Two for the road?

Given the fraught nature of immigration politics, a mayoral visit to Mexico City as Antonio Villaraigosa’s first cross-border trip in office could be seen as sending the wrong message. Yet California’s important relationship with Mexico has shriveled, and only political determination can restore it.

Nurturing the state’s most important relationship abroad has been a key concern of past California governors and mayors from several cities in the state, for good reason.

Trade between California and Mexico hovers around $34 billion and is growing. California’s exports to Mexico jumped 13% in the first half of 2004, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. In the U.S., only Texas trades more with Mexico.

About 10 million Mexican nationals and Americans of Mexican descent live and work in California. Mexicans have been fundamental to shaping the state’s image and economy. On the flip side, the cost of public services from schooling to healthcare to jail cells for Mexicans who cross the border illegally severely burdens California towns and cities. Positive and negative, Mexico matters to California.

None of this seems to matter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the almost two years since he became governor, he has not traveled to Mexico and appears uninterested in establishing a relationship. He angered already cross Mexicans with his recent praise for the concept of Arizona’s “Minuteman” border vigilantes. He suggested, in a later-modified statement, that California should “close the borders” with Mexico.

Enter Villaraigosa. This editorial page has suggested that he and Schwarzenegger could make mutual benefit of traveling together to Washington. The same should go for Mexico.

Aside from the demonstration of international character, Villaraigosa could shield the Austrian native from his unfortunate remarks, having already done so once when he requested “civility” in the face of booing aimed at Schwarzenegger during the mayoral inauguration. Schwarzenegger, in turn, might buffer some punches against the mayor back home for seeming too close to Mexico.