When you think about immigration the idea of someone leaving their country of origin
for another to achieve an unattainable life they couldn’t achieve at home comes to
mind. Many Ecuadorians immigrating to the United States followed this ideal.
However, with the recession in the United States occurring many Ecuadorians no
longer believe this is possible. According to a New York Times article, there is
latest trend going on with many immigrants living within the United States who are
trying to find a way back home. Ecuador is the leading nation that is beating out
other nations in the exodus back home.
Coming to New York City 27 years ago, Victor Lopez, a 49-year-old restaurant
manager, is one of many Ecuadorians planning on returning home due to the recent
downturn of the American economy. Like Lopez, many are finding it hard to cope with
the immigrant lifestyle in the states due to the burden of an unbalanced livelihood.
With rising costs of living expenses, added on hours with no financial increases,
and some losing their jobs with the possibility of attaining another being against
them a program started by the Ecuadorean government is luring their citizens back to
the country.
Back in 2007, Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, established a new program to aide
Ecuadorians who are seeking a way to return to Ecuador called Welcome Home. The
program offers incentives like one-way plane tickets, waivers on import taxes and
fees on property accompanying them, and a luring fund entitled the Cucayo Fund. The
Cucayo Fund is a financial endowment that would provide returning Ecuadorians with
up to $50,000 that would be spent on starting new businesses within the country
which is seeing a steady political and economic climate in years.
Compared to other nations like Ethiopia and Jamaica which offers aides to their
citizens living in the states to return home, Ecuador stands out in comparison.
According to the New York Times article, immigration experts have noted that Ecuador
has lead a strong campaign in promoting the migration of their citizens back home by
advertising Welcome Home in bus-stop shelters and on Spanish television programming.
The past decade an estimated 175,000 Ecuadorians immigrated to New York State and
has risen over the years, but over the past year an estimated 347 Ecuadorians have
left the county which was twice as many in 2008.
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