United States-Mexico relations
The United Mexican States and the United States of America share a maritime and land border in North America. Several treaties have been concluded between the two nations bilaterally, such as the Gadsden Purchase, and multilaterally, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. They are both members of various international organizations, such as the Organization of American States and the United Nations.
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Country comparison
| United Mexican States | United States of America | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 111,211,789 | 308,195,000 |
| Area | 1,972,550 km2 (761,606 sq mi) | 9,826,630 km2 (3,794,066 sq mi) |
| Population Density | 55/km2 (142/sq mi) | 31/km2 (80/sq mi) |
| Capital | Mexico City | Washington, D.C. |
| Largest City | Mexico City • 8,836,045 (19,028,000 Metro) | New York City • 8,363,710 (19,006,798 Metro) |
| Government | Federal presidential constitutional republic | Federal presidential constitutional republic |
| Official languages | None at federal level | None at federal level |
| Main religions | 76.5% Roman Catholic, 13.8% unspecified, 6% Protestant, 3.1% non-Religious, 0.3% other [1] | 75% Christianity, 20% non-Religious, 2% Judaism, 1% Buddhism, 1% Islam |
| Ethnic groups | 60-65% Amerindian-European (mestizo), 17-30% Indian, 9-16% Caucasian, 1% other [2][3] | 74% White American, 14.8% Hispanic and Latino Americans (of any race), 13.4% African American, 6.5% Some other race, 4.4% Asian American, 2.0% Two or more races, 0.68% American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.14% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander |
| GDP (nominal) | US$1.143 trillion ($10,235 per capita) | US$14.441 trillion ($47,440 per capita) |
| Military expenditures | $6.07 billion (FY 2006) | $663.7 billion (FY 2010) [4] |
History
| Please help improve this article by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (August 2009) |
The United States shares a unique and often complex relationship with the United Mexican States. With shared history stemming back to the Texas Revolution (1835-1836) and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), several treaties have been concluded between the two nations, most notably the Gadsden Purchase, and multilaterally with Canada, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Mexico and the United States are members of various international organizations, such as the Organization of American States and the United Nations. Illegal immigration, arms sales, and drug smuggling continue to be contending issues in 21st-century Mexican-American relations.
Economics
Carlos Salinas, President of Mexico (back left), George H.W. Bush, President of the United States (back centre), and Brian Mulroney, Prime Minister of Canada (back right).In 1985 the world’s total number of sovereign states had reached 180; by the year 1994, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the number had grown to 220. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) represents the latest attempt to tear down barriers to capital mobility even as territorial demarcations were tightened for workers. The purpose of NAFTA was not merely to facilitate trade and open markets but to expand opportunities for capital investment. The treaty did not pay attention to worker mobility, in striking contrast to the EU, which made labor central to the broader process of market integration. The consolidation of European markets was effected by multilateral polices designed to harmonize social policies, equalize economic infrastructures, and guarantee worker rights and mobility within the trade zone. In contrast, NAFTA omitted these provisions and its American backers instead insisted on the unilateral right to prevent Mexican workers from migrating through restrictive border policies.
Globalization
Globalization is the increasing interconnectedness of people and places as a result of advances in transport, communication, and information technologies that causes political, economical, and cultural convergence. Latin America has emerged from the economic doldrums of the 1970s and 1980s to become a commercial power of its own right in the 1990s. Seeds were planted in the 1980s with the movements towards democracy and free market economies. Mexico has become a member of NAFTA, Mercosur, born in 1988, achieved full internal free trade among member-states Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay by its 1994 deadline.
Positive
The border between Mexico and the United States spans four U.S. states, six Mexican states, and has over twenty commercial crossings.In contrast to the accepted wisdom of the 1970s and 1980s, international firms in the 1990s see Latin America as a springboard into America. Companies such as Honda and Mercedes have built new plants or upgraded existing ones in Mexico to reap the advantages of the free trade that the NAFTA agreement promised. The surge of consumption south of the American border has also sparked the interest of both American and international retailers. After an extensive study of Mexican consumers in its 22 stores on the U.S.-Mexico border, J.C. Penney announced plans to open 20 stores in Mexico and Chile, where the Home Depot briefly had 12 stores in the early 2000s. Wal-Mart followed its initial push into Mexico, Canada and Puerto Rico with aggressive moves into Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Corona is the number one imported beer in America by volume with a 29% share of the beer market.[5]
Negative
While it can be argued that the effects of economic liberalization over three decades have been largely positive, concerns are rising in capitals throughout the world that accelerating change is carrying an increasingly high price in terms of unemployment, social dislocation, income disparities, the exploitation of workers and environmental degradation. This can be seen specifically in cases of the maquiladora factories on the U.S.-Mexico border. Cases of exploitative labor, low wages, long hours, and sexual misconduct are evident.
Controversies
The increased cooperation of US-Mexico relations in terms of economic dependency of the two countries on each other, could spell trouble for the region. Illegal immigration is a hotly debated issue, particularly in the American states bordering Mexico where there are a large number of illegal border crossings in America. The Mexico • United States barrier is a divisive issue in both countries as is the stationing of national guards along the border. Anti-globalization activists oppose closer ties with Mexico which they feel will create more illegal immigration.
Maquiladoras
A Maquiladora or Maquila is a factory that imports materials and equipment on a duty-free and tariff-free basis for assembly or manufacturing and then re-exports the assembled product; usually back to the originating country. "Maquiladora" is primarily used to refer to factories in Mexican towns along the United States•Mexico border, but increasingly is used to refer to factories all over Latin America. Maquiladora factories encompass a variety of industries including electronics, transportation, textile, and machinery, among others. Maquiladoras may be 100% foreign-owned (usually by American companies) in most countries. The use of Maquiladoras is an example of off shoring. Other countries such as Japan, Germany, and Korea have Maquiladoras as well; the majorities of them are located in Mexico and are associated with American companies.
The Maquiladora factories along the border can be looked at as a “new factory regime.” This new regime was put in place after NAFTA was organized. The most prominent city in regards to Maquiladora factories is Ciudad Juárez, on the border of Mexico and United States.
Cheaper production of materials for America and Canada has led to exploitation. Factories in Ontario are often threatened or even shut down by increased competition from factories located in Mexico. Parts made by workers in Mexico are identical to those made in Canada; however the Mexican worker is paid less.
Gallery
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Former U.S. President William Taft, Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles, and U.S. President Calvin Coolidge at the White House. |
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt having dinner with Mexican President Manuel Ávila Camacho in Monterrey. |
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Baines Johnson and U.S. President Harry S. Truman having dinner with Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos in 1959. |
U.S. President Richard Nixon riding a presidential motorcade in San Diego with Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz. |
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Mexican President José López Portillo and U.S. President Jimmy Carter during a welcoming ceremony in Mexico City, 1979. |
Mexican President Miguel de la Madrid and U.S. President Ronald Reagan in Mazatlán, 1988. |
U.S. First Lady Laura Bush, U.S. President George W. Bush, Mexican First Lady Marta Sahagún, and Mexican president Vicente Fox in Crawford, Texas, 2004. |
U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderón in Mexico City, 2009. |
Diplomatic missions
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Common memberships
- Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
- Bank for International Settlements
- Food and Agriculture Organization
- G-20
- International Atomic Energy Agency
- International Chamber of Commerce
- International Court of Justice
- International Olympic Committee
- International Monetary Fund
- International Telecommunication Union
- Interpol
- North American Free Trade Agreement
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
- Organization of American States
- Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America
- UNESCO
- United Nations
- World Bank
- World Health Organization
- World Trade Organization
See also
- Foreign relations of the United States
- Foreign relations of Mexico
- US-Mexico Border
- US-Mexico barrier
- Mexican American
- North American Free Trade Agreement
- Embassy of Mexico in Washington DC
References
- ^ http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35749.htm
- ^ http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35749.htm
- ^ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/379167/Mexico
- ^ http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy10/pdf/budget/defense.pdf
- ^ "US Imported Beer". Snapdata. http://www.alacrastore.com/storecontent/snapshots/us010354. Retrieved 2009-06-04. "In 2003, the largest imported beer brand in America by volume was Corona Extra, with a 29.0%. share of the market."
Further reading
- Adams, John A. Bordering the Future: The Impact of Mexico on the United States (2006), 184pp
- Arbelaez, Harvey; Milman, Claudio (2007), "The New Business Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean", International Journal of Public Administration: 553 .
- Dunn, Christopher; Brewer, Benjamin; Yukio, Kawano (2000), "Trade Globalization since 1795: Waves of Integration in the World-System", American Sociological Review 65: 77•95 .
- Gereffi, Gary; Hempel, Lynn (1996), "Latin America in the Global Economy: Running Faster to Stay in Place", Report on the Americas, http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/40/097.html, retrieved 2008-04-29 .
- Hill, John; D'souza, Giles (1998), "Tapping the Emerging Americas Market", Journal of Business Strategy .
- Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and Its War with the United States (2007). focus on causation from Mexican perspective
- Hinojosa, Victor J. Domestic Politics and International Narcotics Control: U.S. Relations with Mexico and Colombia, 1989-2000 (2007)
- Kelly, Patricia; Massey, Douglas (2007), "Borders for Whom? The Role of NAFTA in Mexico-U.S. Migration", The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political Science 610: 98•118 .
- Mumme, Stephen (2007), "Trade Integration, Neoliberal Reform and Environmental Protection in Mexico: Lessons for the Americas", Latin American Perspectives 34: 91•107 .
- Plana, Manuel. "The Mexican Revolution and the U.S. Border: Research Perspectives," Journal of the Southwest Winter 2007, Vol. 49 Issue 4, pp 603-613, historiography
- Weintraub, Sidney. Unequal Partners: The United States and Mexico (University of Pittsburgh Press; 2010) 172 pages; Focuses on trade, investment and finance, narcotics, energy, migration, and the border.
- White, Christopher. Creating a Third World: Mexico, Cuba, and the United States during the Castro Era (2007)
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Categories: Mexico • United States relations
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