Do Mexicans interpret the immigration issue differently from Americans? In Mexico, we see it as a labor phenomenon, not a crime. It’s a binational problem involving supply and demand, not a domestic issue that can be solved with unilateral decisions enforced by the police. Everyone here knows that illegal immigration is a result of the demand for cheaper labor in the U.S. and supply from Mexico, which is produced by our own internal economic problems. It’s worrying that many people in the U.S. believe undocumented immigrants have no rights and are committing a crime. At the same time, there’s a lot of indifference in Mexico when it comes to this issue, particularly among the upper classes. But talk to poorer people and you will hear them full of indignation about how immigrants are treated in the U.S.
What’s your take on proposals to make undocumented workers go home before they can apply to return to the United States? Look at what President Bush said: the massive deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants is not realistic. It just can’t work. There will always be a way to cross.
Do you say “illegal alien” or “undocumented immigrant”? “Undocumented immigrant.” I think that describes the situation most accurately. “Illegal alien” sounds fundamentalist.
Critics recently slammed a New York proposal to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. What was your take? It reflected the hypocrisy of the debate. People see immigrants as workers, but not as human beings who deserve a driver’s license. Dropping the proposal went against the interest of Americans. It could’ve improved highway safety.
What’s missing from the debate? More talk about human trafficking, particularly of women and children. It’s an abhorrent, growing problem.
