Latino Briefs Digest

This monthly digest is written primarily for the staff of UC Cooperative Extension. It is produced by the staff of ANR's News and Information Outreach in Spanish (NOS) based on news reported by mainstream news media and reputable research institutions. Inclusion in the digest does not imply endorsement, nor does SBMS assume responsibility for the veracity of the information. We invite our readers to refer to the source to read more of each particular brief; we'll try to always include a link.

A major survey released by the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) gauged Mexican attitudes on the impact of remittances sent by their family members living in the U.S. Remittances, monies earned and sent back to family or other organizations, are part of the fabric of everyday life for many families in Mexico. More than a third of the respondents have received one to six or more remittances in the past year. Remittances include support for economic, social and health programs as well as funding for economic development and non-governmental organizations. Concerns surrounding the remittance industry are evolving. Fifty-onepercent of respondents said that the most important factor when receiving money from the U.S. is that it arrives securely, while 95 percent said that there are more choices now than five years ago regarding the number of companies available to receive a remittance.
Source: “Remittances from Mexican immigrant communities in the U.S.: How are they perceived in Mexico?” May 7, 2008, http://www.trpi.org/