"The Promised Land"

I am indulging on the newest New Yorker's cover. By Christoph Niemann. 

Here is an extract from some comments he made to the Huff Post:

"The debate should be about how can a country benefit from immigration. America depends on immigration. The discussion will be more valuable if it is focused on benefits". 

"I draw a parallel between current immigrants and early settlers -- the hope is that it will provide context, to help keep things in perspective." 

Also The Economist had an article last week about the benefits of diasporas: usually immigrants are very hard workers, with high aspirations, and create good support networks that help boost economic growth. Not only they send money back home, but they also get more educated abroad and bring back that knowledge to their countries of origin. I quite like the closing paragraph of the article

As for the old world, its desire to close its borders is understandable but dangerous. Migration brings youth to ageing countries, and allows ideas to circulate in millions of mobile minds. That is good both for those who arrive with suitcases and dreams and for those who should welcome them.

Also from The Economist, here is a nice chart that shows where are the Chinese and the Indians outside their own countries. There are "more Chinese leaving outside mainland China than French people living in France." And only about 22million Indians live away from home.

NYT: Better Lives for Mexicans Cut Allure of Going North

I knew that the recession was dampening the illegal immigration rate; it even made some people want to go back to Mexico because of lack of work in American soil. Now it turns out that due to a combination of circumstances our beloved Mexico is actually becoming more alluring for people to stay. That sounds to me like good news!!

The whole article is definitely worth a read, but here are some quotes that caught my attention (along with some of my thoughts):

When I was reading the article, at this point I thought "give me some evidence!". I like this piece :-).

The Mexican census recently discovered four million more people in Mexico than had been projected, which officials attributed to a sharp decline in emigration.

Applied cost-benefit analysis at its best.

But Mexican immigration has always been defined by both the push (from Mexico) and the pull (of the United States). The decision to leave home involves a comparison, a wrenching cost-benefit analysis, and just as a Mexican baby boom and economic crises kicked off the emigration waves in the 1980s and ’90s, research now shows that the easing of demographic and economic pressures is helping keep departures in check.

And finally, there is something that I was already thinking of myself:

 Though Mexicans with Ph.D.’s tend to leave for bigger paychecks abroad, “if you have a college degree you’re much more likely to stay in Mexico because that is surely more valuable in Mexico,” said Jeffrey S. Passel, a demographer at the Pew Hispanic Center.

OK... at this point I will say, spend less time on facebook and read the full article :).


Have a good day!