Immigration from south of our border has been treated with less importance than that of any other continent and, for what reason nobody can explain.

The funny thing about it all is that, the immigrants of any other nation that even closely resembles Mexico would be defined as refugees. Why? Mexico has, since it's inception been an unbalanced and poor nation, whose residents suffer the bad administration of government affairs. Mexico also suffers a terrible internal struggle that amounts to civil war, only offset by the actions and stability of it's neighboring nations.

So it seems to me the question is, why aren't we considering Mexican immigrants to be refugees?

Refugees hold a very different status than any other type of immigrant. One hope is that most who seek refuge can apply for certain benefits and protections in their native nation, in order to remain and add to a growing peaceful population. Another strategy for refugees is that they temporarily leave their home and resettle on a non-permanent basis to a peaceful nation where they learn trade skills or commit to higher education, in order to repatriate and bring with them their skills to a nation in need of development.

So why not Mexico?

For decades the United States and Mexico have been working on what they feel to be the equivalent of a temporary worker program, but these programs offer the applicants no new trade skills or formal education. They repatriate with nothing of value to improve the society from which they came, making the whole process a waste of time. Sure, they send money made back home and add to the GDP of their home nation, but Mexico can no longer afford to experience growth a few dollars at a time.

The Mexican government, with it's relations to the United States, fails to understand the importance of building their nation through it's fortunate proximity to the United States. Whether they fear the loss of imported American dollars, or the burden of committing to a costly repatriation program, I couldn't say. What I can say is that as a first world nation, it is our responsibility to clean house, and finally change our views on Mexican immigration.

Let me be clear -- I am not saying that we should force the repatriation of Mexican immigrants. What I am saying is that we should work with Mexico to make a compelling offer to immigrants that would support the idea of repatriation.

Just imagine for a moment. Mexican citizens coming lawfully to the United States on grants supplied by the government of Mexico (and corporations that want to develop business holdings in Mexico), training as policemen, doctors, civil engineers, or even soldiers. These programs would benefit the United States by giving jobs to skilled Americans who would train the immigrants, then upon repatriation, would benefit Mexico by adding to their skilled workforce as well as the stability of their nation.

It's not hard to see that a great deal of Mexico's peace-seeking citizenry is making a mass exodus across the border. What we are doing every time we harbor a person like that in our borders is that we are even further destabilizing our southern neighbor by changing the ratio of productive versus non-productive citizens in that nation. It needs to come to an end!

For those of you who are of Mexican origin (specifically those who are immigrants), please take the time to answer my poll questions about repatriation.