A web site aids in wiring money home to Mexico

Migration is so woven into Mexico's fabric that the government has institutionalized it. Officials carefully track migration patterns and growth in remittances . Public agencies provide services for those looking to cross the border, and to expatriates living in the U.S.

From the Mexican perspective, it's recognition of reality: an estimated 11 million people born in Mexico already reside north of the border, and at least 400,000 more join them every year. From the viewpoint of many Americans, the government's actions are tantamount to aiding and abetting illegal immigration.

One of the most controversial episodes in recent years was "The Guide for the Mexican Migrant", a handbook created by the Mexican government in 2004 to warn would-be border crossers of hazards like heat and bandits.

Mexicans saw it as a way to dissuade some people from making the dangerous trip and keep others from dying. Some Americans viewed it as a how-to guide for crossing the border illegally, particularly the tips about water and protective clothing.

La Plaza imagines there will be similar disagreement over a more recent Mexican government effort to aid its citizens living in the exterior: Remesamex . That's a Web site to help consumers shop for the lowest price on wiring money to Mexico.

Mexican-born workers living outside the country sent $23 billion to their homeland last year. The money is a lifeline for millions of families in a nation with virtually no social safety net. Thus the Mexican government has a vested interest in seeing fees reduced so more of that money makes it here.

Still, development experts view this dependence on remittances as a weakness, not a strength, of Mexico's economy. This source of cash will diminish over time as migrants put down roots in the United States. In the meantime, it has allowed Mexican politicians to put off tough reforms to stimulate jobs and growth at home.

Posted by Marla Dickerson in Mexico City