It goes without saying that most of the over 38 million people of Mexican origin living in the United States — regardless of immigration status — are feeling anxiety right now.
I speak frequently with people of Mexican origin on both sides of the border and the stress is impossible to overlook. Those who have legal immigration status or even those born and raised in the U.S. are certain to have a family member, friend, colleague or community member who lacks legal status.
This anxiety is manifesting itself in many ways that are not good for these people or for the broader U.S. economy. I have been told stories of families afraid to send their children to school, of kids afraid to participate in after-school events, of family members afraid to go to the doctor or dentist, of people afraid to go to church and of employees afraid to show up to work. I have heard of weddings, quinceañera parties, homecoming events and vacations cancelled. I have read earnings reports of large multinational corporations in the food, beverage, service, retail and other sectors warning that “the Hispanic customer has drastically reduced consumption of many goods and services, and we are seeing it in our results.” I have seen the recent decrease in remesas (money sent by Mexicans working abroad to family members in Mexico) for the first time in many years, as we reported here.
In mid-October, I was visiting family and friends in both Wisconsin and the Chicago area, and I noticed a dramatic decrease in the number of Mexicans that I saw out and about. Dramatic.
I stopped in a large hardware store chain in the Chicago suburbs to pick up a few things and it was an absolute ghost town. I spent some time talking to the very helpful young Mexican-American employee who helped me locate an item. The conversation with her really stuck in my head.
She told me that she used to work at the contractor desk, but now has been moved to the store floor since “none of our Mexican contractors are coming here anymore.” I asked what she meant.
“The vast majority of the contractors that frequent the store are Mexican, and they are now afraid to come here,” she said. She added that they have almost all begun requesting delivery to avoid the risk of going to the store, that the contractors are avoiding jobs in downtown Chicago right now, and that some of her construction worker friends are even asking her to bring them lunch to further minimize the risk of going to a restaurant. She was noticeably sad and angry as she talked. I asked her how people are feeling; what they are thinking and saying. She lowered her voice and, with tears welling in her eyes, said, “Many of them say that for Mexicans now, the American dream is dead.” I asked her if she believed that, and without hesitation she said, “Yes, absolutely.”
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She acknowledged the illegal status of many of the contractors, but said most had been there for many years and worked very hard. It was sad to see such a bright young lady so dejected and depressed. I ended our conversation by asking her what she thinks they will do. Her answer: “I think many of them are ultimately going to go back to Mexico. My family is thinking about doing it too.”
Now, perhaps many of our MAGA readers would celebrate and rejoice reading this sentiment. That’s exactly what the Trump administration is trying to accomplish, they would likely say. I will avoid the politics and just comment on one thing that is bipartisan: Americans want the U.S. economy to thrive, but these immigration policies are likely to hinder economic growth. I personally think that the moral and social effects of these policies are equally negative.
With that said, I think Mexico has a tremendous opportunity to welcome people of Mexican origin back to the country. Although job creation numbers have been lackluster for the year, the unemployment rate is still only 3.0%. Think about it: Most of these people are relatively young, hard-working, bilingual, bi-cultural, and educated or trained in the United States. Most want to work, create a better life for their families, and most certainly have family and friend connections already in Mexico. The transition back would not necessarily be easy, but their skills could be used to start new businesses, help existing businesses grow, and improve communities that are in need of their experience.
President Sheinbaum’s administration has already announced a modest program called Mexico Embraces You (México te abraza) to help welcome these people home, but I think much, much more could be done by both the public and private sector.
Mexico’s economy has a growth problem. What better way to help solve it than by importing thousands of well-trained, skilled workers who could have a big impact on countless businesses and communities? The government needs to make the transition as frictionless as possible for them: opening bank accounts, bringing in vehicles, bringing back their personal belongings and importing the professional equipment that they own.
Mexican and multinational companies should be more active in recruiting and transferring those who have an interest in moving to Mexico. It’s important to note that both blue-collar and white-collar workers should be targeted and both are needed. Many of these people are feeling very unwanted in the U.S. right now. There’s an incredible opportunity to make them feel wanted and welcome to make an impact in Mexico.
Another opportunity is with Americans with Mexican roots.
Through our MND Kids initiative, in just the past few months, I have spoken to dozens of teachers and administrators of Mexican descent. One of the biggest surprises I have found is that many of them, more than half, have never been to Mexico … not once! I have learned in talking to them that many have very outdated stereotypes and one-dimensional perspectives about the country. This is clearly an opportunity for MND and MND Kids. There is a HUGE opportunity to better inform and inspire this cohort to spend time in Mexico to reconnect with their heritage and explore the country. If done right, this could provide a significant boost to tourism — especially to the less touristy areas where many have roots.
A famous saying is that one should “never waste the opportunity offered by a crisis.” Mexico has an incredible opportunity right now to welcome its diaspora back to reconnect with the country to live or vacation. Let’s hope this could be a silver lining in what is a very difficult time right now for the Mexican-American community in the U.S.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.
