The changing face of Mexican-American immigration (in graphs)

Much of the discussion today about immigration reform is based not only on racism, but on the past. If we don't understand what's going on today, we're going to get this one wrong.

So here are some simple graphs that tell the real story.

1. Net migration between Mexico and the US is zero.

For a quick summary of why this is changing, here's Simon Rosenbberg.

2. Want tighter border security? You're already getting it.

3. Unlike the past, most undocumented immigrants have been in the U.S. for more than 10 years.

Contrary to what the nativists would have us believe, we are not being overrun by hordes of Mexicans coming here illegally. What we have is a group of approximately 11 million undocumented people - most of whom have been living here in the shadows for quite a while. It is in everyone's best interests to give them a path to citizenship.

And if we want to stem the current flow of immigrants from Mexico, we might think about ending the reason many of them continue to flee their homes...the violence associated with the war on drugs.