Expatriate Mexicans See the Power of the Vote

Re “Who Cares Where They Vote?” Opinion, July 3: I’m not sure on what grounds Wayne A. Cornelius makes his assertion that expatriate Mexicans living in the U.S. have little interest in politics in Mexico and thus will not “overwhelm Mexico in 2006.” If recent elections, particularly the Los Angeles mayoral elections, are any indication of the participation of the Latino electorate, then expatriates will see the power of the vote.

It is not just the most recent undocumented immigrants that have strong ties to Mexico that will vote. The $17 billion they sent back home last year is an investment they want to protect, and most of that sum is not sent by recent immigrants -- it is sent by those who have established roots here, who are reading Spanish-language newspapers heralding the power of the Latino vote. If expatriates can affect the structure of Mexico’s government from abroad, they will participate. Build a voting system and they will come.

Victor M. Franco

Monrovia