Lott Leadership Institute News

Students from UM and from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Pachuca, Mexico, explore international concerns as part of a month-long Lott Leadership Exchange program.

New Jobs Could Curb Illegal Immigration: Lott Students Analyze U.S.-Mexican Relations

OXFORD, Miss. - Creating more job opportunities in Mexico may solve border and illegal immigration issues here in the United States.

At least that's what 21-year-old University of Mississippi student Stephen Coles of Jackson, Tenn., believes. A Spanish major, Coles was among 15 Ole Miss students participating in this summer's four-week Lott Leadership Exchange program with 14 students from Tecnologico de Monterrey in Pachuca, Mexico.

"The money sent back to Mexico from the U.S. by legal and illegal immigrants accounts for Mexico's second largest profit, with oil being the first," Coles said. "Working in the U.S., they make three times more than they could working in Mexico.

"The best solution will not be to keep Mexicans from entering the U.S., but for Mexico, along with help from the U.S., to find ways to create more jobs in Mexico."

With illegal immigration being a hot topic, Lekesha Ezell, a 24-year-old international business student from Tupelo, said there are no easy answers, but she did gain valuable insight from the views shared by the Mexican students. "Many of the Mexican students don't want to live in the U.S., because of the great cultural differences," said Ezell. "They only want a better way of life for their families."

While living with her host family in Mexico, Ezell learned firsthand about the struggles faced by many Mexican families: "My Mexican parents told me that what one Mexican worker earns in a whole eight-hour day is the same as what we get paid for working only one hour," she said. "It's unreal how little they are paid."

Besides discussing immigration concerns, the students were divided in four research groups to explore bilateral issues between the United States and Mexico, including health, environment and trade.

"It was remarkable to see the students work and collaborate together beyond cultural, academic and language backgrounds, exploring the facts on the ground and bringing forward their unbiased proposals," said Enrique Cotelo, UM professor of Spanish. "They demonstrated exactly what type of leaders they will become in the future."

Both Coles and Ezell agreed that the program provided a great opportunity to learn more as viewed by both Mexicans and Americans. Besides discovering more about U.S.-Mexican relations, culture and business development, the students learned to appreciate a different perspective.

"The highlight of the trip was building relationships with the Mexican students," Ezell said. "I have broadened my horizons, and this trip has given me the desire to learn more."

During the program, students split their time between this country and Mexico. Their U.S. tour included visiting the George Bush School of Government and Public Service, as well as the Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas; the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark.; Rome Community Development Center in the Mississippi delta; and FedEx world headquarters and the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. They also traveled to Washington, D.C., where they toured the Capitol, met with Sen. Trent Lott and visited the Freedom Forum and the Mexican Embassy.

In Mexico, the students met with public affairs officers at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City; saw Beetles being manufactured at the Volkswagen plant in Puebla; visited the Mexican Port Authority in Veracruz; toured Vitro, a glass manufacturing facility; and examined key architectural sites, such as Tula and Teotihuacan.

The Lott Institute organized the bilateral international exchange program to promote greater understanding in an increasingly interdependent multicultural global society.

"The program was intended to establish lifelong relationships to better enhance the understanding of the world in our state and region," said Bill Gottshall, executive director of the Lott Institute.

Gottshall said Mexico was chosen because of the close interactions of national, state and local governments along the 2,000-mile border. Although little dialogue has occurred in the past between students from Mississippi and Mexico, he said long-lasting relationships need to be formed to contribute to the well-being of both America and Mexico.

by Tobie Baker

Newsdesk Story #5341