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You forgot to add that most live in servants in Mexico get paid chump change. They do not make a decent salary so ofcourse many "middle class" Mexicans people can afford them.
If most live in servants in the U.S were willing to work for below minimum wage, like $2 or $3 dollars an hour for example, a lot more middle class Americans would have a live in servant.
And it all evens out... when you have a severly underpaid lower class that doesn't even make enough to live, you get a crime ridden society. Your cheap servants are actually costing you a lot more than you know.
If most Mexicans are middle class, why are there millions and millions of illegals from Mexico living in the U.S. Canada is a majority middle class country, yet the number of illegals from Canada living in the U.S is nowhere near as high as the number of illegals coming from Mexico.
It could be due to two reasons:
1. Canada as a whole has 30 million plus people, Mexico is over 100 million. As such, more immigrants of all types will be from Mexico than from Canada (the whole Canadian population would fit in the NYC metro area.)
2. Canada is probably middle class-majority by upwards of 70 or 80%, vs Mexico's 55%. Also, Mexico's middle class has been growing rapidly and its large size is more recent in creation than Canada's.
Give it a bit more time, illegal immigration from Mexico will surely begin to fall considerably. By that time, the illegal immigration problem will be in Mexico with illegal Central Americans.
Yes, middle class in Mexico doesn't seem bad at all. It seemed that most of the middle class have cars, take family trips, have televisions and computers, nice enough clothes, a comfortable enough house, enough food to eat. Even the lower middle class seems to have all that. The middle class sometimes seems more comfortable because so many in Mexico have servants, they might not have a deluxe washing machine and dryer but they have a live-in maid or laundry woman who does all that for them anyway.
Maybe middle class Mexicans live more like people in Europe. Somewhat more modestly than Americans maybe, not as many cars per family or televisions.
Plus there's a misconception about the American middle class. Many have just enough and only a little for the luxuries, many live paycheck to paycheck.
I don't think food is an issue with Mexico, 2-3 years ago the food based poverty level was only around 15-16% which isn't too far off from developed nations like the U.S. and the UK which were at 12-14%. Where Mexico struggles is the material based poverty line, which was at 40% 2-3 years ago; I'm sure it's gotten worse due to the economic crisis?
1. Canada as a whole has 30 million plus people, Mexico is over 100 million. As such, more immigrants of all types will be from Mexico than from Canada (the whole Canadian population would fit in the NYC metro area.)
2. Canada is probably middle class-majority by upwards of 70 or 80%, vs Mexico's 55%. Also, Mexico's middle class has been growing rapidly and its large size is more recent in creation than Canada's.
Give it a bit more time, illegal immigration from Mexico will surely begin to fall considerably. By that time, the illegal immigration problem will be in Mexico with illegal Central Americans.
Actually, I believe the Spanish News stations here in the states have stated that Mexican immigration has been decreasing over the years, now more central and south Americans are starting to come over.
When they did a poll, not too long ago, about who considers themselves to be middle class in the U.S., I laughed and laughed!
Even where I work, with lowly nursing assistants making $12-$14 an hour, any number of them adamantly claim they're middle class.
Just because they could get a loan for a new car, entailing working any number of extra shifts to pay for it, in my eyes, they're still lower income/class.
You know middle class members when you see them in this country, but ya' better hurry, they're disappearing everyday, right before your eyes!
Last edited by tijlover; 07-05-2011 at 09:00 PM..
Reason: edit
When they did a poll, not too long ago, about who considers themselves to be middle class in the U.S., I laughed and laughed!
Even where I work, with lowly nursing assistants making $12-$14 an hour, any number of them adamantly claim they're middle class.
Just because they could get a loan for a new car, entailing working any number of extra shifts to pay for it, in my eyes, they're still lower income/class.
You know middle class members when you see them in this country, but ya' better hurry, they're disappearing everyday, right before your eyes!
In the U.S. it depends on the state you live in; some states have low cost of living and thus don't require of you to make as much to live comfortably. In Texas 53,000 a year is good, but in New York City you would need to make more than 75,000 to match the 53K life you would have in Texas.
I don't think food is an issue with Mexico, 2-3 years ago the food based poverty level was only around 15-16% which isn't too far off from developed nations like the U.S. and the UK which were at 12-14%. Where Mexico struggles is the material based poverty line, which was at 40% 2-3 years ago; I'm sure it's gotten worse due to the economic crisis?
Mexico isn't in an economic crises like the U.S. Its economy is growing. Like Canada, Mexico wasn't invested in the Wall Street greed and didn't lose money in bad investments.
Mexico isn't in an economic crises like the U.S. Its economy is growing. Like Canada, Mexico wasn't invested in the Wall Street greed and didn't lose money in bad investments.
Exactly.
This brings into the discussion an interesting fact about the current "global" financial crisis.
Basically, it really isn't global. It's mostly an American and European ordeal. Most places rebounded from the effects of the crisis as early as 2009 and today are on a world of their own.
Seems to me you don't go from impoverished to middle class. In the States there are the Working Class or Working Poor. These are people who aren't impoverished but are basicly wage slaves who get by, often holding down two or more jobs, having roommates, etc. In terms of lifestyle I suspect a higher % of those 62 million who aren't impoverished in Mexico are working class poor as opposed to being actual middle class. Upward mobility would be a measure of middle class growth in Mexico or any other country for that matter. If things are improving for a majority of Mexican citizens, great. Just remember that the U.S. middle class became the world's largest AFTER WWII, when other industrialized nations were rebuilding. No one came close to our industrial production for decades. Mexico's middle class is benefitting from gaining many of our factories. In that regard however due to a competitive world economy they'll probably never see the gains we enjoyed when we were the only game in town. So they'll progress some, and we'll regress some. Just today's reality.
Seems to me you don't go from impoverished to middle class. In the States there are the Working Class or Working Poor. These are people who aren't impoverished but are basicly wage slaves who get by, often holding down two or more jobs, having roommates, etc. In terms of lifestyle I suspect a higher % of those 62 million who aren't impoverished in Mexico are working class poor as opposed to being actual middle class. Upward mobility would be a measure of middle class growth in Mexico or any other country for that matter. If things are improving for a majority of Mexican citizens, great. Just remember that the U.S. middle class became the world's largest AFTER WWII, when other industrialized nations were rebuilding. No one came close to our industrial production for decades. Mexico's middle class is benefitting from gaining many of our factories. In that regard however due to a competitive world economy they'll probably never see the gains we enjoyed when we were the only game in town. So they'll progress some, and we'll regress some. Just today's reality.
We would have to take a closer look because as others have mentioned the cost of living in Mexico is lower than the U.S. and thus they might not need to make as much. Although, perhaps you are right I read a Spanish article which I can't seem to find now that mentioned how mexico was middle income and they used percentages of what the citizens owned as some evidence. But if middle class was at 56% I don't understand why there aren't more people with internet (unless people like those internet cafe they have in every city or large town).
from what I recall (I'll keep looking for the link)
TV sets - 93%
radios - 86%
cell phones - 81%
Internet -21%
computer - 29%
Car - 77% (I think, I don't remember clearly)
There were more things, but I can't remember them at the moment.
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