Immigration Should Also Teach Us Gratitude
This is a timely topic, and I want to share my personal perspective as an immigrant in a country where I have found far more than I ever imagined. Despite all the difficulties I have faced, today I have nothing but gratitude for this country.
I have grown tremendously, both as a person and as an entrepreneur. Seeing my children become strong, independent, and confident is one of the many reasons I feel so grateful.
Yes, my Mexican roots remain an essential part of who I am. But after volunteering at a Fourth of July celebration in Comfort, Texas, I gained a clearer perspective on how this country has also become my country.
Immigration can enrich a nation economically and culturally, but its benefits depend on responsible integration. Those who arrive have the right to preserve their identity, but they also have a responsibility to respect the law, understand the culture, and contribute to the community that welcomes them.
What many Mexicans criticize about foreigners in Mexico City should help us understand what other societies expect from us when we are the immigrants.
Pride in our roots should never become indifference toward the land that welcomes us.
The United States: The World’s Leading Immigration Destination
I cannot discuss immigration solely from personal experience. So let me share some data.
International estimates for 2024 place the United States as the world’s leading immigration destination, with more than 52 million immigrants, representing approximately 17.2% of all international migrants.
People want to come to this country for many reasons, but I would emphasize two: It has the world’s largest economy, and its institutions, despite their flaws, provide greater stability and confidence for those seeking to build a life or start a business.
The comparison is revealing:
Destination countryInternational migrants in 2024United StatesMore than 52 millionGermany16.8 millionSaudi Arabia13.7 millionUnited Kingdom11.8 millionFrance9.2 million
In 2024, approximately 11.1 million people born in Mexico lived in the United States, accounting for about 22% of the country’s immigrant population.
Mexico remains the largest country of origin by a considerable margin, although its share has declined from approximately 29% in 2010. Migration Policy Institute: Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States.
The Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, estimated that the observed and projected increase in immigration would, between 2024 and 2034:
Increase cumulative nominal GDP by approximately $8.9 trillion.
Generate approximately $1.2 trillion in additional federal revenue.
Increase certain federal expenditures and financial costs by approximately $0.3 trillion.
Reduce the federal deficit by approximately $0.9 trillion, on net, over that period.
I should emphasize that these are economic projections, not money already collected or guaranteed outcomes. Congressional Budget Office: Effects of the Immigration Surge on the Federal Budget and the Economy. Congressional Budget Office: Updated Budget and Economic Outlook.
But a favorable overall outcome does not mean every community experiences immediate benefits. The national economy can grow and businesses can find workers while individual cities face increased pressure on housing, public services, or certain jobs.
The effects on wages can also vary depending on the industry and the workers involved. That is why it would be wrong to claim either that “immigration always causes harm” or that “immigration benefits everyone equally.”
The Role of Mexican Immigrants
My experience as CEO of VenturePoint, where we support businesses in many different ways, has shown me that Mexican workers often distinguish themselves through their dedication and commitment.
Recently, a client from Dallas who had opened an office in San Antonio was looking for an operations manager. He asked me whether hiring a particular candidate would be a good decision. When he told me the candidate was Mexican, I did not hesitate.
“Hire him,” I said. “You won’t regret it.”
A couple of weeks ago, I had lunch with him, and he told me it had been one of the best decisions he had made.
This is not simply my personal opinion. The data also reflects a clear contribution to the workforce.
In 2024:
The labor force participation rate among Mexican immigrants was approximately 68%, compared with 63% among people born in the United States.
Approximately 26% worked in service occupations.
Approximately 25% worked in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations.
However, another statistic gives me reason to reflect: Approximately 65% of Mexican immigrants ages five and older reported speaking English less than “very well.” Among immigrants overall, the corresponding figure was approximately 47%. Migration Policy Institute: Mexican Immigrants in the United States.
Yes, I know that this does not prove an individual lack of effort. Age, educational background, work schedules, residential circumstances, and limited access to classes can all play a role.
But contributing economically is not enough. Integration also requires making an effort to understand the language, institutions, and social expectations of the country where we have chosen to live.
Learning English does not mean giving up Spanish. It means expanding our ability to participate in this country’s society.
I have met immigrants not only from Mexico, but also from Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, who do not speak English. What concerns me even more is seeing that some make little effort to learn it.
Now Let’s Look at It the Other Way Around
Mexico also receives immigrants, although the picture is more complicated.
Mexico’s 2020 census recorded approximately 1,212,252 residents who were born in another country.
Their main countries of birth were:
Country of birthResidents in Mexico, 2020 censusUnited States797,266Guatemala56,810Venezuela52,948Other countries305,228
INEGI: National Results of Mexico’s 2020 Population and Housing Census.
An important clarification is necessary: Being born in the United States does not necessarily mean someone moved to Mexico as an American expatriate or digital nomad.
Some of these individuals may have Mexican parents, dual citizenship, or belong to families that returned to Mexico. Therefore, it would be incorrect to suggest that all 797,266 were American foreigners arriving to displace Mexican residents.
We should also remember that these figures are from 2020, before much of the more recent expansion of remote work.
Nevertheless, the Roma and Condesa neighborhoods in Mexico City offer a useful example of another side of the phenomenon.
Many Mexicans criticize foreign residents who move into these neighborhoods and behave as though their surroundings should completely adjust to them.
Complaints include businesses that cater primarily to foreign customers, the growing use of English in certain establishments, and services and prices designed for people earning income in dollars.
Residents also describe a sense of cultural displacement and increased competition for housing and short-term rentals, including those offered through platforms such as Airbnb.
The gentrification of these neighborhoods did not begin exclusively with the recent arrival of Americans. Academic research documents rising prices and urban transformation dating back to earlier years. Research on Gentrification and Housing Access in Mexico City.
However, the arrival of foreign residents with greater purchasing power can intensify existing increases in housing costs and cultural change, especially when combined with housing shortages, real estate speculation, and insufficient regulation.
The question is unavoidable:
If we are uncomfortable when foreigners transform our neighborhoods without considering the people who already live there, why do we struggle to understand that other societies may feel uncomfortable when something similar happens to them?
Why Does the Host Society Feel Uncomfortable?
Discomfort can arise for different reasons. Some are justified, while others are clearly rooted in prejudice.
Legitimate concerns include a community’s capacity to absorb newcomers, economic pressure, and cultural separation, particularly when immigrants remain isolated and do not integrate into the broader community.
For me, one of the most significant issues involves expectations of adaptation: when immigrants appear to expect the host society to adjust completely to their customs.
A lack of clear rules also matters, especially when authorities fail to manage migration flows, permits, housing, and integration effectively.
But reactions can also be driven by xenophobia, stereotypes, or exaggeration.
Not every concern about immigration is discrimination, but not every criticism of immigrants is justified.
Immigrating does not require us to stop being Mexican. But it does require us to recognize that living in another country means respecting a community that existed before our arrival.
At the same time, the host society has a responsibility to distinguish between integration and discrimination. Requiring respect for the rules is legitimate; denying people their rights or dignity because of their background is not.
San Antonio Has Its Own History
In San Antonio, we must avoid a mistaken assumption: treating every expression of Mexican culture as though it were a recent foreign influence.
The identity of this city and South Texas includes Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and Tejano roots that predate many contemporary migration movements.
The Spanish language and certain Mexican traditions were not simply brought here yesterday by recent arrivals.
That is why we should distinguish between the region’s Mexican and Mexican American history, American citizens of Mexican descent, newly arrived immigrants, and organizations built around a shared national identity.
Celebrating a shared historical heritage is not the same as promoting closed communities that refuse to engage with the rest of society.
Opposition to immigration does not appear spontaneously, nor can it be explained solely by the actions of particular politicians. It can also arise when a society perceives that newcomers do not want to integrate, but instead want to reproduce or impose the behaviors of the culture they left behind.
When a community feels that its culture, rules, or way of life are being displaced, it can develop resistance to immigration, regardless of whether that threat is entirely real, partially real, or politically amplified.
And when enough citizens believe their way of life is being ignored, leaders emerge who are willing to capitalize on that frustration.
Politicians do not appear out of nowhere. They also emerge from the concerns, fears, and contradictions of the society that elects them.
Integration Does Not Mean Abandoning Our Roots
Personally, I agree that a country should establish conditions, limits, and criteria for admitting immigrants. At the same time, I disagree with practices that are humiliating, arbitrary, or dehumanizing.
A country has the right to regulate entry, establish admission standards, and expect those who settle within its borders to respect its laws and participate responsibly in its society.
It is one thing to point out the flaws of the country where you have chosen to live. It is quite another to insult its people while benefiting from the institutions, stability, and opportunities that led you to choose it.
If you consider the society where you chose to live inferior, why did you decide to build your future there?
Organized crime, corruption, and certain business scandals have damaged Mexico’s international image. However, it would be unfair to attribute those behaviors to all Mexicans.
That is precisely why those of us who live and work abroad have an additional responsibility: to demonstrate through our actions that nationality does not determine integrity.
If we understand that parents should teach their children by example, we should also recognize that when we live in another country, our behavior can influence how others perceive people who share our background.
There is nothing wrong with carrying my culture, my language, my food, my history, or my Mexican identity with me.
It is one thing to carry Mexico in your heart; it is another to carry its worst practices on your back.
The problem is not that Mexicans bring their culture to the United States. The problem arises when, along with our food, language, and traditions, we also import favoritism, corruption, appearances over substance, disregard for the rules, or an inability to accept criticism.
Many immigrants come to the United States seeking precisely what their home countries sometimes fail to provide: more reliable institutions, stability, legal certainty, and opportunities for growth.
Yet some want to enjoy those benefits without accepting the cultural and institutional principles that make them possible.
They complain about Americans, look down on their customs, isolate themselves in closed circles, and, in some cases, reproduce practices of favoritism, dishonesty, or abuse.
The contradiction is obvious: They want the advantages of living in a different country but are unwilling to understand what makes that country different.
Crossing a border is not enough. We must also learn how to live alongside the society that exists on the other side.
Immigration Changes Us, Too
The challenges of immigration are not simply obstacles we must overcome. They can also become experiences that teach us who we are and what we are capable of achieving.
The society that welcomed us also offered opportunities, lessons, and experiences that helped shape the people we are today.
I worked hard, took risks, and faced difficulties. But I also found an environment that allowed me to learn, build businesses, and discover abilities I might not have developed in the same way in Mexico.
Sometimes it is worth stopping to ask:
How have I grown as a human being since I arrived?
In my case, I have developed a greater ability to understand people—not just Mexicans or Americans, but human beings in general. I have learned to communicate in two languages and appreciate different ways of thinking.
That cultural mosaic has inspired me to pursue excellence in my own life.
But, above all, it has taught me to be grateful.
And gratitude is not submission. It is the recognition that my growth did not happen solely because of my own efforts, but also because of the opportunities and the people I encountered along the way.
The best way to thank the country that welcomes us is not to abandon our roots, but to contribute responsibly to the community of which we are now a part.
