LatinaLista — Slowly the realization is hitting home with some US politicians that Mexico’s relationship with the United States is so deeply intertwined with our own history and society, unlike other foreign countries, that it’s no longer excusable to ignore or dismiss the feelings, wishes or opinions of the Mexican public.
A review of a new survey on Mexican attitudes by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project reveals a surprising profile that flies in the face of anti-immigrant rhetoric that has dominated Washington and threatens to repeat itself in the upcoming 2012 election.
According to the survey:
Fewer than half (45%) of Mexicans say their government is making progress in its campaign against drug cartels.
Many welcome U.S. help in training Mexican police and military personnel (74%) and providing money and weapons to Mexican police and military forces (64%)
Mexicans broadly oppose the deployment of U.S. troops to combat drug traffickers in Mexico (38% support and 57% oppose), more now support this strategy than did so in 2010, when only about a quarter (26%) favored the deployment of U.S. troops in their country and two-thirds opposed it
About six-in-ten (61%) Mexicans blame both nations for the drug violence in Mexico; 51% held this view in 2009 and 2010. Currently, 18% say the U.S. is mostly to blame and about the same percentage (16%) blame Mexico; a year ago, nearly twice as many said the U.S. was mostly to blame as named Mexico (27% vs. 14%)
A slim majority (52%) of Mexicans hold a favorable view of the U.S., while 41% express a negative opinion.
Mexicans are less likely than they were two years ago to say that people from their country who move to the U.S. have a better life than those who stay in Mexico. Fewer than half (44%) now say this is the case; 22% say life is worse in the U.S. and 29% say it is neither better nor worse.
Most Mexicans (61%) say they would not move to the U.S. if they had the means and opportunity to do so. Among the sizeable minority (38%) who would move to the U.S. if they could, 53% (or, 20% of the total population) say they would be inclined to do so without authorization.
Most Mexicans say the military and the media are having a very or somewhat good influence on the way things are going in Mexico (62% and 60%, respectively)
