There was an article in my local paper, the San Antonio Express-News, a couple of days ago titled "NAFTA took jobs, workers from Mexico." The author claimed that NAFTA drove 1.5 million farming families out of business by allowing subsidized U.S. corn into Mexico. Those workers went to cities, driving down wages and that they had no workplace rights under NAFTA. Now the workers in manufacturing can't even earn enough to afford basic necessities. So that is why more Mexicans have been trying to immigrate. Also, the author says, there was a drop in Mexican immigration before NAFTA, but then it started rising after NAFTA went into effect.
It seems to me that 1.5 million families losing their farms is pretty far fetched. Also, wasn't there a recession (not related to NAFTA) back around 1994 or so that could have caused this problem? If you have anyone has any relevant information on this, please let me know or send me some links
that can refute this article.
A link to the article is below.
Cyril Morong
