Study: Latinos in Iowa sending more money to family in Mexico
Posted: Monday, October 30, 2006
DES MOINES (AP) -- The flow of money from Iowa to Mexico and other nations is growing.
A new study released by the Inter-American Development Bank estimated that Latino immigrants living in Iowa are expected to send home $138 million this year -- double the amount they sent two years ago.
Nationally, the amount of money projected to be sent back has increased by 51 percent in two years.
Immigration activists are encouraged by the increase and consider it an indication that Latinos in Iowa are beginning to earn better wages.
Others say the ease that people can send money to their homelands has encouraged more immigrants to come to the United States.
"There's no question about that," says Tom Barry, a policy director of the International Relations Center, a New Mexico group that works with immigration issues.
Barry chided foreign governments for neglecting efforts to develop their rural areas because they see so much money flowing in from the United States.
According to the study, the average salary for a migrant's first U.S. job is $900 monthly. That's six times what migrants could make in their home countries.
Elvira Saldana uses her income from a laundry in Ankeny to support her parents, who she says are "old and retired." She and her seven siblings scrape together money twice a month and send it to Juarez, Mexico.
"It' easy, and fast," Saldana says of the process.
Someone seeking to send money to another country can visit any of thousands of stores that offer the service. For a fee, the store sends the money to a bank or shop in the host country where the recipient can pick it up.
The Inter-American Development Bank, which works exclusively on economic issues affecting Latin America and the Caribbean, says it surveyed equal numbers of legal and illegal immigrants for its study.
According to the study, about two of every three migrants living in Iowa regularly send money home. But the report also suggested that about 90 percent of Latin American migrants' earnings stay in the United States and contribute to local economies.
Sergio Bendixen, a Florida-based pollster who surveyed the immigrants, says undocumented immigrants appear to be more loyal in sending back money.
"They recently left home, and they know the needs of their families back home," he says.
The growing Hispanic population in Iowa could also affect the amount of money being sent abroad. Iowa's Latino population has grown 32 percent since 2000, to an estimated 109,000 last year, according to the State Data Center of Iowa and the Iowa Division of Latino Affairs.
Armando Villareal, director of the Iowa Division of Latino Affairs, says it's also possible that Latinos have labored their way into better-paying jobs that provide them with more money to share.
"It's amazing," he says, "to see the grit to get over here, to find those low-paying jobs, and then send money back home."
A new study released by the Inter-American Development Bank estimated that Latino immigrants living in Iowa are expected to send home $138 million this year -- double the amount they sent two years ago.
Nationally, the amount of money projected to be sent back has increased by 51 percent in two years.
Immigration activists are encouraged by the increase and consider it an indication that Latinos in Iowa are beginning to earn better wages.
Others say the ease that people can send money to their homelands has encouraged more immigrants to come to the United States.
"There's no question about that," says Tom Barry, a policy director of the International Relations Center, a New Mexico group that works with immigration issues.
Barry chided foreign governments for neglecting efforts to develop their rural areas because they see so much money flowing in from the United States.
According to the study, the average salary for a migrant's first U.S. job is $900 monthly. That's six times what migrants could make in their home countries.
Elvira Saldana uses her income from a laundry in Ankeny to support her parents, who she says are "old and retired." She and her seven siblings scrape together money twice a month and send it to Juarez, Mexico.
"It' easy, and fast," Saldana says of the process.
Someone seeking to send money to another country can visit any of thousands of stores that offer the service. For a fee, the store sends the money to a bank or shop in the host country where the recipient can pick it up.
The Inter-American Development Bank, which works exclusively on economic issues affecting Latin America and the Caribbean, says it surveyed equal numbers of legal and illegal immigrants for its study.
According to the study, about two of every three migrants living in Iowa regularly send money home. But the report also suggested that about 90 percent of Latin American migrants' earnings stay in the United States and contribute to local economies.
Sergio Bendixen, a Florida-based pollster who surveyed the immigrants, says undocumented immigrants appear to be more loyal in sending back money.
"They recently left home, and they know the needs of their families back home," he says.
The growing Hispanic population in Iowa could also affect the amount of money being sent abroad. Iowa's Latino population has grown 32 percent since 2000, to an estimated 109,000 last year, according to the State Data Center of Iowa and the Iowa Division of Latino Affairs.
Armando Villareal, director of the Iowa Division of Latino Affairs, says it's also possible that Latinos have labored their way into better-paying jobs that provide them with more money to share.
"It's amazing," he says, "to see the grit to get over here, to find those low-paying jobs, and then send money back home."
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 3 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
Bob H wrote on Nov 1, 2006 8:38 AM:
ML wrote on Oct 31, 2006 6:02 AM:
Matt wrote on Oct 30, 2006 10:14 AM: