Republic Mexico City Bureau
Jan. 1, 2005 12:00 AM
MEXICO CITY - The Mexican government is giving out a
colorful new comic book with advice for migrants, but
immigration-control advocates worry that some of the tips
may encourage illegal border crossers.
The 32-page book, The Guide for the Mexican Migrant,
was published in December by Mexico's Foreign Ministry.
Using simple language, the book offers safety information
for border crossers, a primer on their legal rights and
advice on living unobtrusively in the United States.
Dramatic drawings show undocumented immigrants wading into
a river, running from the U.S. Border Patrol and crouching
near a hole in a border fence. On other pages, they hike
through a desert with rock formations reminiscent of
Arizona and are caught by a stern-faced Border Patrol
agent.
"This guide is intended to give you some practical advice
that could be of use if you have made the difficult
decision to seek new work opportunities outside your
country," the book says.
But immigration-control groups questioned some of the
guide's advice.
"This is more than just a wink and a nod," said Rick
Oltman, Western field director for the Federation for
American Immigration Reform. "This is so transparent, this
is the Mexican government trying to protect its most
valuable export, which is illegal migrants."
Book distribution
The book is being distributed as a free supplement to
El Libro Vaquero, a popular cowboy comic book, in
five Mexican states that send many migrants to the United
States: Zacatecas, Michoacán, Puebla, Oaxaca and Jalisco.
The government plans to print 1.5 million copies.
The book comes with a yellow disclaimer saying it does not
promote undocumented immigration, and it repeatedly warns
against crossing illegally. But it gives no information
about the steps for seeking a U.S. visa.
Instead, it offers frank safety tips. In the section on
crossing rivers, it notes, "Thick clothing increases your
weight when wet, and this makes it difficult to swim or
float."
On crossing the desert, it says, "Try to walk during times
when the heat is not as intense" and says migrants should
follow power lines or train tracks if they get lost.
The book warns migrants that they may have to walk for
days to reach towns or roads in the desert and that they
will not be able to carry enough water or food.
But it also shows a woman adding salt to a water bottle
and advises, "Salt water helps you retain your body's
liquids. Although you'll feel thirstier, if you drink
water with salt the risk of dehydration is much lower."
Mexican authorities say they're just trying to keep
migrants safe.
"We are not inviting them to cross, but we're doing
everything we can to save lives," said Elizabeth García
Mejía, chief coordinator for the Nogales, Sonora, section
of Mexico's Grupo Beta migrant protection service.
Carlos Flores Vizcarra, Mexican consul general of Phoenix,
said he had not seen the guide until a reporter showed it
to him.
He said the guide appeared to be only the latest attempt
by the Mexican government to warn migrants about the
dangers of crossing the border without proper
documentation.
The reality, however, is that many migrants will try to do
so anyway, he said.
"This is nothing new. It's a way to put it in very simple
terms so people will understand the risks," Flores
Vizcarra said. "The intention is out of concern for human
rights. People are doing it anyway. We cannot ignore that
there is a very big migration between our two countries,
and people who are coming to work need to understand the
risks."
Mixed messages
Some migrants from Mexico who have crossed the border
illegally in the past said the guide seems to send a mixed
message.
"On the one hand they seem to be saying, 'Don't cross,'
but on the other hand they are saying, 'Cross,' " Humberto
Morales, 22, an undocumented immigrant from Oaxaca working
as a day laborer in Phoenix, said after looking at a copy.
He doubts the guide will keep many people in Mexico from
crossing illegally, but he said it could help save lives.
"We have lots of programs like this in Mexico, but people
keep crossing," Morales said.
No official at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Mexico
City would agree to an interview about the comic book,
despite repeated requests through the ministry's media
relations office.
The book's pictures are drawn to match the style of El
Libro Vaquero. They portray the migrants as strong and
healthy men and women, wading into a river or walking
through the desert.
One section of the book urges caution when dealing with
immigrant smugglers, known as coyotes or
polleros. It shows migrants climbing into the back of
a tractor-trailer, a possible reference to the 19 migrants
who died in Texas after being sealed in a tractor-trailer
in May 2003.
On getting caught
Another section warns migrants not to lie to U.S.
authorities or use false identification, and it gives
instructions on what to do if caught by the Border Patrol.
"Don't throw stones or objects at the officer or patrol
vehicles because this is considered a provocation," it
says. "Raise your hands slowly so they see you are
unarmed."
A picture shows a group of migrants running from a Border
Patrol sport utility vehicle, though the text urges them
not to flee.
"It's better to be detained a few hours and repatriated to
Mexico than to get lost in the desert," it says.
Seven pages are devoted to migrants' legal rights after
they are detained and another four to living peacefully in
the United States.
"Avoid attracting attention, at least while you are
arranging your stay or documents to live in the United
States," it says. "The best formula is to not alter your
routine of going from work to home."
The Arizona Republic faxed copies of the guide to
the U.S. Border Patrol, FAIR and two groups that support
stronger controls on immigration.
A Border Patrol spokesman said he does not think the book
encourages illegal crossers.
"If they've already gone ahead and made that decision to
cross illegally . . . then anything that helps protect
lives is worth it," said Andy Adame, spokesman for the
Border Patrol's Tucson sector.
Beyond protection
But the immigration-control groups said some of the
advice goes beyond protecting migrants and, instead,
encourages them.
"A lot of it is disclaimers, but then there's this part
about if you're going to cross the desert, do it when the
sun isn't so hot," said Mark Krikorian, executive director
of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies.
"It's a mixed message."
Said John Vincent, editor of a newsletter published by
Virginia-based Americans for Immigration Control: "It
really looks like the Mexican government is encouraging
illegal immigration. It shows the contempt that the
Mexican government has for our laws."
The Mexican government produces a similar book aimed at
Central American immigrants who try to enter Mexico
illegally. The book covers much of the same information
about legal rights and repeats many of the warnings. It
even shows a group of migrants struggling to breathe
inside a truck.
But that book doesn't give the same kind of safety tips on
crossing the border or advise immigrants on how to live
peacefully in Mexico.
Reporter Daniel Gonzalez contributed to this article.
Reach the reporter at
chris.hawley@arizonarepublic.com