July 2011

It’s become harder to cross the border from Mexico into the U.S., more expensive and more dangerous. According to a recent study, however, there are more powerful factors keeping Mexicans at home. Douglas Massey, co-director of the Mexican Migration Project at Princeton University, points to changes within Mexico itself. Education is easier, economic prospects are stronger than they were and families are decreasing in size. The younger generations, who in the past would have come North to the U. S. for jobs, are now staying home. Mr. Massey says “ No one wants to hear it, but the flow has already stopped. For the first time in 60 years, the net traffic has gone to zero and is probably a little bit negative.” While there are other countries involved in illegal immigration, the majority of undocumented workers come from Mexico. Should opportunities in those countries similarly improve, surely they would make the same choice as the younger generations of Mexico and stay home. I wonder if our rhetoric as well as our policies about immigration would as a result make a 180—for we may then realize how important immigrants are.

Last May a group of people calling themselves “intactivists” succeeded in having their petition qualify for the November ballot in California. They believe that circumcision is genital mutilation and seek to abolish it and make it illegal. Religious groups are predictably taking the case to court. Meanwhile in Africa there are groups trying to talk young men into being circumcised. Studies have shown that circumcision is a way to fight HIV/AIDS protecting not only men but also women. Somehow what’s happening in Africa brings out how weak, ill-conceived, unnecessary and even inane the efforts of the intactivists are.