Despite reports that violence in Central America is motivating tens of thousands of Guatemalans, El Salvadorians and Hondurans to illegally cross into the U.S., statistics from the United Nations indicate this cause is not true for fellow Latin country, Belize.
The country of 321,000 inhabitants has an even higher homicide rate – 44.7 of 100,000 — than any other Latin American country excluding Honduras, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s 2012 statistics. Just south, on the northern edge of South America is Venezuela, home to the world’s second highest murder rate.
The violence in this corner of the globe is irrefutable; Central America contained 31 percent of the world’s homicides despite the region’s lowered rate in 2012, reports The Tico Times of San José, Costa Rica. That rate has continued to decline in most countries over the past two decades, most notably in El Salvador, where the murder rate has steadily dropped from the 1995 record of 139 to its current 41.2 rate.
Yet in this region where danger is still very present despite improving conditions, there have not been any reports of U.S. border-crossers claiming to be from Belize. Despite its higher crime rates than surrounding countries where the Obama administration claims minors are fleeing from, Belize does not have tens of thousands of youth running north to the U.S..
In order to understand why we are not seeing the same level of illegal immigration from Belize , we need to consider its history. Unlike the majority of Central American countries that were established as Spanish colonies, Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, did not receive independence from Britain until 1981. This could be one reason its migration patterns to the U.S. are different than other Central American nations.
Despite sharing the same high homicide rates as the rest of Central America, Belizeans are less likely to have family members residing illegally in the U.S., providing the incentive for other members to join them and further the border surge.
17 Comments
I was thinking this the last few days and looked up Belize yesterday. The State dept stats show they are in the same economic situation as their neighboring countries but two things stood out. One the are English speaking and Two they are not a part of the Free trade group that the others are. This make’s me think there is an effort by the Un-american latino gourps to bring ” their people” here. I am also wondering why Belize was not considered when setting up the CAFT-DR. Could there be an anti-Anglo aspect to that decision?
What I do not understand is that illegal aliens will stand on street corners and harass American citizens but they will not stay in Mexican ghettos and harass dangerous Mexican Cartels and Rebels who make a hobby out collecting heads.
Good! Let em go someplace else! Obviously we have a shortage of resources since we can’t all get what we need. We don’t have enough money and resources to manage our involuntary homeless, poor and disabled populations.
One question to consider is:
Is the value, whatever it is that illegal immigrants bring to California worth the complementary losses to legalized American citizens? ( i will not list the losses because they may be subjective to some and objective to others).
When I visited Belize, i encountered a heavily armed border patrol. They were conserned with keeping people out of Belize, not keeping the citizens in.
I’m not sure if Belize should be referred to as a “Latin American” country. Perhaps “Central American,” would be a better choice. The majority is of African American desent, speak English, (or a form there of) and own property.
There is a latino minority and Spanish is spoken in some communitys. The Native American population seems to coexsist with others.
The currency is tied to that of the US, one US = two Belize dollars. Many homes are multi-generational with younger members feeling a responsibility for the aged.
Belize seems to be doing something right.
Perhaps the absence of Belizian activists in the US trying to encourage illeagal immigration for political gains is the difference.
One of the things that I liked about Belize, a English speaking country, was that all signs, etc was in English, and then upon returning to the USA I seen (in Texas) at least half of the signs in spanish? Everyone that I encountered spoke English, their national language. That, of course, did not prohibit them from being able to speak & understand other languages also. Appeared that those people were satisfied with their country as it is, even though many were qualified as poor.
They 50% mestizo Spanish and Maya./……Hispanic and the rest descendants from slaves.. and slave owners…..it is a diverse culture……..so everything u said it is no surprise……………..by the way there are people from there in the US that are illegals…..also the 2nd biggest demographics of illegals are Chinese and by the way they speak English…..
I Hear Chicago Has More Violence Than Central America
This lame assylum excuse for federal aid and amnesty applies to foreigners’ kids and families, when our own legal citizen domestic mess in America is mitigated as less important?
It is high there and a huge to the democrats who have been running the country but it is and has been high in these Central American Countries, It has been worse in the past but it is probably much safer there than many places throughout the world. I’d like to remind everyone that Honduras had a great Republic that was jealously guarded by its people until the Obama administration and Hillary the great State Department head undermined it and allowed drug cartels out of Venezuela to corrupt it. God save our souls for allowing that.
Perhaps if our Congress and Prez would be treated to the knockout game, they would get a gist of what is going on.
Fox is supposed to be releasing a new animated show called Bordertown. The Anglo family is headed by a border patrol agent who is “struggling” with cultural change and the Mexican family is described as “hardworking”. I wonder if anchor babies and their families’ heavy use of welfare will be discussed. Or the tens of thousands of gang bangers in California. Or the very high dropout rates of Latinos. Nah, won’t hear any of that.
Leland you are so stuck at Welfare……..about time you learn a fact…….Most Mexicans “WORK” they do not get We;fare like you do.
You know nothing about me. And yes a lot of them work, but a lot, more than their share of the population, also get welfare at the same time. 29% of all Medicaid recipients are Latino. Far more than their share of the population. And Medicaid is a true welfare program because it goes to all ages. It’s not the same as Medicare which is only for seniors who have paid taxes their whole life. Over 20% of all welfare in Los Angeles County goes to families headed by an illegal. You need to learn some “facts”.
Bravo Leland! Additionally, don’t forget that once one type of social service is secured, it leads to others. I read that there were 83 types of programs. Gag!
Important for John W to realize that IF they do work, it is most often under the table; when they want to; for cash; and it gets straight back down south through “remittances”. Of course, that money doesn’t go into the US economy. Not to mention they don’t pay taxes on it.
If they do get refugee status they are eligible for welfare immediately unlike illegals.
The UN is pushing for refugee status as is some in congress.
We have child gangs here, hungry kids, unhealthy, sick kids, veterans that need help, homeless, record number on food stamps and Medicaid, high unemployment and under employment, middle cclass disappearing, stagnant wages for most, highest health care costs in the world, highest incarceration rate in the world, dollar is worth less and less, etc., etc yet
we need more immigrants and refugees?
Baron do you ever travel or leave your neighborhood?…they work whenever they want to? …..may be for you that probably u r in Welfare so that you world whenever u want under the table………
Leland there is no need to know about u but the fact u r in he shadows and away from reality in this matters……….the way the system is abused it is more so by our own………so we use the system from being abused from our own and then we will have a winner…instead of complaining without a cause and never fix the issues…….think about what I say if u r able to……
Please construct your posts in a reasonably coherent fashion, and I think folks will be glad to think about it.
Until then…