Economics linked to immigration

Re “On immigration, Bush is grilled in Guatemala,” March 13

In Guatemala, President Bush did state that joblessness and poverty make people immigrate to the United States, even though they would prefer to stay home. What he didn’t say was that any time a Latin American government focused its resources directly on succoring its less-privileged classes, the United States tried, often successfully, to destroy that government: witness Guatemala, Cuba, Chile, Grenada, Nicaragua and, today, Venezuela.

It’s time that Americans concerned with illegal immigration start questioning our track record of befriending only the rich and powerful of Latin America while its wretched masses flood our frontiers.

ROGER CARASSO

Northridge

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Rather than building controversial fences along our Mexican border, why don’t U.S. manufacturing companies set up factories south of the border? Revolutionary idea? Not really. Such factories have existed for years, but we don’t really hear about them. They pay salaries consistent with their economies, a real bargain for U.S. companies. No more fences to climb. No more tunnels. No more coyotes to navigate dangerous terrain. No more separated families. No need to compete for citizenship against immigration quotas in host countries. This leaves jobs in the agricultural sector and others that cannot be relocated. This used to be covered with a green card system. Doesn’t this still exist? Why invent something else?

ROGER A. WELLS

Manhattan Beach