More Zacatecans live in LA than in Zacatecas
“We are powerful enough to make a difference,” says Guadalupe Gomez, talking about the influence migrants have in Mexican politics.
Originally from the Mexican state of Zacatecas, he’s lived north, in the US, for more than 40 years. He is currently president of the Federation of Zacatecan Associations.
The migrants’ influence comes with the massive amounts of money they send back home.
Despite the relative http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=2395 of the US economy, this flow of money keeps growing, according to recent data. In 2003 it increased by 35% – the total amount sent that year to Mexico was more than $13bn.
Remittances from Mexicans in the US have become one of Mexico’s most important sources of income – second only to oil and surpassing the traditional tourism industry.The flow of money from the US to Latin America largely exceeds the money from foreign aid that the region receives.
For many, remittances have become a form of foreign aid that helps the families back home to alleviate poverty, spur investment and achieve higher standards of living.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3582881.stm