It is ironic that immigration is still a topic of debate in the United States, especially since “U.S. economic pressures play a major role in Latin American migration (Rodriguez 1).” The U.S. was a key reason as to why immigration started and why it is still around. The creation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was a way that the U.S. indirectly encouraged immigration. NAFTA caused many small business owners to lose their businesses. In the article, How US Policies Fueled Mexico's Great Migration, Robert Ortega, a small-scale butcher, loses his source of income in Mexico because of NAFTA and its policy that “opened up Mexican markets to massive pork imports from U.S. companies like Smithfield Foods (Bacon 1).” NAFTA destroyed the job market for farmers but highly reduced the price of food products, such as corn, meat, etc. The price reduction was so great that many small-scale butchers had lost their source of income, just like Ortega. The damaged caused by NAFTA did not only effect butchers but many farmers as well as small-scale workers in desperate need of work. Therefore, many of them migrated to the United States looking for work that they lost. Many immigrants were able to find work in the U.S. but a very low pay.
NAFTA overall was a selfish move for the U.S. to succeed economically. Through the creation of NAFTA the U.S. was able to get the cheap labor they needed to boost their economy by opening up trade. Which made prices decline greatly, causing small businesses to shut down. Companies, like Smithfield, were able to take advantage of NAFTA by importing different kinds of products and buying agricultural land. In my opinion, the U.S. did not care about Mexico’s economy. While the U.S. economy was flourishing, Mexico’s was kept declining. The declining of Mexico’s economy drove out many Mexicans from their homes. In addition, poverty spread like a wild fire in Mexico. Upon arriving and working in the U.S., work conditions in the factories were horrific and companies had a lot of power over the people; they could be easily replaced if need to.
It was a double edge sword when Smithfield was shut down in the United States. The benefit was that it stopped massive population but the downside was the the company ended up moving to Mexico. Again Mexico was being exploited, just like how they were exploited by the U.S. for cheap labor. Instead, they get the pollution the U.S. once had and it made it very difficult for people in Mexico. In , How US Policies Fueled Mexico's Great Migration, a local farmer, Fausto Limon described the effects of the population. He talked about how he would have to drive his family, in the middle of the night, far enough not to smell the population because it caused his family sickness. This is very upsetting because the U.S. only looks out for its own interest. They took advantage of NAFTA in many ways and Mexico pays for it. The U.S. should have a way to “pay back” for what they have done or help fellow countries they indirectly put down.
Sources:
http://www.ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/north-american-free-trade-agreement-nafta
http://www.philebrity.com/2010/05/26/immigration-reform-supporters-rallying-at-independence-hall/
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