Some of my colleagues. unfamiliar with the legacy of economic development patterns in the American Southwest. may be voting on the legislation with only a passing knowledge of the regions history and background. I would like to bring to their attention a publication recently produced by the League of United Latin American Citizens [LULAC]. one of the Nations most venerable Hispanic membership organizations. Entitled "Immigration To The United States From Latin America: Past and Present." the 40page booklet traces the history of immigration reform in the United States and analyzes its impact on hemispheric migration. I especially recommend the booklets second section. "The Special Case of Mexico." which examines the peculiar symbiotic relationship between Mexican labor and American business that developed in the Southwest during the rule of Mexican President Porfirio Diaz (18761910). This section explores how the United States policy of alternately encouraging or suppressing the migratory flow in the first four decades of this century reflected the push and pull of internal politics. A large portion of this section looks at the structure and legacy of the "Bracero Program." an unprecedented bilateral agreement first signed during World War II that recruited temporary migrant laborers from Mexico to work in United States agriculture. "The Special Case" also examines the reasons why domestic political forces in the United States are split on the value of Mexican labor in our economy and why agreement on how migration between the United States and Mexico should be controlled is so difficult. I urge my colleagues to read this paper as they formulate their stand on pending immigration legislation. The text of "The Special Case of Mexico" follows:
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