By Carlos Luken

The Mexico-U.S. border fence recently approved overwhelmingly by the U.S. Congress, and signed into law by President George W. Bush, will join the ranks of such notable structures as the Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall, and the Maginot Line as a new monument to man’s futility and pigheadedness.

Some who naively hope that this wall will finally solve the “immigration problem” fail to understand that immigration is not the problem; it is a consequence of economic and social problems that have been conveniently circumvented for political correctness for decades. In this regard, the blame lies not only in Mexico, but also in the United States.

Both countries have reaped huge rewards from immigration. United States trade knowingly tapped into a large, low cost and highly controllable labor source permitting its products to be competitive worldwide. In return Mexico found an effective and predictable safety valve for exporting the growing numbers of workers that its weakening economy could not accommodate. Immigration is also providing Mexico with its migrant remittance windfall, revenue that is expected to rise to US$25 billion in 2006.

For many years this sort of quid pro quo understanding existed between the two nations. In the United States border scrutiny was relaxed or suffocated according to trade needs, and Mexico tacitly complied.

At that time immigration was primarily an economic issue, but after decades of neglect and ambiguousness it mushroomed into a social predicament, with growing numbers of migrants and their families putting a burden on U.S. health, education and social service institutions. With economic slowdown, disgruntled citizens began protesting and collectively targeted Latinos as the source of their maladies. Millions of United States and Mexican citizens were pushed into a conflict that was not of their doing, in which both were unwilling victims of a new era “southern question.”

Expectantly the media took sides, furthering animosities. Some biased U.S. communicators branded all migrants as “illegal” and encouraged confrontation. The Latino media retorted by airing its own biased news versions, and promoting activist led protest demonstrations.

But instead of finger pointing and accusations, the culprits who caused it — the United States and Mexico, should realistically address this southern question. Both governments must recognize that theirs is a bilateral crisis, brought about by years of procrastination and double standards.

Mexico should acknowledge that its past economic policies have failed to create job opportunities and higher living standards for its people. It must define and implement comprehensive economic, agricultural and industrial development programs for its poverty stricken southern states. To do so it must implement legislative reforms, and it should encourage alliances with U.S businesses. And it must execute an immediate and in-depth program to eliminate widespread corruption.

The United States should also do its part. It must acknowledge and stop circumventing immigration and labor laws, and slap stiff fines on protected business, agriculture, construction, manufacturing and service industries that advantageously benefit from the immigrants illegal status.

The United States should realize that all of its dilemmas cannot be solved through immigration reform as is currently being considered. It must isolate its current social crisis from its future temporary labor needs. By grouping current crises with future needs, the United States has continuously gotten into a quandary.

At the same time Mexico should concede that the United States has its own laws and political agenda, and that it will define — within its sovereignty — what to do with the millions of undocumented migrants currently living in the 50 states.

In order to deter further immigration, and to help Mexico create genuine job opportunities, U.S. development programs dealing with trade education should be put into place, while economic aid plans and private investment ventures should be encouraged. Once the cost benefits are considered, the payback will prove more profitable than the currently incurred social costs (notwithstanding the US$1.7 billion budgeted cost for the border fence). Only then can provisions be negotiated to accommodate a realistic temporary supply of workers from Mexico for future U.S. labor needs.

Citizens and public officials view immigration with tunnel vision, failing to note that it is only part of many ongoing interactions between neighbors. Other vital concerns, such as border security, trade, organized crime deterrents, energy, agriculture, water rights, social and environmental issues — the list goes on, must too be addressed.

Considering that immigration is a most sensitive issue, both governments must acknowledge the need for new and innovative plans and solutions before more innocents in both countries are made victims of further hypocrisy.

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Carlos Luken, a MexiData.info columnist, is a Mexico-based businessman and consultant. He can be reached via e-mail at ilcmex@yahoo.com.