less controversial sections that establish state criminal penalties for the manufacture and use of false documents to conceal immigration status. The ruling effectively means that, barring a successful appeal, the controversial measure that focused attention nationwide on the problem of illegal immigration will never be fully implemented.” (McDonnell, 1997). Sure we have to follow the laws, after all we are a democratic nation and stand by that but why do illegal immigrants have the same rights as United States citizens? It appears the law is designed to protect the illegal immigrants. The only way they can get deported is if they commit a crime. They have access to public benefits, access to public school funding and can work minimum wage jobs. They can come here and survive. My heart goes out to many of the immigrants for they see coming to America as a means to survival but what about the laws? Why are they not stopped at the border? Why are they being promoted to follow a trail north instead of being deported back to Mexico? The answer is the United States is enjoying the cheap labour that the Mexicans have to offer because the American citizens do not want to do the dirty jobs for cheap pay rates. Therefore the politicians and capitalists structure the law to protect the immigrants.

United States policies are designed to push nationalization on illegal immigrants to ensure they stay here and offer slave labour to our country. “Observers have labelled any kind of attempt to fully secure the border of illegal immigration a “smoke of mirrors” (Baum, 1997). The question is now when will America integrate with Mexico, not how! Years of trade and investment are the motivators to keep the free immigration open for the Mexicans to North America. Mexicans have freely migrated to America for years of history except for during the years of 1980s-1990’s when the U.S. government put some restrictions on the migration across the borders. They tightened up border controls to prevent such crossings. Today the U.S. government simply appears to want to prevent migration by passing Immigration Acts but does not tighten border patrol and present border patrol does not try to deplore immigrants back to their home country.

Attempts to increase the housing and living costs in America have not sent the illegal immigrants home either. People migrate internationally with realistic expectations of monetary gain. Mexicans are seeking to use their skills to earn money hence the majority of the migrating Mexicans are trade, unskilled or simply will take whatever job they can find to get their foot into the United States. Mexico has an extremely poor health and social welfare system. Many people and their families are starving hence coming to America is ‘do or die’! Many families send a member of their family across the border to work to send money home for the rest of the family back in Mexico. Migrant remittances are often looked upon as an alternative source of income if the main income holder becomes unemployed, the crops fail or there is a dampening illness in the family.

Through the history of the United States the capitalists and politicians have imported illegal immigrants and pretended not to. Research shows that the costs associated with keeping the migrants afloat financially surely exceed the benefits reaped. Prior to 1986 this was not the case but the situation has changed because more Mexican illegal immigrants are staying in the states permanently and mooching off of our medical and social welfare systems and not contributing enough to the economy to pay their debt back to society.

California has appeared to receive more than 45% of the illegal Mexican immigration population in the 1980’s. Further research shows of those that immigrated during those years “45% were arrested in the San Diego area, 21% in the El Paso area and 17% in the San Antonia sector.” (Massey, 2003, 106). This data reflects that 85% of the immigrant population in the 1980’s entered through these three states alone. The rational choice theory states that a person will risk violating the law for money or other needed things. Often these qualities are seen in the Mexican criminal illegal immigrants.

The United States appears to take a ‘back view’ on border crossing because it is capitalistically advantageous to allow them to cross the border. This may have been true during the 1980’s but is not the current situation or expression of the whole of the American people. The government needs to consider the best of the United States and not their pocket books.

References

Massey, D. (2003) Beyond Smoke and Mirrors: Mexican Immigration in an Era of Economic Integration New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation

McDonnell, P. (1997) Prop. 187 Found Unconstitutional by Federal Judge Retrieved December 12, 2009 from, http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/linguistics/people/grads/macswan/LAT23.htm