Remittances from US still growing
The US may be tightening control over its borders, more Salvadorans than ever may have been deported back to the country from the US, and the US economy and job growth may be slowing, but remittances sent back to family members in El Salvador just keep on growing. El Salvador's Central Reserve Bank just reported that in the first half of 2007, remittances totaled $1.82 billion dollars. In June alone, remittances totaled $383 million compared to only $277 million in June 2006. The Central Reserve Bank projects that the total for all of 2007 will close approximately 10-15% higher than the prior year. At that level, El Salvador's remittance income from exporting its people, could equal or exceed the income of $3.5 billion the country received from all exports of goods and services.
Comments
Back to the book: It discusses the origins and downsides of the remittance economy, including the different ways that banks and other commercial interests benefit from remittances and the trade agreements at the expense of those in poverty. It's a well-written analysis, with cartoon-style illustrations, plenty of white space, and deliberate use of language that doesn't require a high reading level. The cooperative that wrote the book specializes in this sort of writing, intended for ordinary people to be able to grasp issues and get involved.
My one complaint -- and I sent them an e-mail about this just last night -- is that the book doesn't offer any ideas or even questions to get people started on changing the situation. I don't mean that they either should be Pollyannas and pretend it's just a question of deciding to give up remittances or vote in the next election, or that they should spoon-feed people "the" answers ... that's not in the spirit of transformative education that they're trying to honor. But the book as is, doesn't offer much hope, and I have to believe there's something people can do.