WHY ARE MEXICAN CITIZENS IMMIGRATING

FROM MEXICO?

MEXICO:
ECONOMY AND
IMMIGRATION
MEXICAN ECONOMY RANKS
POVERTY IN MEXICO
IN TOP 14 BUT 46.2% OF
POPULATION LIVE AT OR
BELOW POVERTY LINE
Wealth inequality in Mexico is extremely
high. Although Mexico is among the top
14 richest countries as calculated by GDP,
over half the population lives in
poverty. The gap between the wealthy and
the poor in Mexico continues to expand
(Rolz).
(Lee)

MEXICO'S RICH GET RICHER AND AVERAGE MEXICO HOURLY USD WAGE
$2.49/HOUR
THE POOR GET POORER
AVERAGE US HOURLY WAGE
$23.43/HR
Just one percent of the population owns about half of
(UNITED STATES AVERAGE HOURLY WAGE)
the country’s wealth. While their wealth increases,
the poverty rate in Mexico has not decreased by
much, leaving an estimated 53.3 million people living
below the poverty line. From 2012 to 2014, the
poverty rate in Mexico only fell by 0.3 percent. This
implies that efforts to confront the issue have been
unsuccessful (Harrigan).

A 2008 report indicates not only that Mexico ranked

last in income equality among all OECD countries but
also that Mexico’s inequality is strictly greater than
that for all OECD countries across all deciles in the
income distribution (Jie Zong). (Bailey)

US/MEXICO BORDER
PROBLEM
In 1929 Section 1325 was passed making
unlawful entry into the United states a crime.
Since that time illegal immigration has been a
problem. It is estimated that in 2017 26.7
million people entered the U.S. with out
documentation .
(Section 1325: the 92 year-old law the defines
border crossing criminalality)
WEALTH DISTRIBUTION
It is clear to me that the problem of illegal
immigration is not the border between Mexico
and the United States, it is the lack of wealth
distribution in Mexico. If a person in Mexico
were being adequately paid for their labors,
eliminate the drug cartels, and if the Mexican
government corrected the corruption of it's
leaders, then a great deal of the illegal
immigration would slow dawn. Why leave
home to support ones family if one could stay
put and build your community? If the top one
percent of the Mexican population would
choose to make changes, then the desire to
leave would be moot.

(Bailey)

BRENDA HOMER : ENGLISH 2010