A telling article on immigration from the local newspaper:
"They leave their classrooms for the American Dream."
This story is from the small town of Salto de Vaquerias (near Queretaro). "The young people of this community wait anxiously to finish their studies in secondaria (grade school) or preparatoria (high school) to cross the frontier and obtain a better life even though the economic crisis is truncating their American dreams. They haven't stopped looking for a way to go to the United States. Here in El Salto, above all it's the boys that go over to the other side, however now it's been difficult. But the youths are awaiting the moment to leave and go look for work over there," said the vice-mayor of the town. The story went on to tell that the town even runs orientation programs so that the kids won't run risks in crossing over. They principally see the need to have a better life and not remain in town to be day laborers in a place that doesn't pay much. "One of the other things that motivates these kids to run the risks in crossing the frontier is due to they reports from the returning migrants they meet who have commented that in spite of the risks they will confront, and the very hard work they will do, they will have a better quality of life."
The story continues that the money sent back to their home towns ("remesas") has dropped in great measure and--as a result--economic conditions of the community have worsened, and many families want to leave.
They social implications of this are enormous. And extraordinarily sad.
