Immigration Reform: The Role
of International Philanthropy
The dramatic rise in Mexican migration to the United States since the
early 1990s has made the question of immigration reform one of the
most contentious policy issues in recent years. While there are now
several proposals for immigration reform under consideration by the
U.S. Congress ranging from stricter border enforcement to a
comprehensive guest worker program, limited consideration has been
given to date on pro-actively attacking the root causes of Mexican
migration, namely
poverty.
Today nearly 50% of
Mexico’s population,
approximately 45
million people, are poor
living on less than $2
dollars per day; 10
million people live in
conditions of extreme poverty and earn less than $1 dollar per day without a
reliable supply of basic foodstuffs or clean water. The
growing incidence of poverty and economic under
development are most pronounced in the states of
Southern Mexico, particularly Oaxaca, where a growing
share of San Diego County’s migrant work force now
originates.
 ICF recognizes that most Mexican migrants come to
America because the
economic conditions
in their own
communities leave
them few options. As
such, ICF has been
working to do its part
in promoting
productive employment
opportunities in
Oaxaca so that
would-be migrants
will have an alternative
to going north;
keeping families
together, healthier and
with brighter
economic prospects
at home.
Through its Ties that Bind Us initiative, ICF has
partnered with the San Diego based COCIO (Coalition
of Indigenous Communities of Oaxaca) and the
Oaxaca-based nonprofit, Centeotl, A.C. to promote
micro-credit lending in Oaxaca’s Central Valley. This
partnership has spurred 32 micro-loans to date, ranging
from $125 to $500 each to support farming activities
and new business start ups. Additionally, over the
past quarter, more than $16,000 in grants were granted
to the Oaxaca Community Foundation through
collections from San Diego-based Oaxacan migrants
and private donors to support expanded micro-credit
assistance and relief programs in rural communities
of Oaxaca (see ICF Grants).
As the Hudson Institute’s Index of Global Philanthropy
Report indicates, U.S. government aid to developing
countries is not enough to efficiently tackle the
problems of under-development (see Hudson
Institute article). In 2004, U.S. official
development assistance worldwide totaled $19.7
billion dollars* with
a mere $35 million
destined to Mexico,
according to
government statistics.
While philanthropy
is not the panacea,
through its initial
work in Oaxaca,
ICF has been able
to demonstrate
that expanded
cross-border
charitable giving
can play an
important role
towards improving
the health,
education, and
economic prospects of Mexico’s poorest and most
economically vulnerable population so that migrants
do not have to leave their homes and risk their lives
in search of work across the border in America.
*Total U.S. Government Official Development Assistance
includes the budget for USAID, the Peace Corps, State
Department refugee and humanitarian programs, World Bank
and other multilateral agencies, international programs in other
U.S. government agencies and Defense Department
humanitarian functions (Global Philanthropy Index)
To find out more about how you can contribute through the Ties that Bind Us program to support worthy charitable causes in migrant sending
communities throughout Oaxaca and beyond, please visit our website at http://www.icfdn.org/initiatives/tiesthatbindus/tiesthatbindus.htm, or
contact Julieta Mendez at (858) 677-2913.
Related Event:
* Forum on Immigration & the Role of Philanthropy |
