Blog #3

After reading the two stories, I think the effects of immigration have been worse for the people of Atolinga. The village of Atolinga is just another example of the economic fallout experienced in many Mexican villages that have lost a large percentage of their population to the dream of making money in the U.S. Most leave out of economic necessity, but this exodus has a devastating effect on the local economy. Those who remain find the cost of living too much for their peso salaries, so they too think about leaving. Alejandro Castaneda, the mayor of Atolinga, says that this situation is debilitating for those who remain because they come to believe nothing is possible without outside help. Many have grown dependent on the U.S. dollars being sent back and refuse to work for lower pay. It is difficult for local businesses to find people willing to work. Castaneda himself has looked in vain for people to help him on his farm. Those who have left may cling to the dream of returning home, but as time passes that too changes. They grow more accustomed to their American lifestyle. New possibilities open up making it difficult to go back. Family and business obligations steal their time. Many who have remained grow resentful of their onetime neighbors who return once a year to flaunt their success. This alienation is another symptom of the disease. Unfortunately, many Atolingans have become painfully aware of the ever growing social and economic gap – a gap that divides families, villages, and nations.