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More Americans move to Mexico
http://www.freep.com/news/nw/mexico21e_20050321.htm
They go for fun, but stay because of the low cost of living
BY ALFREDO CORCHADO and LAURENCE ILIFF
March 21, 2005
MEXICO CITY -- The day after the U.S. presidential election, Jim and Joan Marker left for a scheduled vacation in San Miguel de Allende, central
Mexico.
Now they've decided they'd like to live there permanently.
The Alabamans are among the many U.S. citizens who've been going south, for adventure or a new life. The decades-long trend has gathered steam in
recent years, statistics show, and Mexico is undergoing a sustained Americanization, with Americans buying more property, seeking permanent residency
and congregating in enclaves that seem like home abroad.
The U.S. State Department estimates the number of Americans in Mexico has increased from about 200,000 a decade ago to between 600,000 and a million.
"Fifty percent of my clients are Americans," said Enrique Riquelme, owner of the ReMax real estate firm in Playa del Carmen, a town near Cancun that
once was a haven for youthful Europeans.
"The people who are buying here are three or four years away from retirement ... although there are also a lot of younger people coming -- 38 to 40
years old -- looking for a place to rest or get out of the cold."
Analysts say the influx is fueled by such factors as a lower cost of living, more affordable housing, warm weather, a more relaxed pace of life and a
different political atmosphere.
The trend comes as more than 76 million U.S. baby boomers are expected to reach retirement age in the next 20 years, and 25 percent of them have no
health insurance or savings, according to an AARP report.
A significant number of them will likely be heading south, said Viviana Rojas, a researcher at the University of Texas in San Antonio. "Mexico makes
them feel younger, connected again and re-energized," Rojas said.
Border crossing
Just as many Mexicans cross into the United States illegally, Americans sometimes live illegally across the border, Mexican migration officials said.
Some Americans who come to Mexico on six-month tourist visas simply overstay their time. Others come and go, staying for extended periods.
"The United States isn't the only country that has problems with illegal immigrants," quipped Mauricio Juarez, spokesman at the Mexican Migration
Institute. "We have our own."
Depending on which part of the United States people come from and where they move, living in Mexico can be 25 to 75 percent cheaper.
Expatriates in Mexico generally pay less for health care and medicine, housing and domestic help, according to experts and the expatriates themselves.
Rojas and a colleague, T.S. Sunil, are studying a sample of U.S. retirees in Ajijic, Jalisco state. She said more than half the 172 people surveyed
said they were living on less than $1,000 a month. That covered rent, utility bills and other costs such as maid and gardener service and regularly
eating out.
"These are people who are looking for alternatives that will accommodate their fixed income," she said. "The key question here is, how many Americans
can manage to live on less than $1,000 and have all those amenities?"
In Cabo San Lucas, Edward Hooton, a businessman from Oregon, has lived in Mexico for 24 years off and on and recently filed for citizenship. Under
Mexican law, he won't have to give up his U.S. citizenship.
"It's never been easier for Americans, or other foreigners for that matter, to become Mexican citizens," said his attorney, Gilberto Pineda, who
represents 60 Americans seeking permanent residence.
Applicants must prove at least 60 percent proficiency in Spanish and learn the national anthem.
The young and the hip
Mexico also is drawing younger Americans looking for a different way of life.
Darren Ethridge, 34, formerly of Memphis, Tenn., arrived in Playa del Carmen in October 2000. He's been an occasional bartender at Captain Dave's, an
American-owned watering hole that caters mostly to Americans.
Ethridge settled in Playa because, he said, it is younger and hipper than some other expatriate centers -- and has topless beaches as well. He said
that he couldn't imagine returning to live in the United States and that he doesn't miss the hectic pace and materialism of his native country.
"Another thing about living in Mexico: I don't need every gadget that everyone has in the States; I don't need the BMW, and a house is just a place to
crash," he said.
Ironically, the influx of people from north of the border is sparking a kind of backlash -- against Americans among Americans.
"Americans have been coming here for years. Now it's a crescendo," said Daniel Scher, a businessman in San Miguel de Allende, where about 10 percent
of the residents are American. Most stores price their wares in dollars. English is heard everywhere.
The Americans in San Miguel regularly oppose allowing chains such as McDonald's and Starbucks to move in. And they frown on the idea of building a
freeway to better connect San Miguel to the rest of the country.
Residents of Ajijic share those sentiments.
"There's a growing sense here," said Karen Blue of MexicoInsights.com, a Web magazine published in Ajijic, "that it's time to shut the door to
outsiders, bolt it and throw away the key. But these are just people being selfish -- because the flow will only grow."
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Bruce R Leech
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Bummer.
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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Braulio
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These numbers (600 k) pale in comparison to the number of Mexicans (16 million legal and illegal) that live in the US.
That's 16% of the mexican populace - the most productive, energetic, risk-taking part.
The mexican government should be ashamed.
(Sorry for changing the topic a little.)
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jrbaja
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Mexican government ashamed?
Did you ever notice that most areas of your country have Spanish names? And did you ever wonder why?
Because they were there long before the white "patriots" ruined the place!
And now, you are doing the same thing here. Pathetic!!
The Mexicans just decided to take back what was theirs and hopefully, after the P-nche gringos spend all their money, they will do the same thing
here!
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MrBillM
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Actually, Bamboo Gringo ..........
Alta California was a part of MEXICO for only a few years. The SPANISH names were given by the SPANIARDS, who took it from the Aborigines. I don't
hear anybody saying that Spain has the right to come over and take back what was once theirs. As far as MOST areas of the U.S. having Spanish names,
I haven't noticed that a whole lot in Kansas, Nebraska, Utah, Idaho, etc, etc., but, gee, I guess I just haven't been paying attention.
As far as those nasty White guys goes, the HUGE preponderance of ALL technological invention in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries came from those
Palefaces. If you consider that ruining things, I guess you'd prefer to be sitting around a fire in the wild eating berries and wiping your butt with
Bamboo shoots.
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Braulio
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So - you're saying to mexican are leaving areas that work pretty well for them - into an area that has been ruined. You must not have much respect
for the intelligence of the average mexican. Oh - I forgot - you're unable to communicate with the average mexican - except at about the 1st grade
level.
The cream of the mexican crop aren't just leaving for the US - they're moving to Europe, Asia or just about anywhere to get out of dodge.
There's nothing special about the spanish language - it's just another european tongue.
Now ain't that a L of a note - you've gone through all that trouble to learn spanish and find that the Aztlan folk want you to learn dialect.
[Edited on 3-22-2005 by Braulio]
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Bruce R Leech
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can you say fart? is it legal on nomads?
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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Nikon
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Collect North Dakota's New Quarters
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tim40
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Americans have been coming here for years. Now it's a crescendo," said Daniel Scher, a businessman in San Miguel de Allende, where about 10 percent of
the residents are American. Most stores price their wares in dollars. English is heard everywhere.
I spend a fair amount of time in San Miguel (just got back last night) and although I agree many of the stores are priced closer to many other Mexican
cities, it is NOT true that most wares are priced in American dollars...in fact, just this trip I conveyed to my wife how I actually enjoyed on a
couple of occasions being told by merchants (in greater central area) that they only accepted pesos. The other thing about SM that is highly
exaggerated in the % of Americans that occupy the city. It is no where even close to 10% that is often suggested. Yes, again, it is greater than
many other areas of MX, but not even close to that figure. Lastly a first class meal with pre, post, and during drinks and desserts still cost about
50% of what the same quality would cost you in the states....
When searching for the end of your rainbow you only have until dusk....
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Phil S
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San Miguel de Allende
To backup Tim's comment of having just got back from s.m. last night, we just returned from s.m. ten days ago. Spent a week there. It's becoming
"overrun" with Texans, as it is just a 12 hour drive from south Texas. I don't remember seeing any prices in dollars. Just peso's. Remember one
restaurant called Harry's New Orleans where I had one of my best fish filet's yet to date. Though I must say, I've had some great ones in Loreto
also.
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tim40
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Sorry Grover, I did not. To be honest, I get to converse with U.S. folks plenty at home, so I do all I can to remain polite with a big smile to
all...but I seek out the 'locals' for my interactions. Polite way to say he could have spent the day on the bench next to in the Jardien, and most
likely I would have never interacted.
When searching for the end of your rainbow you only have until dusk....
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