Immigration Threat to the State of Yucatan?

This is the week after elections in Yucatan. There will be a new governor. Each side is claiming all manner of the usual, concerning the election. Few are listening because they are comfortable. For most people, Yucatan is the closest place to perfect you will ever find on this spinning green ball of ours. However, there may be trouble on the horizon that only a few are starting to realize. That trouble comes in the form of extranjeros - foreigners - and they are advancing into Yucatan from both the north and the south. Sadly, the two groups might as well be from different planets. What is to become of Yucatan, in 10 years, 20 years, when the full effect of this migration must be dealt with by the Yucatecos? Today, I was amazed to find that I am more like my old countrymen than I suspected because the first thought that ran through my mind, when this picture came together for me, was "We'll fence it off! Then nobody else can get in!" That was a shocking experience for me. I don't want to be like that. That kind of attitude is one of the reasons I left the U.S. Nevertheless, this looming specter of immigration (both legal and illegal) must be considered carefully and some kind of planning must begin to take place, or else Yucatan, as we know her, will exist no more. ...or will she?

On Sunday, May 27, 2007, el Diario de Yucatan reported that, according to Guibaldo Vargas Madrazo, of the Office of the Regional Delegation of the National Institute of Migration, an average of 500 requests per month are received from foreigners, mostly Americans, applying for legal, albeit temporary, status in Yucatan. These are not individuals who are petitioning for citizenship. They are simply petitioning for legal residency. Their numbers do not take into account the hundreds of thousands of tourists, who visit Yucatan throughout the year, nor do they include the tens of thousands of Snowbirds, from Canada, the U.S., and Europe, who spend part or all of their winter here.

These foreigners are not Mexican citizens, but they are buying Yucatan real estate at a frenzied pace, and restoring it to more splendor than it probably had when it was built. Their malls are better than they had back home, as is their movie theaters. They can enjoy the symphony, the ballet, art galleries, museums, film festivals, some of the finest restaurants in the world, and beautiful beaches - all on retiree paychecks. What do you have in your town?

These gringos are not going home. They are staying. Soon, they will reach advanced age and will cause a problem for Yucatan's hospitals and physicians - but not today. Today, they are living the life they always dreamed of, many with little thought for the effect their sheer numbers will have on their paradise in the very near future.

To the south in Yucatan, it is a different story. Here, there are the Emiliano Colonies, in which are located the towns of South Zapata, San Jose Tecoh, and San Antonio Xluch. These towns have always had a diverse population that consists of people who emigrated, long ago, from Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas, Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Guerrero. Now, on May 30, 2007, el Diario de Yucatan reported that Central Americans, mostly Honduran, Guatemalan, and Salvadoran, have moved in and are now a significant portion of the populations in these three towns.

In most cases, the Central Americans are not a behavioral problem in Yucatan. They are not a source of crime, such as robbery or assault, because they don't want to be caught and put out of the country. Many are living with Yucateco partners, but they cannot legally marry. Unless there is a problem with alcohol or abuse, these individuals pose little threat to the community. However, a significant number seem to have gotten false papers, and have actually registered to vote. This is a growing problem that could have far reaching effects if the trend continues.

In other cases, some of these individuals were bad people who were on the run when they came to Yucatan. This includes delinquents and criminals, as well as those who are ex-military and ex-policemen from politically volatile countries. These are violent people, with a violent heritage, and the riot police of Yucatan are already having to deal with them.

Yucatan and her people have opened their arms to all who wish to come, but there is a non-negotiable requirement that must be met by each individual who chooses to put down roots here. They must love Yucatan and they must have her best interest at heart. It isn't necessary to put a fence around Yucatan to protect her. The gringos who are coming to make a quick buck will be gone soon. They will make a few dollars and Yucatan will freeze them out, as she has done to so many others. The illegal Central Americans will come. Some will be kind and create families that go on to enrich the lives of all Yucatecos. If the Central Americans choose to behave badly, well - Merida has a little home away from home just for them. In the end, we may have chosen Yucatan, but she then gets to choose who she keeps and who she sends away. After all, unless one is 100% Yucateco Mayan, we are all extranjeros in the Magical Mayan Kingdom of Yucatan.