RE: The Magic of Diasporas, Leader in The Economist

Dear Editor,

Global migratory trends have become issues of contention in many countries, as The Economist reported in “The Magic of Diasporas” on November 19, 2011. The population movements seen in China and India are not unique; it is important to note similar patterns in Latin America.

The increasing rate of illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States has reinforced concerns of nationalists and xenophobes alike. In addition to the issues of “brain drain” and heightened government expenditure as highlighted in the article, there is a fear that increasing migration will undermine national identity. However, the construction of the United States’ infrastructure, economy, government, and society has eternally relied on its immigrants.

The United States is, of course, a nation of immigrants. Critics of global migration should be reminded that in the process of tightening the migratory belt, Washington could be turning away the next Alexander Hamilton, Joseph Pulitzer, Albert Einstein, or César Chávez.

Sincerely,

Zachary Deibel, Research Associate at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs