Facts of Life and the Honduran Dream (by Todd)
Facts of Life:
According to the Inter-American Development bank, in 2004, money sent back to Honduras from workers outside of the country (primarily immigrants in the US) constituted 15% of Honduras' GDP.
see: www.iadb.org/IDBDocs.cfm?docnum=537360 (it's in Spanish, though)
This percentage has increased sharply since the devastating Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras in 1998. Workers remittances in 2003 were 4 times greater than foreign investment in Honduras.
http://www.sela.org/public_html/aa2k5/ING/consejo/Di9.pdf
It is claimed that without this source of income, the Honduran economy would collapse.
Also an interesting article: http://ncronline.org/NCR_Online/archives2/2004c/081304/081304a.php
The Honduran Dream
In the US, we have the American dream: to work hard and get rich, no matter what background you come from.
Hondurans have a dream too: to sneak into the US, work for several years, make a lot of money, then come back, by a house, and live comfortably in Honduras.
Obviously, I'm generalizing, but so, so many people here want to get to the US. Most of them plan to come back for a few years, although a good number eventually decide to stay. And almost every family has a parent, son or daughter, or cousin in the US or in Spain.
It makes me so sad sometimes to see families split by working in the US. On the other hand, very often people are trying to do the best for their families, given that the Honduran economy and job market are not great. We know one family where the kids have not seen their parents in 7 years (because they are illegally in the States, and can't come back). However, these kids are also better off than most kids here. It's a tough trade-off.
This morning, in the aldea of Los Izotes, James and I spent an hour talking with a 14-year-old about his plans to go to the US illegally. We were asking him questions, sort of joking, because I doubt he'd be able to go anytime soon. But even though it was all joking, I think the responses are telling.
"How will you get there?" "Walking."
"What state will you go to?" "I don't know."
"What work will you do?" "What I find when I get there."
"Where will you live?" "They'll give me a place to stay where I get a job."
"What if you get sick?" "I'll go to a doctor." "How will you pay for it?" "With the money I get from working." "What if you are afraid to go to a doctor because you might be deported?" "I don't know."
And of course: "What if they arrest you and send you home to Honduras?" "I'll go back."
It is very striking, and representative, that this young kid at 14 years has been planning for 2 years to go to the States to work. That is his career goal.
I suppose this all ties in to the Day without Immigrants and all the hubbub about immigration recently. Here's my political two cents (seems sort of obvious to me). All the immigration legislation in the world is just a band-aid that doesn't get to the root of the problem. It's like sticking your fingers into holes in the dam instead of changing the flow of the river. The ultimate solution to immigration is to economically develop the countries sending the immigrants. As long as those countries are poor, people will keep trying to get to a better life.
According to the Inter-American Development bank, in 2004, money sent back to Honduras from workers outside of the country (primarily immigrants in the US) constituted 15% of Honduras' GDP.
see: www.iadb.org/IDBDocs.cfm?docnum=537360 (it's in Spanish, though)
This percentage has increased sharply since the devastating Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras in 1998. Workers remittances in 2003 were 4 times greater than foreign investment in Honduras.
http://www.sela.org/public_html/aa2k5/ING/consejo/Di9.pdf
It is claimed that without this source of income, the Honduran economy would collapse.
Also an interesting article: http://ncronline.org/NCR_Online/archives2/2004c/081304/081304a.php
The Honduran Dream
In the US, we have the American dream: to work hard and get rich, no matter what background you come from.
Hondurans have a dream too: to sneak into the US, work for several years, make a lot of money, then come back, by a house, and live comfortably in Honduras.
Obviously, I'm generalizing, but so, so many people here want to get to the US. Most of them plan to come back for a few years, although a good number eventually decide to stay. And almost every family has a parent, son or daughter, or cousin in the US or in Spain.
It makes me so sad sometimes to see families split by working in the US. On the other hand, very often people are trying to do the best for their families, given that the Honduran economy and job market are not great. We know one family where the kids have not seen their parents in 7 years (because they are illegally in the States, and can't come back). However, these kids are also better off than most kids here. It's a tough trade-off.
This morning, in the aldea of Los Izotes, James and I spent an hour talking with a 14-year-old about his plans to go to the US illegally. We were asking him questions, sort of joking, because I doubt he'd be able to go anytime soon. But even though it was all joking, I think the responses are telling.
"How will you get there?" "Walking."
"What state will you go to?" "I don't know."
"What work will you do?" "What I find when I get there."
"Where will you live?" "They'll give me a place to stay where I get a job."
"What if you get sick?" "I'll go to a doctor." "How will you pay for it?" "With the money I get from working." "What if you are afraid to go to a doctor because you might be deported?" "I don't know."
And of course: "What if they arrest you and send you home to Honduras?" "I'll go back."
It is very striking, and representative, that this young kid at 14 years has been planning for 2 years to go to the States to work. That is his career goal.
I suppose this all ties in to the Day without Immigrants and all the hubbub about immigration recently. Here's my political two cents (seems sort of obvious to me). All the immigration legislation in the world is just a band-aid that doesn't get to the root of the problem. It's like sticking your fingers into holes in the dam instead of changing the flow of the river. The ultimate solution to immigration is to economically develop the countries sending the immigrants. As long as those countries are poor, people will keep trying to get to a better life.
posted by at 5/06/2006 03:52:00 PM
1 Comments:
Hi i am student in US and also Honduran, i like your opinion, i think is very realistic, i know it was sad to see and heard those honduran thoughts, i dont know why they think like that, they think the solution is US and they imagine that everything is easier and just one adventure, but they dont even know what to do in a hard situation. The point is not to say that they dont have to come USA
i think it will be great if americans show them that the solution for their problems is not avoid them is work hard and make our country go ahead... but i think now that's a whishful thinking.. i should do the same but i'd rather study in america and then work day in and day out for my country... i love my country but in the other hand i hate honduran way to think, they're very selfish, the country is managed by stupid people and nobody think right, always waiting for US help... a lot of poverty a lot of unemplyment, a lot of factors make the people be like that. so thaks for visit my country i hope you learn and find out the good things about Honduras!.
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