American’s View Mexican’s Favorably, Mexicans Hate Us
Mexicans see Americans as racist, dishonest and exploitative, while Americans see Mexicans as hardworking and think they are more tolerant than Americans.
A new survey of attitudes the two countries hold toward each other showed the border is more than a geographic divide, but also a fissure in public opinions of the two nations and what their citizens think of each other.
The poll, taken by New York-based Zogby International and the Centro de Investigacion para el Desarrollo AC in Mexico City, found that 62 percent of Mexicans surveyed said the United States is more wealthy than Mexico because ‘it exploits others’ wealth.’ Only 22 percent said it was because the United States is ‘a free country where people have plenty of opportunity to work.’
Among Americans, 78 percent saw Mexicans as hardworking, and 44 percent saw them as tolerant. Among Mexicans, just 26 percent saw Americans as hardworking, 16 percent saw them as honest and 73 percent said Americans are racist.
‘Mexicans think Americans are neither hard workers nor honest,’ the report’s authors wrote. ‘They see them as racist, intolerant and moderately law-abiding.’
The study comes as Congress is debating how to increase immigration enforcement and whether to create a guest-worker program that would allow new foreign workers and current illegal aliens — a majority of whom are Mexican nationals — to apply.
President Bush yesterday called for a ‘civil’ debate, saying the nation has ‘been through these periods before where the immigration debate can get harsh.’
‘And it should not be harsh,’ he added.
He repeated his pledge that those who take part in his proposed guest-worker program should not be allowed to join the line for citizenship out of order, but he conceded there’s a question of ‘what about the person who’s been here since 1987.’ He did not answer that question.
The House last year passed an immigration-enforcement bill that calls for building nearly 700 miles of fence on the U.S.-Mexico border, but the new poll says that’s unpopular among both Americans and Mexicans. Fully 90 percent of Mexicans oppose a wall, as do 69 percent of Americans.
Still, the poll found that 62 percent of Americans want their member of Congress to support ‘more restrictive’ immigration laws, while 30 percent support ‘more open’ laws.
While 84 percent of Americans had a favorable opinion of Mexicans, just 27 percent have a favorable opinion of the Mexican government. By contrast, just 36 percent of Mexicans have a favorable opinion of Americans.
And yet nearly half of the Mexicans surveyed said crossing the border and working illegally in the United States would improve their lives — 45 percent said yes, while 47 percent said no.
The U.S. portion of the poll included 1,010 persons; the Mexican portion surveyed 1,000. The U.S. margin of error was 3.2 percentage points; the Mexican margin was 3.1 percentage points.
March 22nd, 2006 at 2:54 pm
Let me guess, this poll was conducted by a Mexican government funded “illegal immigrant advocacy” group, probably La Raza, LULAC, MALDEF, George Soros, and the ACLU. Who cares what Mexicans think of us? I’m not offended. Their actions speak louder than words. They lie, cheat, steal and then expect to be above the law, and are ready, willing and able at all opportunities to put their hands out for taxpayer funded benefits/privileges of citizenship and residency that they didn’t earn. They are shameless and shameful. Basta YA !
March 28th, 2006 at 9:01 am
If Mexicans hate the citizens of this country so much, then let them return to their own country and live their among other honest, hard working, law abiding Mexicans. Do the law breakers of Mexico remain there to face prosecution? No, they jump the border and come here. The US gets the worst citizens of Mexico. I have no sympathy for illegal Mexicans who now cry foul because US citizens want stricter border control. But as always, their excuse is better living conditions in the US. The other day, they came out to demonstrate against border control by the 10’s of thousands. Have they ever tried demonstrating in their own country for better wages and living conditions? If they would channel as much effort into making their own country a better place as they do trying to stay here illegally, who knows what could be accomplished. But they would rather stay here and demand the services that are afforded to citizens. As someone else stated, these people are shameless.
March 31st, 2006 at 10:00 am
I will tell you this, I do not see mexicans as hard working i see them as oportunists. They saw the oportunity to jump the fince and come to a country with cheap labor needs and managed to tell thier whole f***** country the same thing.
Most people leaving a country would understand that they need to (somewhat) conform to the native lands cultures and laws/rules the mexicans just do not seem to get it.
March 31st, 2006 at 1:11 pm
The reason I am sitting home and have the time to send this is because I lost my job to an inexperienced, lower paid mexican.
I do one of those jobs that (NO-ONE WANTS TO DO) I am a carpenter. I have spent almost 20 years trying to perfect my skill to provide the finest quality and it meant nothing. The job that I had will be filled by someone that worked for half my wage and has about 10% of my knowledge. Think about that if you are building a home. I am, at this point, forced to find work elsewhere in a trade that I have little knowledge of and will probably make about 10 bucks an hour. I used to make 25.
If we dont do something about this, we will be over-run and unable to defend ourselves. I would ask that Americans will at least not see thier flag turned upside down and topped with a mexican flag. If you see a mexican flag, destroy it. Do not let them disrespect our country like that while they reap the benefits and abuse our society.
April 17th, 2006 at 7:57 am
Theodore Roosevelt?s ideal on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN.
?In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person?s becoming in every facet an American and nothing but an American?There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American and something else also, isn?t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag?We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language? and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.?
Theodore Roosevelt 1907
April 20th, 2006 at 8:23 am
why do you think your ancestors left mexico/England/wherever?
BECAUSE THESE COUNTRIES SUCK
they came here for a better life and to be free.
If you love mexico so much to fly their flag in the country that your parents/grandparents came to to have a better life, then why dont you PLEASE put your wet shirt back on and GO HOME , and for the record mexicans are dirty, look at every mexican neighborhood in America, there is not one that does not have clothes hanging to dry, chichens running the streets, people drinking beer on their porch at 9am, oh yea and a crack dealer on every corner, so you tell me how that isnt dirty……?
MILLIONS OF EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS HAVE FLURISHED IN THIS COUNTRY FOR YEAR…WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE MEXICANS? LOOK WHAT THEY DID TO MEXICO ARE WE GOING TO SET BACK WHILE THEY RUIN OUR COUNTRY? WHY IS IT THAT IT TAKES A EUROPEAN IMMIGRANT YEARS TO BECOME A CITIZEN OF THE US AND A FILTHY MEXICAN CAN HOP THE BOARDER AND GET CITIZENSHIP? WTF IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE????????????
A MESSAGE TO ALL AMERICANS….
VOTE PLEASE….STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BEFORE AMERICA LOOKS LIKE MEXICO…..