Weak US economy drives Latin immigrants home

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 10-31-2008 14:29

For thousands of Latin American immigrants, the United States is losing its glow as a land of promise.

The economic crisis is drying up job opportunities in the construction, landscaping and restaurant industries, where many of them work.

For thousands of Latin American immigrants, the United States is losing its glow as a land of promise.(CCTV.com)

The flow of immigrants back across the US-Mexican border tends to be seasonal. The Christmas holidays are usually the peak time.

But some authorities say they are seeing a bigger-than-usual unseasonal flow this year.

Mexico City's municipal government predicts between 20-thousand and 30-thousand immigrants above the usual number will return in the next few months because they can't find work.

48-year-old Juan Lorenzo Pacheco lives in Orange County, Southern California. He arrived about two years ago, and says he plans to return to Mexico early next year.

Thanks to an earlier housing boom, he sent home 200 US dollars a week and purchased a house in Mexico.

But in the past year, he's worked only one or two days a week, earning barely enough for food and rent.

And he's not the only one facing the difficult time.

Jimmy Castillo, Immigrant Planning to Return Honduras, said, "I haven't found a job. The economy is slow and I live on the street. I don't have a place to sleep so I want to go back to my country."

Experts say the situation is the most challenging for new comers.

Professor Dowell Myers, University of Southern California, said, "If we didn't offer the jobs, they wouldn't come and when the economy slows down and there's actual job losses, there's going to be not enough work to go around and the people who are the newest arrivals are the easiest to uproot and go back."

Immigrants are also sending less money home.

Remittances by Mexicans living in the US registered their biggest drop in August since record-keeping began 12 years ago.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei