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Mexican town will feel crunch
 
By ALEXIS CHARBONNIER World Correspondent
Published: 10/28/2007  3:09 AM
Last Modified: 10/29/2007  11:53 AM


Watch a slide show and read all the stories in a series on the immigration of thousands of people from Casa Blanca to Tulsa.

Read all of the Tulsa World’s coverage of House Bill 1804.


CASA BLANCA, Mexico — Every migrant and every family returning to Casa Blanca is a short-term injection of cash and happiness and a long-term drain of dollars and hope in this dusty high-plains town.

Mayor Gustavo Bernal said wire transfers to Casa Blanca are down 10 percent, but they could be down as much as 50 percent if more families return to the town from Oklahoma.

‘‘There’s no benefit to the migrants’ coming home. Eighty percent of families in Casa Blanca depend on wire transfers, so if half the migrants come home, then 40 percent of our families will be in crisis.’’

At the same time, a state-mandated 5.5 percent rise in gasoline prices goes into effect on Jan. 1, leading to across-theboard increases on all goods and services.

And the drought-blighted land no longer produces much of anything.

Fatima Soriano, a medical school resident serving the town, said before the immigrants left for the north most sold their plots of land, so they have nothing real to return home to.

Lilia Esparza, the town nurse, agreed the

returnees will come home with a few Oklahoma dollars in their pockets and higher expectations, but no resources.

‘‘They’re not going to readily accept a return to poverty,’’ she said. ‘‘They didn’t buy anything or invest in anything with their dollars.

‘‘They’re just coming home with their kids in tow. What about all the people who owe money? What about those who owe car payments?

‘‘Paradise is over,’’ she said. What kind of town will migrants be coming home to?

Mayor Bernal pulls no punches. ‘‘People are going to start stealing,’’ he said. ‘‘We’re all afraid. Casa Blanca is going to become a Wild West town. ‘‘Some migrants are going to come home addicted to drugs. Where are they going to get the money from? We know they picked up some very bad habits in Tulsa.’’

Shopkeeper Maria Elena Gaytan, said migrants are going to be coming home to crumbling, empty, burglarized houses.

‘‘There’s not going to be enough to go around here,’’ she said. ‘‘What are we going to eat? How are we going to go back to the way life was before, making tortillas on wood fire griddles? ‘‘Can you imagine what it’s going to be like when they all come home?’’

Esparza is worried about a budget crisis at Casa Blanca’s health clinic, pointing out that the child population increased by nearly 12 percent in the month of September alone because of the reverse immigration.

She believes that when migrants return home to Mexico, a lack of opportunities and lower social status will lead to depression, schizophrenia, drug addiction and suicide.

The immigrants could also bring back a Tulsa legacy of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney failure and HIV.

The town clinic is incapable of treating these conditions, and townspeople will have to trek to the general hospital an hour away.

By ALEXIS CHARBONNIER World Correspondent

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Chad, Broken Arrow (10/28/2007 9:06:36 AM)
Boo Hoo Hoo...... I guess they should have thought of these things before they invaded our country and ingnored our laws. You make decisions and live with the consequences.

.

This was an eye-opener...."Tulsa legacy of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney failure and HIV." I had no idea Tulsa was such an awful place to live. If it brings all this on, why do immigrants want to come here?!?!? I'm going to pack up and leave too while my kidneys are still working.

.

What a journalistic piece of garbage. Tulsa World...you can do better.

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perez, tulsa (10/28/2007 10:47:11 AM)
well i dont understan way the put the old town in every movie or news paper we have beutiful town i from guanajuato and the live is not like this way all this poeple move to a big city like tulsa and see the leave is better they have good citys like fresnillo zacatecas guadalajara monterrey guanajuato saltillo etc you dont have to go to casa blanca is oportunitis and mexico all you need is money to star you own busneses all this people open restaurant and busines can do the same thing there that what i do i onw two stores in celaya i nigth club and restaurant i only came here to get stuff i need if i can do you cando too dont make big deal about back to mexico you live the live like you like to leved if you only what to party you scruu big time save you money and invested in something you can do it
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sanches, tulsa (10/28/2007 10:51:22 AM)
i agree with perez dont make a big deal we r not welcome here this country only welcome people from midle east so let thet bring the terrorist and when is no more mexican let see who go to blame
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stacey, tulsa (10/30/2007 9:09:10 AM)
Sanches, not everyone in Tulsa or Oklahoma wants you gone. I for one am ashamed of the way our government and some of our people have been treating immagrants. My father's family were illegal immigrants from Ireland who eventually became citizens. We are hard working tax paying members of society. Many of our male members served in WWII, Korea, Viet Nam and Iraq. My son recently came home from Iraq disabled by a road side bomb. There has to be a better way to solve the illegal immigrant problem. I just wish I knew what it was.
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AB, Tulsa (10/30/2007 11:41:46 AM)
Since when is HIV a Tulsa "legacy"? Seems to me, they're anticipating all these health problems and then whining about the consequences. Well, it's not any better for our hospitals to have to deal with the uninsured ill... and 1 hour for the general hospital should hardly be called a "trek." Give me a break.
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Chris, Owasso (10/30/2007 1:37:16 PM)
OMG, even their own country/town don't want them and they are legal citizens there. How do you think we feel? We don't want the illegals here either. Deal with your own so we can deal with our own. We are tired of having to deal with the illegals.
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Delaware Bob, (10/30/2007 9:13:33 PM)
Why don't these people go and demonstrate in Mexico City, the way they demonstrated on American soil. I'm sure their president will understand their plight and help them. I guess I just don't understand. If these people are so poor, why are they still having children they can't afford. Almost 4 million anchor babies were dropped here in the U.S.A., all paid for by the American taxpayer. I think these people better get their priorities straight. Mexico has been exporting their poverty for how long now? It's time for this to end. I for one am very tired of these "ILLEGAL ALIENS" using up our natural resources and social services! Randy, get that immigration law enforced!

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Jeanne, Inola (10/31/2007 12:54:10 PM)
Having spent much time in Mexico, I sympathize with the plight of the Mexican immigrants. However, one must remember if they are ILLEGAL they've already broken the law of our country, cut in line in front of their own fellow countrymen waiting to come legally and are drains on BOTH countries. Surely there is some answer that can benefit both countries. What if we take the money we are expending for their health care here and invest it in Mexico's health care? What if we send some of our reserve troops to Mexico to build their infrastructer? But, demonstrating in MY country for YOUR RIGHTS (?) is not the way. Can you imagine what would happen if I demonstrated in Mexico for MY rights.
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Thom, (11/1/2007 4:34:49 PM)
Why are illegals returning home a burden and when the illegals come to the United States they are a boon to our economy & they work wonders here, some people say we can't survive without the illegals. I would think the returning people to Mexico would bring home job skills and help make Mexico rock & roll. The using of the United States as a pressure valve for the very poor is not the answer. The Mexican people need to put pressure on the Mexican gov't to work out changes.
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SraChavez, Tulsa (11/5/2007 4:37:08 PM)
I am completely appalled at the lack of sympathy from my fellow americans. I guess if they had read the full series they may have gotten a better feel of the story. Zacatecas is not saying it does not want it's people back. It's saying that the town was struggling before, and when people return they will be bringing more people back with them than what left. With no jobs now, how are they going to provide jobs for more. But, you cannot explain these things to the unreasonable people who post nasty comments in these posts. (If you are not one of those people you need not take offense at my comments) I LOVE the people of Zacatecas. They are a blessing. Que se vayan bien.
 

 
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