It's All about Money

July 14, 2005
COVER STORY -- BusinessWeek online

Companies are getting hooked on the buying power of 11 million undocumented immigrants

Inez and Antonio Valenzuela are a marketer's dream. Young, upwardly mobile, and ready to spend on their growing family, the Los Angeles couple in many ways reflects the 42 million Hispanics in the U.S. Age 30 and 29, respectively, with two daughters, Esmeralda, 8, and Maria Luisa, 2 months, the duo puts in long hours, working 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., six days a week, at their bustling street side taco trailer. From a small sidewalk stand less than two years ago, they built the business into a hot destination for hungry commuters. The Valenzuelas (not their real name) bring in revenue well above the U.S. household average of $43,000, making them a solidly middle-class family that any U.S. consumer-products company would love to reach.

But Inez and Antonio aren't your typical American consumers. They're undocumented immigrants [illegal immigrants] who live and work in the U.S. illegally.

When the couple across the Mexican border five years ago... and lacked basic documents such as Social Security numbers... the couple soon discovered how to navigate the increasingly aboveground world of illegal residency. At the local Mexican Consulate, the couple's signed up for an identification card known as the matricula consular for which more than half of the applicants are undocumented immigrants, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, a Washington think tank.

Today, companies large and small eagerly cater to the Valenzuelas -- regardless of their status.

What can I say that has not already been said, other than the fact that we are catering and encouraging people to become felons and we wonder why people in general are having less respect for the law.

However, this is an excellent example of why immigration laws are not enforced.

It is all about MONEY!

Bin Laden didn't have to crash planes into the twin towers, if you want to invade the United States, just start showing up. We will lay down our weapons and welcome you with open arms.


check this out if you are still not convinced about the seriousness of illegal immigration.
Interactive Map: a Nation of the Illegal Immigrants