HHI
April 29, 2022
I was curious if anyone had an estimate of how many Latin Americans would migrate to the United States if they could. I was surprised that Google found an answer for me -- and one from a reputable organization, Gallup.
This article is from March 2021 and was written by the CEO of Gallup.
Here are questions every leader should be able to answer regardless of their politics: How many more people are coming to the southern border? And what is the plan?
There are 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Roughly 450 million adults live in the region. Gallup asked them if they would like to move to another country permanently if they could.
A whopping 27% said "yes."
This means roughly 120 million would like to migrate somewhere.
Gallup then asked them where they would like to move.
Of those who want to leave their country permanently, 35% -- or 42 million -- said they want to go to the United States.
Seekers of citizenship or asylum are watching to determine exactly when and how is the best time to make their move.
In addition to finding a solution for the thousands of migrants currently at the border, let's include the bigger, harder question -- what about all of those who would like to come? What is the message to them?
What is the 10-year plan?
330 million U.S. citizens are wondering. So are 42 million Latin Americans.
There are many perspectives one could take on these numbers. One is how bad life must be in those 33 countries that so many people want to leave them. A second is whether there is anything that can be done to improve the lives in those countries. (It seems that we've tried given money and that doesn't solve the problem. Another is why can't our government come up with an updated immigration policy, that would keep our border safe and save countless lives. BIPARTISAN.
I can't imagine hating where I live so much that I would move to another country. This is truly a humanitarian crisis but we treat it as a political one. These are individual lives we are talking about -- not cattle. How lucky I am -- because I had nothing to do with it -- to have been born in the United States.