By: Daniel Nardini

The Nahuas and Mixteca communities in the United States, like all Mexican immigrants, have contributed a lot to the economic life blood of this country. They work in just about everything from the agricultural sector picking our fruits and vegetables to cleaning our hotel rooms to working in our factories and trying to strive to become more than just mere workers. Like so many other immigrant groups, Mixteca try to learn English and learn new skills to find better employment opportunities in management and in starting their own businesses. Like a growing number of Mexicans, some Mixteca are now moving into white color sectors such as electronics, the computer industry, and international business. All of this greatly contributes to the American economy.

But it is not just a one way street. Those Mixteca who come here have families back in Mexico. Many of these communities—mostly in the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Puebla—are very poor. Most of their families live in dire poverty and work opportunities are next to nil. Because of this, those Mixteca working in the United States send remesas (remittances) back to their families. These remesas bring in millions of dollars to Mexican communities that do not or cannot receive Mexican government help. And the remesas do make a difference.

The families of loved ones working in the United States can not only afford food but can also pay their taxes to help improve the roads, wells, and decaying buildings in their communities. The money helps some families to start their own small businesses, and also helps families be able to afford medicine since in many of these communities there are no doctors or very few. The remesas also help pay for schools and puts in money for towns and villages to open new businesses. This in turn helps to keep people who would normally leave to stay.

Those who stay will be able to help the communities they live in. The remesas, next to the oil industry, is an important source of income for many ordinary Mexicans. The labor Mexicans contribute in the United States helps to spur the American economy while the money sent back to Mexico helps to improve the living conditions in that country.