Q: So, Vicente, just what is a Mexican?
A: Our Constitution’s Article 30 says that Mexican nationality is acquired by birth or by naturalization.
Q: Here in the United States, we traditionally accept anyone born in our national borders to be a citizen. Does it work that way in Mexico, too?
A: As provided by our constitution, Mexicans by birth are—Those born in the territory of the Republic, regardless of the nationality of their parents: Those born in a foreign country of Mexican parents; of a Mexican father and a foreign mother; or of a Mexican mother and an unknown father; Those born on Mexican vessels or airships, either war or merchant vessels.
Q: What about people who want to become Mexican citizens? Can they be naturalized?
A: Yes, under our constitution Mexicans by naturalization are: Foreigners who obtain letters of naturalization from the Secretariat of Foreign Relations; A foreign woman who marries a Mexican man and has or establishes her domicile within the national territory.
Q: What about a foreign man and a Mexican woman?
A: A foreign man would have to obtain letters of naturalization.
Q: What about children born abroad to Mexican citizens?
A: They’re Mexicans.
Q: According to your constitution, then, the children of Mexicans we in the US call illegal immigrants are still Mexican citizens, even if they live in the US?
A: Yes, that’s what our constitution says.
Q: By living outside of Mexico for many years, don’t foreign-born Mexicans lose their citizenship?
A: No, that applies only to naturalized Mexicans, not children of Mexican citizens.
Q: So, Mexicans by birth who live outside Mexico are still eligible to participate in your country’s political affairs?
A: Yes, they may vote in Mexico’s elections, assemble, demonstrate, all those things.
Q: Technically, then, people you consider to be your country’s citizens can become citizens of my country and vote here, too.
A: It’s very hard to lose Mexican citizenship by birth. Once a Mexican, always a Mexican. A Mexican citizen can live abroad for years and still participate as a citizen. Naturalized citizens can lose their citizenship under common circumstances, like living abroad for more than 5 years.
Q: Suppose I come to Mexico to have a better life. How will I be treated when I apply for a job?
A: In Mexico, citizens have first priority. Our constitution says that Mexicans shall have priority over foreigners under equality of circumstances for all classes of concessions and for all employment, positions, or commissions of the Government in which the status of citizenship is not indispensable.
Q: Well, you wouldn’t have sympathy for a poor American who just wants to have a better life for themselves and their children?
A: Sure, but only the most dangerous, most unpleasant, foulest, dirtiest, most demeaning, vilest jobs, those that no Mexican will do, would be open to you.
Q: Can you give me a few examples of jobs that foreigners fill because no Mexicans will do them?
A: Let me get back to you on that…
Q: What about citizens who join your military to earn citizenship?
A: They can’t. Under our constitution, in time of peace no foreigner can serve in the Army nor in the police or public security forces.
Q: So, as long as your country is not at war, foreigners can’t use your military as a pathway to citizenship?
A: That’s correct. No pathway to Mexican citizenship through Mexican military service, because foreigners are ineligible to join our armed forces or even our police forces.
Q: What do you do if an undesirable foreign national enters Mexico?
A: Such a person is ordered to leave under authority of the president of Mexico.
Q: Tell us about the appeal process.
A: I’m sorry, but there is no court or appeal process. If a foreigner is told to leave, they must leave immediately. And that’s that.
Q: We’ve been hearing a lot lately about “A Day Without Immigrants” rallies where Mexicans assemble in the streets and proclaim slogans like “Today we march—tomorrow we vote.” Could foreigners do this in Mexico?
A: No, foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of my country.
Q: What is your assessment of the so-called Reconquest movement?
A: Well, we’re all part of America, so technically you and I are both Americans. There’s North America, Central America, South America. And all their inhabitants are therefore Americans.
Q: Recently you met with governors of several southwestern states about Mexican immigrants.
A: Yes, we were discussing the rights and needs of the 20 million Mexicans living in your country.
Q: Twenty million?
A: Yes, that's how many people we estimate have left Mexico and are now living in your country. Many of them now live in the land you took from us, such as in Texas and your southwestern states, and I am still their president, after all. That's why I met with the governors of the states in which my people live...
Q: Lately we’ve heard a lot about people wanting to take back the American Southwest. However, the United States purchased parts of Mexico under the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. That means that Mexico sold us that land, and that the land is therefore now ours. What is your assessment of that?
A: As a matter of national honor, we don’t talk about it that way in Mexico, and especially not in front of school children. Even our museums don't discuss the purchase. The land used to be ours, didn't it?
Q: But wait a minute...You've been quoted extensively in the press making claims that my country stole the land, and that's not true--we paid for it. We acquired what was then the Republic of Texas when the people there voted in 1845 to become our 28th state, and Texas won its independence from Mexico way back in 1838, so it wasn't part of Mexico at all when our country annexed it. So it’s possible that the Mexican people don’t know the land isn’t theirs anymore?
A: Look, most of your college-educated students have never heard of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo or if they have, they don’t remember what it was all about. They can name all three of the Stooges, but can’t recall the three branches of your national government. They know that names of several of the Seven Dwarves, but can’t recall the names of one or two of your Supreme Court justices. Don’t you ever watch Jay Leno?
Q: Speaking of education, some of our states are providing tuition to your citizens living there. Do you have any thoughts to share about that?
A: California has been very good to Mexicans wanting a college education. Mexico doesn’t provide college educations for Mexicans. You Americans are so generous, and you wonder why everyone from Mexico wants to live in your country!
Q: I’ve heard that Mexicans become full citizens at age 18 if married and age 21 if unmarried.
A: That’s true. Also, they have to have an honest livelihood.
Q: So to summarize, anyone born on Mexican soil, or to a Mexican parent, regardless of where they’re born—or even living—is a Mexican and upon reaching age 18 or 21 and working an honest living is a Mexican citizen?
A: Yes.
Q: Even if they’re here in the United States of America?
A: Yes.
Q: So, when we call these people “immigrants,” we should really be calling them Mexican citizens or Mexican nationals?
A: That would be more accurate. You can call them immigrants because they have moved into your country, but they’re still Mexican nationals and citizens.
Q: What if I moved to your country? What would you call me?
A: We would call you a foreigner.
Q: You wouldn’t call me an immigrant?
A: No, just a foreigner.
Q: If I wanted to buy a home and some land, would I be allowed to do this?
A: Only Mexicans by birth or naturalization and Mexican companies have the right to acquire ownership of lands, waters, and their appurtenances, or to obtain concessions for the exploitation of mines or of waters. Foreigners can apply to the State to purchase property, provided they agree before the Ministry of Foreign Relations to consider themselves as nationals in respect to such property, and bind themselves not to invoke the protection of their governments in matters relating thereto; under penalty, in case of noncompliance with this agreement, of forfeiture of the property acquired to the Nation.
Q: What that last part means, then, is foreigners can apply to own property, but at any time the Mexican government can take it back.
A: That’s correct, and foreigners have to waive their right to petition their home country for assistance in recovering the property. Foreigners, as you can imagine, learn of this constitutional restriction on their ability to own and retain property, and of course they don’t bother…
Q: Let’s talk about the open borders concept. One strategy to keep the border accessible to foreigners like me would be for folks like me to buy up land along the national border. If we want to invade, we could just buy up land and own the invasion route.
A: Our constitution forbids just that. Under no circumstances may foreigners acquire direct ownership of lands or waters within a zone of one hundred kilometers along the frontiers and of fifty kilometers along the shores of the country.
Q: Now, that’s interesting. Even now, negotiations are underway to build a network of superhighways called CANAMEX corridors.
A: Yes, that’s so. And Mexico will own our end of the highway, right up to your national border. It will consist of 12 lanes of traffic as well as a rail corridor.
Q: What Mexican states are involved?
A: In 2000, the state of Arizona invited the Mexican states of Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco to participate in the establishment of a Mexican CANAMEX Coalition.
Q: Really? Sinaloa? I thought that state has degenerated into uncontrolled lawlessness and shootings. And you’re going to build or improve highways so that it’s even easier for criminals to cross into my country?
A: You have no quarter to mock. The same governor that invited Mexico to partner on this, Janet Napolitano, recently petitioned your national government to declare a state of emergency regarding the borders in Arizona because so many of our people are crossing north in Arizona.
Q: A lot of Mexican nationals come from or through those states to enter our country.
A: Yes, so we’re working on building safer routes under the CANAMEX coalition so they don’t have to die in the desert on their way to do the jobs you Americans won’t do. In August 2003, Governor Napolitano met with me in Mexico City and discussed CANAMEX as well as CyberPort as a platform for regional development. In November 2003, I affirmed my interest in working with the Mexican CANAMEX states and moving forward in partnership with the U.S. states on projects of mutual benefit. Enrique Escorza, Director of Border Affairs for the Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores, was identified to represent my office and coordinate federal agency participation in Mexico.
Q: Americans will do the jobs, but at a fair wage.
A: Fair to who? My people are willing to work for less than your people, so they get the jobs. Isn’t that how capitalism works, my friend?
Q: Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, Mr. Fox.
A: You’re welcome. It’s always a great pleasure to work with the United States on issues of mutual benefit. Your country almost always gives us far more out of the arrangement than it gets. What a country! Goodbye.
Conclusions
And so we’ve established that the Mexican laws are far less generous to us than we are to them. Their people can live and work in the United States but still participate in Mexican politics. The children of what we term “illegal aliens” are still considered to be Mexicans and become citizens as adults, even though they may have been born in the US to a Mexican parent.
Meanwhile, as foreigners, we would have few rights other than those listed in their constitution, and then there are numerous exceptions. We would not be considered for employment until every unemployed Mexican citizen has had an opportunity to apply for the job. We could not vote or participate in the political process in any way, nor could we make demands.
We could not own land without constant fear of it being retaken by the government. There seems to be no provision for naturalization based on family relationships except for in the case of a foreign born woman who marries a Mexican man and lives in Mexico or establishes residency there. An undesirable foreigner can be asked to leave under authority of the Mexican president, and they have to leave, period, no due process, no appeal. It also appears to provide for a citizen's arrest of illegal aliens and their immediate removal from the country without due process.
It’s pretty clear that Mexico doesn’t want immigrants. Mexico allows for naturalization as a pathway to citizenship, but to a less-privileged second-class status. It’s also pretty clear that Mexico doesn’t want to encourage foreign ownership of its lands or resources, since the Mexican government can take them back at will.
Mexico loudly criticizes U.S. immigration policy toward Mexican immigrants. But Mexico's national constitution proves that Mexico has no interest or desire to provide the same standard of care to its immigrants and foreigners that it demands from the United States. Mexico's policy may explain why illegal aliens crossing into Mexico continue north to the United States.
In fact, Mexico's president, Vicente Fox, visits his people wherever they are in the United States. He also meets with the governors and legislators in numerous states, like California, Utah, Minnesota, as though Vicente Fox is their president. Fox has even addressed the governor and legislature of California in a joint session.
Mr Fox and his successor to office would do well to either remove the double standards etched deeply into the national constitution or to shut up and stop complaining about our immigration policies. As has been briefly illustrated here, the Mexican government--which has no right to redress of our government--habitually demands far, far more from the United States than it gives its own immigrants, foreigners, aliens, and naturalized citizens.
