Title: Linkages between US and Latin America
1Linkages between US and Latin America
- Lecture 8, Part III
- Geog 313
2Migration Network
- Kinship
- Friendship
- Paisanaje
- Voluntary Organization
3Characteristics of Migration Networks
- Memory
- Acquired new meaning
- Develop over time
- Materialized and defined migration network
4Kinship
- Important bases for migration social organization
and family connections. - Provides a safe environment for new and future
immigrants. - Family relationships relations- provide
assistance, information, and services. - Father-son, brothers, uncle-nephews, cousins,
etc. - Kinship connection are reinforced through
frequent interaction on important occasions. Ex.
Wedding, baptism, quinceaneras, death, and births.
5Friendship
- Are networks created between individuals that
grew up together, roughly the same age, and
shared a formative experience (church or sports). - In this network the assistances include finding
housing, jobs, pooling resources, and borrowing
or loaning money. - This type of network grows as new friends from
different communities are formed through work,
housing, and leisure activities. - Regional alliances within Mexico also favor the
formation of friendships such from Jalisco or
Zacatecas.
6Paisanaje
- Origin from the same place is not a meaningful
basis of social organization for people while
they are in their home country. - It becomes meaningful when they encounter each
other outside their home country. - The strength of the paisanaje tie depends on the
strangeness of the environment and the nature of
the prior relationship. - An example of this network is manifested through
fiestas that celebrate a patron saint form their
home country. Ex. Dia de los muertos.
7Voluntary Organizations
- This network provides mechanisms that facilitate
the formation and maintenance of social ties. - Voluntary associations created by migrants in the
United States promote - regular interpersonal contact
- greatly facilitating the process of adaptation
and mutual assistance. - Soccer is an example of this type of voluntary
organization. - Create a space.
- Focal point for social activities.
- Establish new friendships with people from other
places in Mexico. - Help immigrants to establish or sometimes
reintegrate into a community. - Social interaction
8Development of Networks
- Migration networks are valuable adaptive
resources in a strange environment. - The interaction of people, goods, and information
circulation helps create linkages between the
Mexico and the U.S. - Connectivity increases as the quantity and
quality of networks increases. - Social Capital is created by migrant
experiences and knowledge. Ex. where to cross
and how to obtain jobs. - As networks grow and mature, peoples
participation in voluntary organizations
increases.
9Formation of Daughter Communities
- Channelization of immigrants occur as social
networks focus increasingly on specific
communities. - Migrants move to a particular place because that
is where networks lead them and provide the
greatest opportunity to success. - Daughter Communities are permanent settlement
communities in the United States with specific
linkages to communities in Mexico. - Allow circular migration
- Provide a permanent settlement.
- Provide extensive links between the parent and
daughter communities. - Changes the Paisanaje networks as immigrants
began marrying American or second generations
immigrants.
10Remittances
- Recent studies have focused on the three measures
of integration of labor markets in the global
economy. - The proportion of foreigners in the domestic
workforce. - The ratio of the domestic force in
export-dependent industries and employed by
domestic affiliates of foreign multi-national
enterprises. - Remittances that contribute to a home countrys
GNP and provide it with valuable foreign
exchange. - In this case, they propose using the ratio of
remittances to gross domestic product (GDP) as an
indicator of integration.
11Remittances
- Studies of three remittances have often focused
on three issues - The wealth- generating capacity of remittances
through saving and investments. - The factors influencing their flow.
- The effects of remittances in the recipient
economies at the household level. - What studies have concluded about remittances is
that they have important effects on - economic growth
- trade
- the distribution of wealth in the home recipient
country - different patterns of economic behavior
12Remittances
- Latin Americas economy has become more
integrated through trade and investments. - North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
- Southern Cone countries, (MERCOSUR).
- Latin American Free Trade Area (FTAA)
- Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)
- However, Remittances have emerged as the leading
economic indicator with the most potential.
13Family Remittances
- Latin American migration to the U.S. in the 1970s
and 1980s have created new linkages between - Individual-individuals (family)
- Towns-towns (Hometown associations)
- Cities-cities
- Countries-countries (trade agreements)
- Regions-regions (CAFTA)
- Family remittances are currently one of the most
important forms of linkage among emigrant Latinos
and Latin America.
14Family Remittances
- Researchers have focused on two aspects of the
globalization of remittances - Scope (Stretching)- are the agents in the
circular migration such as market intermediaries,
governments, hometown associations, international
groups, and individuals. - Intensity (Strengthen)- relates to the level of
involvement of the previous agents in affecting
the impact of remittances in the receiving
country. - In other words, the boundaries of spaces are
stretched, and already existing networks are
strengthened.
15Family Remittances
- How important are remittances in Latin America?
- The volume of remittances began increasing in the
1980s. - Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and
Nicaragua remittances have increased from nearly
1 billion in 1980 to 3.7 billion in 1990 and
over 10 billion dollars in 2000!!!! - Just in Mexico alone, remittances increased from
800 million in 1980, to 2.4 billion in 1990,
and to 6.5 billion in 2000. - In Mexico, remittances represents 10 of the
total value of exports, nearly as much as tourism.
16Family Remittances
- How important are remittances in Latin America?
- Remittances in Latin America during 2002
increased by 17.6 reaching over 32 billion. - Latin America is now the number one destination
for remittances worldwide. - Remittances to every L.A. country except Bolivia
increased by 10 in 2002 - Colombia (28),
- Jamaica (27),
- Peru (24),
- Guatemala (23),
- Honduras (22),
- Cuba (22)
- Dominican Republic (16.9)
- EL Salvador (15.4)
- Nicaragua (15)
- Haiti (15)
- Ecuador (10)
- Brazil (10)
17Family Remittances
- How important are remittances in Latin America?
- In Nicaragua remittances represent ¼ of the
national income. - In El Salvador remittances have exceeded the
total value of exports. - In Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, they
represent half of the values of exports, and
about 80 percent of the value of foreign direct
investment.
18Hometown Associations
- What is the function of HTA?
- Hometown Associations (HTA) or transnational
migrant organizations (TMOS) are formed among
remittance senders to coordinate their support
not only of relatives but also of their towns. - In addition, to retain a sense of community as
they adjust to life in the United States. - Immigrants have formed community groups to
maintain relationships with the home country or
with local communities.
19Hometown Associations
- HTAs international activities can be described
in five groups - Charity Orientations range from charitable aid
to investment. - Include the donation of clothes
- Construction materials for various projects such
as churches - Small cash amounts to purchase goods for local
activities. - Infrastructure raise money for improvements for
hometown - Streets
- Parks
- Build sewage treatment
- Water filtration plants
- Buy or maintain cemetery plots
- Health care facilities
20Hometown Associations
- HTAs international activities can be described
in five groups - 3. Human development these activities are
orientated toward human development. - Scholarships
- Library books
- Health supplies
- Medicine
- Sports facilities
- Nursery homes
- Daycares
- Schools
- Communal soup kitchens
- Investment capital investment for
income-generation projects managed by local
community members and often supervised by
immigrants. - Co-ops
- Credit Unions
- Other General fundraising
- Soccer Games
21Hometown Associations
- HTAs international characteristics can be
described in five features - Activities Orientations range from charitable
aid to investment. - Charity
- Infrastructure
- Human development
- Investment
- Other
- Structure and links
- Lack of strong organizational structure
- Lack of institutional counterpart in their home
country. - Membership is small
- Connection is through a local leader such as
priest. - Relationships
- Hierarchical hometown associations communicate
their counterparts what to do. - Joint Cooperation both parties in the home and
host country organization communicate to define
the agenda. Ex. Hurricane Mitch support in 1998
22Hometown Associations
- HTAs international characteristics can be
described in five features - 4. Decision Making
- Financial resources
- Relationship with home organizations
- Members preferences
- Organizational structure
- Goal and project might change over time
- Membership available time
- Needs of the town in the home country
- 5. Financing
- Small economic base
- Most raise less than ten thousand dollars on
overage each year - Money raised is sent in cash or materials.
23Remittances-Agents
- Who are the players in the Industry?
- Banks- In El Salvador, charge less than 10 for
almost any amount to be sent but they do not
have the same outreach capacity like Western
Union. - Courier agencies- Western Union or MoneyGram.
- In 1995, moreover 44 percent of money
transactions through MoneyGram took place from
the United States to Mexico. - In El Salvador, Western Union carries out to a
minimum of 70,000 transactions a month worth an
average of 300. - In the Dominican Republic, the minimum, thus
likely controlling at least 20 percent of the
flow of remittances. - These companies charge significant fees, ranging
from 8 to 14 of the value of the remittance. - U.S. Postal Services- created its own delivery
system offering a lower rate than Western Union
or MoneyGram. - Hand deliver
- Third party- encomenderos
24Remittances-Agents
25Remittances Agents-Host Country
- A money transfer business (one that can wire
money to other countries) such as Seven-eleven. - The transfer institution collects a fee.
- Transfer institutions make a profit on the
- fee
- commission
- foreign exchange differential.
26Remittances-Host Country
27Remittances Agents- Home Country
- Money transfer agencies establish agreements with
agent-distributions in Latin America in order to
ensure coverage and efficiency on the receiving
end. - Commercial banks are one, if not the only, key
player in a given market because their financial
operations cover large areas and meet regulatory
requirements. - In the case of Mexico, the largest distributing
agents are large banks, such as Banamex,
BBVA-Bancomer, HSBC, and BanNorte. - In Central America, Airpak, works exclusively for
Western Union. - Grace Kennedy is Western Unions exclusive
English Caribbean distribution
28Remittances Agents- Home Country
- Recipient country distributors also play a key
role in the remittances. - Distributors have made agreements with more than
one company. - Agents must compete to attract companies to
utilize their networks, in so they influence the
price. - If they increase the fees it would affect the
sender.
29Remittances Agents- Home Country
- Banks play a direct and indirect role in money
transfers. - Function as agents
- Serve as intermediaries
- Operate as depositories for the money transfer
companies and distributors agents - Banks also charge fees to keep money by the
company or distributors agents. - Can control prices, fees, and exchange rates.
30Remittances-Government
- What is the role of government as a player in the
remittances? - As remittances become a more stable source of
income for Latin America, its governments are
finding ways to attract more of these funds. - Governments are making policies to address the
cost reduction in remittance transfers - Create an attractive economic environment for
various kinds of migrant funds. - Central Banks in Guatemala and El Salvador have
regulations that are liberal on import duties. - Salvadorans are allowed to bring up to 1500
worth of merchandise. - Guatemalans are permitted to bring up to 2000
into the country without duty.
31Remittances-Government
- What is the role of government as a player in the
remittances? - Other countries have attempted to require that a
certain percentage of the earnings of their
workers abroad can be deposited into a national
fund. - Former U.S. Ambassador William Stixrud has
suggested that Guatemalan emigrants put up the
equivalent of 10 percent of the value of
remittances for private investment. - The Ambassador argues for the implementation of
such a fund with the assistance of emigrants, the
government, and international development
organizations.
32Remittances-Government
- What is the role of government as a player in the
remittances? - Sending-country governments can also stimulate
remittances by helping emigrant groups to develop
migrant associations. - The Mexican govt has had formal outreach
programs since 1990. - The federal programs include the Paisano program
and the Mexican Communities Living Abroad (PCMLA)
program. - The PCMLA operates through the network of 42
consulates and 23 institutes or Mexican cultural
centers in the U.S. - President Fox in 2000, created a new
executive-branch office to interact more
vigorously with Mexicans in the U.S. and attract
their resources. - By late 1998, four hundred clubs were operating
throughout the U.S., although most were in Los
Angeles and Dallas.
33Remittances-Government
- What are other programs established to trap the
remittances? - Remittance bonds
- Joint Ventures
- Matching funds
- Economic development funds
- What do you think the countries should do with
the remittances?
34Latino Presence in The United States
35Paradigms
- Barrioization (external processes) seeks to
explain the formation of barrios as an experience
of a less-advantaged Latino population staking
out a territory which is then overwhelmed by
urban diseconomies-poverty, crime, negative lands
uses, etc. - Barriology (internal processes) describes the
process by which Latinos began to reassert
control over their neighborhoods through
acquisition of political power, mastery of the
process of urban planning, and the use of art and
muralism to create identity. - Globalization Anthony Gidden defines it as
- the intensification (networks) of worldwide
social relations which link distant localities
(spaces) in such way that local happenings are
shaped by events occurring many miles away and
vice versa (circular migration) (199064).
36Barrioization
- Barrioization (1900-1945) In Southern California
and parts of the Southwest. - What forces were at work?
- Increased migration
- Expansion of cities
- Increased segregation by Chicanos into less
desirable parts of the city. - Land values increased
- Enclaves of cheap rental housing formed around
undesirable land in the city. Ex. Railroads,
etc. - Immigrants settling near ethnic neighborhoods or
enclaves. - Urban development (1950-1960)- land was seized to
build factories, freeways, and bridges.
37Barriology
- Barriology began with the creation of symbolic
activities parades, holiday festivities, and
cultural events as a response to mass
deportations and the great depression of the
1930s. - Barriology represents a kind of collective
decision to find ways to Mexicanize the bland
spaces that had become home to the Chicano
population. - 1) In Los Angeles, activists fought to protect
the Oregon and Elysian Parks. - 2) In other cities in the Southwest Chicano
Parks were created in Mexican-American
communities. - 3) Mexican American cultural centers were created
in Balboa Park, San Diego. - 4) Murals were painted that transformed ugly
space into powerful expressions of
Mexican-American identity. - 5) Demonstrations were organized to protect a
space near an under bridge that was going to be
transformed into a police sub-station and a
parking lot. - Today, Mexican murals cover the pillars and each
Spring, a special Chicano Day celebration takes
place to honor the communitys struggle to create
this importance place.
38Globalization
- The borderlands, especially in the Southwest U.S.
border region is a globalized region. - The proximity to Mexico accelerates the
socio-economic integration between the two
countries. - NAFTA created an institutional affirmation of the
process of globalization. - How?
- Maquiladoras with ties to U.S. capital and to
Mexican labor. - San Diego, California is an important example of
a globalizing region. - Some 3 million people reside in the San Diego
region, and about 500,000 are Latino. - Combined with 2 Mexicanos in Tijuana-Rosario-Ensen
ada. - The result is a geographical area with 2.5
Latinos/Mexicans out a population of 5 million.
39Globalization
- Joint-venture capital is now moving free back and
forth across the border. - Assembly plants exist on both sides of the
border. - Cultural events are a weekly occurrence as part
of the cross-border tourism industry. - Identity has been affected by the increased
interaction. - Traditionally Mexicans immigrants to the United
States were looked upon by Mexican citizens as
pochos. - Pochos, are people who abandoned the homeland and
lost their cultural identity with Mexico while
falling into a stage of marginality in the host
nation. - Pochos, in Mexico were forgotten citizens and in
the United States were not even citizens. - However, by 1980 Mexico discovered the political
and economic value of maintaining relations with
its more than ten million brothers in the U.S.
40Characteristics of a Latino Barrio
- Barriers
- Recaptured Space
- Global Tourism
- Consumerism
- Post-NAFTA Housing
- Invented Connections
41Characteristics of a Latino Barrio
- 1. Globalization imposes new hierarchies on the
cities such as barriers - The city will grow in function of corporate
machines like skyscrapers, freeways, and
mega-shopping malls. - Exogenous actors will have big impacts in the
Barrio - global investors
- national government
- corporations
- large-scale commercial developers
42Characteristics of a Latino Barrio
- What are the barriers in San Diego?
- In the case of San Diego the barriers that have
been constructed have been freeways. - They are fundamental to the mobile lifestyle of
the region but hamper the barrios. - For example, I-5 and I-805 freeways and on/off
ramps cut across the heart of the Barrio Logan. - Mega-shopping malls- help destroy the sense of
place in a neighborhood or community. - Facilities super-imposed by the federal
government on the Ysidro community such as fences
and walls along the international community. - The San Diego-Tijuana wall is 47 miles long and
built from metal recycled in the Persian Gulf
war. - A second wall has been constructed which contains
18 foot concrete pilling topped with metal mesh
screens and an experimental cantilevered wire
mesh-style fence. - The fence/walls runs into the Pacific Ocean.
- The zone is buttressed by six miles of stadium
lights, twelve hundred seismic sensors and
numerous infrared sensors used to detect movement - Detention center immigration detention facility
sited in the heart of San Ysidro.
43- The overall effect of the landscape is to render
the San Ysidro border space into a war zone. - www.latinamericanstudies.org/tijuana-border-1.htm
- Journey to the USA
- http//www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/special/d
eadlycrossing/2013872 - Conflict
- http//www.voanews.com/english/2005-06-21-voa62.cf
m - Gangs vs. Minuteman
- http//washtimes.com/national/20050328-125306-7868
r.htm
44Characteristics of a Latino Barrio
- 2. Recaptured Space
- Both Barrio Logan and San Ysidro began to fight
back as early as the 1970s. - In the late 1970s when a police station was going
to be build under the bridge in the barrio. - Residents erupted in mass protest and occupied
the land under the bridge. - Began spontaneously building a community park.
- The city of San Diego agreed to give the land to
the community, thus Chicano Park was born.
45Characteristics of a Latino Barrio
- Recaptured Space
- Also, the resistance was a global phenomenon
- Chicano artist and architects began to cross the
border and participate in the rebuilding of the
barrio during the 1970-1980s - with the statewide coalition of Chicano and
Mexican artists - Combined the community and redesigned the space
under the bridge by painting giant murals on the
pillars of the Coronado Bridge. - The Chicano Park became a kind of international
landmark for the use of murals as a form of - community process
- Cultural identity
- Murals on the pillars of the bridge made visual
reference to the Mexican history, Latin American,
and American history.
46Characteristics of a Latino Barrio
- Recaptured Space
- Redevelopment plan seeks to erase the negative
imagery imposed by the federal government and
recapture the space for local residents. - International border zones like San Ysidro can no
longer be thought of merely as buffer spaces or
defensive edges. - Nations need to understand the buffer zones can
house people, industry, trade infrastructure, and
other economic activities. - 34 million vehicles and over 7 million
pedestrians cross the gate each year. - But the port of entry and surrounding zone on
both sides of the border are fragmented by a
variety of land use and design problems. - Traffic congestions
- Poor circulations routes
- Disorganized land uses
- Conflicts between local interests
- Crime
- Public safety
- Unresolved land development plans
47Characteristics of a Latino Barrio
- 3. Global Tourism
- An experiment to create a Mexican Disneyland just
across the border in Tijuana failed. - Barrio Logan have never been major destinations
in the San Diego region. - It could never rival the big-ticket tourism
destinations like Seaworld, San Diego Zoo, and
Old Town. - What to promote in Barrio Logan?
- City of San Diego is promoting Latin Cultural
heritages sites as part of the tourism in the San
Diego region. - Promote the murals, Chicano Parks, and other
Latino businesses. - San Ysidro has never been a tourism destination,
but rather a gateway into Mexico. - A local group wants to build a Museum of
Immigration.
48Characteristics of a Latino Barrio
- 4. Global Consumerism
- The culture of shopping malls and a fast-food
consumerist culture is part of the globalization
of the border. - Barrio Logan neighborhood historically has been
deprived of any significant commercials sites,
like.. - Latino developers recognize this gap and have
located a new commercial space to be named the
Mercado Shopping Center. - One of the challenges for the project is in
Barrio Logan - How to create a neighborhood design and
architecture, - Respect the Mexican/Latino qualities of the
barrio (murals, parks, gardens), - Make it pedestrian friendly
- Securing loans
49Characteristics of a Latino Barrio
- 4. Global Consumerism
- In San Ysidro, the community faces a massive
shift toward the construction of retail malls and
shopping centers - to capture the large market of Mexicans consumers
and visitors passing through the region. - The first new shopping mall, Las Americas, built
literally adjacent to the international boundary
line on the edge of San Ysidro. - Las Americas is a three-phase, mixed-use,
retail-office complex located ¼ mile west of the
San Ysidro-Tijuana border crossing. - Phase I is 375,000 sq ft. of open-air retail and
restaurant space. - Phase II will add another 270,000 sq ft. of
retail and restaurant space - Phase III is expected to add a pedestrian bridge
to Tijuana, - new-port-of-entry facility
- A transit center
- Hotel
- Conference building
- Office space
50Characteristics of a Latino Barrio
- 4. Global Consumerism
- What are some problems with this development?
- The project is entirely based to automobiles
- There is no sense of public space.
- Private security teams patrol the shopping mall.
- The project is called a mixed use. There is no
residential space on the site.
51Characteristics of a Latino Barrio
- 5. Post-NAFTA housing
- Because of the escalating housing prices, Latino
Barrios have been forced to seek innovative
approaches to affordable housing. - Various local and state groups designed
affordable housing units in a high-density, but
well crafted, residential complex called Mercado
Apartments. - Mercado Apartments were designed with elements
that would maintain the identity of Barrio Logan
such as - First, Bright colors of the façade of the
buildings to conform with the Mexican tradition
of bright colors in urban setting. - Second, The architectural style of the complex
was deliberately chosen to be similar to the
simple pueblo-adobe style. - Third, the building was intentionally not set
back from the street, and it incorporates patios
and balconies facing the street.
52Characteristics of a Latino Barrio
- 6) Invented Connections
- San Diego-Tijuana Trolley
- New Ballpark
- The San Ysidro Trolley
- Las Americas Mall pedestrian bridge