11-20-2018, 12:01 AM
*** 20-Nov-18 World View -- Migrant caravans creating chaos and hostility in Mexico
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Thousands of migrants overwhelm Mexican cities to Tijuana
****
![[Image: g181119b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g181119b.jpg)
Honduran migrants arrive at US border fence (Reuters)
The United States closed off northbound traffic for several hours at
the border crossing from Tijuana Mexico into San Ysidro, California.
One of two pedestrian crossings were also closed, to prevent a mass
rush of migrants across the border.
This is the busiest border crossing from Mexico to the United States.
Closing the border crossing inconvenienced many of the about 110,000
people who cross the border every day in 40,000 vehicles, in order to
commute to work.
The border crossing had to be closed for several hours to permit
the installation of movable, wire-topped barriers.
Tensions at the border have been building as nearly 3,000 migrants
from a caravan arrived in Tijuana in recent days, the first of a
series of migrant caravans that began in October. The federal
government estimates the number of migrants could soon swell to
10,000, as additional migrant caravans arrive. The migrants are
arriving from Central American countries.
The migrants are planning to apply for asylum in the United States at
the San Ysidro portal. However, US border inspectors are processing
only about 100 asylum claims per day.
Tijuana officials converted a municipal gymnasium and recreational
complex into a shelter to keep migrants out of public spaces. The
city's privately run shelters have a maximum capacity of 700. The
municipal complex can hold up to 3,000.
Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum has called the migrants' arrival an
"avalanche" that the city is ill-prepared to handle, calculating that
they will be in Tijuana for at least six months as they wait to file
asylum claims. Gastelum has appealed to the federal government for
more assistance, but so far the government in Mexico City has refused.
Because Tijuana's resources are overwhelmed, cities "upstream" along
the caravan route are slowing down the flow.
The city of Mexicali is 100 miles away along the highway to Tijuana.
There are 1,300 Honduran migrants crowded into shelters in Mexicali,
waiting to travel to Tijuana. However, Mexican police this weekend
blocked their buses from proceeding to Tijuana, because the latter
city is already full of migrants.
The group began as 7,000 migrants who left San Pedro Sula, Honduras,
about a month ago, fleeing poverty, gang violence and lawlessness.
The 1,300 who arrived in Mexicali are considering options, including
making the extremely dangerous journey to Tijuana on foot. Hundreds
more are expected in Mexicali next week.
Officials in Guadalajara, the capital city of Jalisco state, about
1,200 miles south of Tijuana, were apparently played a cruel trick by
government officials. The government of Jalisco had promised to
provide transportation to Nayrit, 120 miles away, for nearly 6,000
migrants staying in Guadalajara. Instead, they provided buses for
only 2,000, and then forced them off the bus on the outskirts of
Jalisco, still over 62 miles away from the closest town in Nayarit.
Then they blocked the other 3,000 migrants from receiving food
packages, saying that "they are only for those who are leaving on the
buses." Instead, the state will provide water, some food and escorts
at nine points along the main highway leading through the state to
help ensure the migrants don't have to stop.
And in Mexico City, authorities closed a shelter at a sports complex
that had once housed thousands of migrants. The remaining 650 migrants
from the third, mainly Salvadoran, caravan were taken to a Roman
Catholic pilgrimage hostel at the Basilica of Guadalupe. The city said
the hostel would be warmer. AP and Palm Springs Desert Sun (18-Nov) and Regeneración Radio (15-Nov)
****
**** People of Mexico are increasingly split between xenophobia and sympathy toward migrants
****
Although most Mexicans have been sympathetic and supportive toward the
central American migrants, and have provided food and water to them
along their travels, there is a growing minority of Mexicans,
especially in the northern states close to the US border, who are
expressing hostile xenophobic attitudes towards the migrants.
Over the weekend, a few hundred Tijuanenses gathered in Tijuana's
high-end Rio area to protest the migrants. Demonstrators held signs
reading "No illegals," "No to the invasion" and "Mexico First." Many
wore the country's red, white and green national soccer jersey and
vigorously waved Mexican flags. The crowd often slipped into chants of
"Ti-jua-na!" and "Me-xi-co!" They sang the national anthem several
times. One was quoted as saying, "We want the caravan to go, they are
invading us. They should have come into Mexico correctly, legally, but
they came in like animals."
A Facebook page called “Tijuana against the migrant caravan,” which
promotes the rejection of migrants. Five days after it was created,
the group already had 4,000 followers. Through social media, local
citizens are requesting for foreigners to be taken out of the city,
with slogans such as “Defend your country, kill a Honduran.” The group
members argued that migrants were criminals, and that there were drug
addicts, gang members, and even murderers among their ranks.
As long-time readers are aware, nationalism and xenophobia have been
increasing in countries around the world, as the world goes deeper
into a generational Crisis era, and the survivors of World War II, who
understood the dangers of nationalism and xenophobia, are now all
pretty much gone.
At the same time, as the global population has been growing faster
than the global supply of food and other resources, poverty has been
increasing, leading to mass migrations in many parts of the world,
including Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Some of these mass
migrations are intentionally caused by leaders of countries, including
Syria, Myanmar (Burma), Venezuela, and Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC). These mass migrations tax the resources of the countries
receiving the migrants, and might lead to a regional war that could
spiral into a larger war at any time. These mass migrations are
expected to become larger each year.
With regard to the influx of Hondurans into Mexico, there has not been
a major war between Honduras and Mexico in recent centuries, so the
bouts of anti-Honduran xenophobia that are occurring today in Tijuana
and elsewhere are unlikely to spiral into something more serious.
NPR and El Universal and Guardian (London)
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, San Ysidro, California,
Mexico, Tijuana, Juan Manuel Gastelum,
Mexicali, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, el Salvador,
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Nayrit, Mexico City, Basilica of Guadalupe,
Syria, Myanmar, Burma, Venezuela, Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Thousands of migrants overwhelm Mexican cities to Tijuana
- People of Mexico are increasingly split between xenophobia and sympathy toward migrants
****
**** Thousands of migrants overwhelm Mexican cities to Tijuana
****
Honduran migrants arrive at US border fence (Reuters)
The United States closed off northbound traffic for several hours at
the border crossing from Tijuana Mexico into San Ysidro, California.
One of two pedestrian crossings were also closed, to prevent a mass
rush of migrants across the border.
This is the busiest border crossing from Mexico to the United States.
Closing the border crossing inconvenienced many of the about 110,000
people who cross the border every day in 40,000 vehicles, in order to
commute to work.
The border crossing had to be closed for several hours to permit
the installation of movable, wire-topped barriers.
Tensions at the border have been building as nearly 3,000 migrants
from a caravan arrived in Tijuana in recent days, the first of a
series of migrant caravans that began in October. The federal
government estimates the number of migrants could soon swell to
10,000, as additional migrant caravans arrive. The migrants are
arriving from Central American countries.
The migrants are planning to apply for asylum in the United States at
the San Ysidro portal. However, US border inspectors are processing
only about 100 asylum claims per day.
Tijuana officials converted a municipal gymnasium and recreational
complex into a shelter to keep migrants out of public spaces. The
city's privately run shelters have a maximum capacity of 700. The
municipal complex can hold up to 3,000.
Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum has called the migrants' arrival an
"avalanche" that the city is ill-prepared to handle, calculating that
they will be in Tijuana for at least six months as they wait to file
asylum claims. Gastelum has appealed to the federal government for
more assistance, but so far the government in Mexico City has refused.
Because Tijuana's resources are overwhelmed, cities "upstream" along
the caravan route are slowing down the flow.
The city of Mexicali is 100 miles away along the highway to Tijuana.
There are 1,300 Honduran migrants crowded into shelters in Mexicali,
waiting to travel to Tijuana. However, Mexican police this weekend
blocked their buses from proceeding to Tijuana, because the latter
city is already full of migrants.
The group began as 7,000 migrants who left San Pedro Sula, Honduras,
about a month ago, fleeing poverty, gang violence and lawlessness.
The 1,300 who arrived in Mexicali are considering options, including
making the extremely dangerous journey to Tijuana on foot. Hundreds
more are expected in Mexicali next week.
Officials in Guadalajara, the capital city of Jalisco state, about
1,200 miles south of Tijuana, were apparently played a cruel trick by
government officials. The government of Jalisco had promised to
provide transportation to Nayrit, 120 miles away, for nearly 6,000
migrants staying in Guadalajara. Instead, they provided buses for
only 2,000, and then forced them off the bus on the outskirts of
Jalisco, still over 62 miles away from the closest town in Nayarit.
Then they blocked the other 3,000 migrants from receiving food
packages, saying that "they are only for those who are leaving on the
buses." Instead, the state will provide water, some food and escorts
at nine points along the main highway leading through the state to
help ensure the migrants don't have to stop.
And in Mexico City, authorities closed a shelter at a sports complex
that had once housed thousands of migrants. The remaining 650 migrants
from the third, mainly Salvadoran, caravan were taken to a Roman
Catholic pilgrimage hostel at the Basilica of Guadalupe. The city said
the hostel would be warmer. AP and Palm Springs Desert Sun (18-Nov) and Regeneración Radio (15-Nov)
****
**** People of Mexico are increasingly split between xenophobia and sympathy toward migrants
****
Although most Mexicans have been sympathetic and supportive toward the
central American migrants, and have provided food and water to them
along their travels, there is a growing minority of Mexicans,
especially in the northern states close to the US border, who are
expressing hostile xenophobic attitudes towards the migrants.
Over the weekend, a few hundred Tijuanenses gathered in Tijuana's
high-end Rio area to protest the migrants. Demonstrators held signs
reading "No illegals," "No to the invasion" and "Mexico First." Many
wore the country's red, white and green national soccer jersey and
vigorously waved Mexican flags. The crowd often slipped into chants of
"Ti-jua-na!" and "Me-xi-co!" They sang the national anthem several
times. One was quoted as saying, "We want the caravan to go, they are
invading us. They should have come into Mexico correctly, legally, but
they came in like animals."
A Facebook page called “Tijuana against the migrant caravan,” which
promotes the rejection of migrants. Five days after it was created,
the group already had 4,000 followers. Through social media, local
citizens are requesting for foreigners to be taken out of the city,
with slogans such as “Defend your country, kill a Honduran.” The group
members argued that migrants were criminals, and that there were drug
addicts, gang members, and even murderers among their ranks.
As long-time readers are aware, nationalism and xenophobia have been
increasing in countries around the world, as the world goes deeper
into a generational Crisis era, and the survivors of World War II, who
understood the dangers of nationalism and xenophobia, are now all
pretty much gone.
At the same time, as the global population has been growing faster
than the global supply of food and other resources, poverty has been
increasing, leading to mass migrations in many parts of the world,
including Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Some of these mass
migrations are intentionally caused by leaders of countries, including
Syria, Myanmar (Burma), Venezuela, and Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC). These mass migrations tax the resources of the countries
receiving the migrants, and might lead to a regional war that could
spiral into a larger war at any time. These mass migrations are
expected to become larger each year.
With regard to the influx of Hondurans into Mexico, there has not been
a major war between Honduras and Mexico in recent centuries, so the
bouts of anti-Honduran xenophobia that are occurring today in Tijuana
and elsewhere are unlikely to spiral into something more serious.
NPR and El Universal and Guardian (London)
Related Articles
- Venezuela's refugees crisis soars, as economic disaster reaches new levels (09-Nov-2018)
- Latin American countries open their borders to migrants from Socialist Venezuela (06-Sep-2018)
- Thousands of Haitians living in Miami scheduled for deportation in January (14-Oct-2017)
- US will deport tens of thousands of Haitian immigrants surging toward California (25-Sep-2016)
- Thousands of migrants flee to Canada, fearing deportation in the US (04-Aug-2017)
- History of Haiti (04-Mar-2004)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, San Ysidro, California,
Mexico, Tijuana, Juan Manuel Gastelum,
Mexicali, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, el Salvador,
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Nayrit, Mexico City, Basilica of Guadalupe,
Syria, Myanmar, Burma, Venezuela, Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
