May 18, 2005

SMU HOSTS EVENT ON SURVEY
OF MEXICAN AND U.S. ATTITUDES

A survey of Mexican and Americans in 2004 found that despite significant geopolitical, social and economic differences separating the U.S. and Mexico, citizens on both sides of the border tend to agree on fundamental issues. In some very important respects, however, Mexicans and Americans are poles apart:

• 52 percent of Americans consider large numbers of immigrants coming to the U.S. a threat to its security.
• 88 percent of Mexicans say that protecting the rights of immigrants in other countries is more important.
• Mexicans are less willing than Americans to go along with joint decision-making between Americans than they are with decisions made by the United Nations.

They agree that international terrorism and chemical and biological agents are a major threat to each country's security and they both want their nations to take an active role in world affairs. In addition, Mexicans and Americans hold generally favorable opinions of each other. The survey was conducted by Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE) and the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales (COMEXI) and the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations.