POPULATION IN TRANSITIONS - MIGRATION

The illegal entry to the US, via its southern border, of an estimated 500,000 people each year, has led the US government to start building a security fence along the most sensitive areas.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Mexico is the country of origin for the largest numbers of illegal immigrants in the USA with 6,570,000 migrants, which is 57% of all illegal migrants.

Money sent back to Mexico by the immigrants is money that is lost from the American Economy. In 2003 $13bn was sent to Mexico.

Opposition to illegal immigration has been reflected in the emergence of Minutemen groups - citizens who have taken it upon themselves to patrol the US borders and to confront illegal workers in cities around the US.

The availability of cheap labor has given states like California a “competitive edge” which has helped fuel economic growth at a rate consistently higher than the rest of the nation.

Occasionally, tensions have risen between Mexican immigrants and other ethnic groups because of increasing concerns over the availability of working-class jobs to Americans and immigrants from other ethnic groups

Consumers, in turn, pay less for agricultural products and the service industry jobs that immigrant labourers perform

POPULATION IN TRANSITIONS -REMITTANCES

Money sent back to Mexico by the immigrants is money that is lost from the American Economy. In 2003 $13bn was sent to Mexico.

Despite the relative stagnation of the US economy, the flow of money keeps growing, according to recent data. In 2003 it increased by 35% - the total amount sent that year to Mexico was more than $13bn.

Critics argue that dependence on remittances can impair local initiative and create no incentives for people to move forward.

Remittances from Mexicans in the US have become one of Mexico's most important sources of income - second only to oil and surpassing the traditional tourism industry.

GLOBAL INTERACTIONS – FINANCIAL FLOWS REMITTANCES

Money sent back to Mexico by the immigrants is money that is lost from the American Economy. In 2003 $13bn was sent to Mexico.

Despite the relative stagnation of the US economy, the flow of money keeps growing, according to recent data. In 2003 it increased by 35% - the total amount sent that year to Mexico was more than $13bn.

Critics argue that dependence on remittances can impair local initiative and create no incentives for people to move forward.

Remittances from Mexicans in the US have become one of Mexico's most important sources of income - second only to oil and surpassing the traditional tourism industry.

GLOBAL INTERACTIONS- DIASPORA

The growing number of Hispanics in the USA has meant that Hispanics are now looking to have a greater say in politics. This has led to the formation of the Tequila Party , a nonpartisan movement launched on 5 May (Cinco de Mayo) 2011. Their first political rally, a call to “get out and vote”, accompanied by mariachis, was held in Tucson, Arizona.

Hispanics in the USA lag behind the rest of the population in terms of education. For example, only 9% of Mexicans in the USA aged 25 and over have at least a Bachelor’s degree, compared with 13% of all Hispanics in the USA and over 20% for the US population as a whole.

where the average personal earnings for Mexicans in the USA aged 16 and over was $20,000 in 2009, compared to $28.900 for the US population as a whole.

Mexicans are the dominant Hispanic group in many major metropolitan areas, from Los Angeles to Chicago, and San Antonio to Atlanta, with some exceptions in the East, including Miami (Cubans) and New York (Puerto Ricans).

diplomats regularly meet with Mexican American leaders and, what is more controversial, encourage Mexican Americans to access social services funded by U.S. taxpayers. Acting more cautiously, Mexico has not encouraged its diaspora to lobby on behalf of the country’s foreign policy goals, fearing a nationalist backlash within the United States.

the children and grandchildren of Mexican immigrants were able to make close ties with their extended families in Mexico, since United States shares a 2,000 mile border with Mexico. Many had the opportunity to visit Mexico on a relatively frequent basis. As a result, many Mexicans were able to maintain a strong Mexican culture, language, and relationship with others.

WEALTH & DISPARITIES: NEW YORK

ETHNICITY: New York is home to the largest African American population and the second largest Asian American population in the United States. In addition it is home to the largest Puerto Rican, Dominican and Jamaican American populations in the continental United States. The New York City neighborhood of Harlem has historically been a major cultural capital for African-Americans of sub-Saharan descent, and Bedford Stuyvesant is the largest such population in the United States. Queens, also in New York City, is home to the state's largest Asian-American population, and is also the most diverse county in the United States. The second concentration of Asian-Americans is in Manhattan's Chinatown.   Income Disparities: New York City has a high degree of income disparity. In 2005 the median household income in the wealthiest census tract was $188,697, while in the poorest it was $9,320.The disparity is driven by wage growth in high income brackets, while wages have stagnated for middle and lower income brackets. In 2006 the average weekly wage in Manhattan was $1,453, the highest and fastest growing among the largest counties in the United States. The borough is also experiencing a baby boom that is unique among American cities. Since 2000, the number of children under age 5 living in Manhattan grew by more than 32%.

More transport: Public transit is New York City's most popular mode of transit. 54.6% of New Yorkers commuted to work in 2005 using mass transit. This is in contrast to the rest of the United States, where about 90% of commuters drive automobiles to their workplace. According to the US Census Bureau, New York City residents spend an average of 38.4 minutes a day getting to work, the longest commute time in the nation among large citiesThe New York City Subway is the largest rapid transit system in the world when measured by stations in operation, with 468. It is the third-largest when measured by annual ridership (1.5 billion passenger trips in 2006)

New York controlled 40% of the world's finances by the end of 2008, making it the largest financial center in the world. Many major corporations are headquartered in New York City, including 42 Fortune 500 companies. Manhattan had 353.7 million square feet (32,860,000 m²) of office space in 2001.[Midtown Manhattan is the largest central business district in the United States. Lower Manhattan is the third largest central business district in the United States. Financial services account for more than 35% of the city's employment income. Creative industries such as new media, advertising, fashion, design and architecture account for a growing share of employment

WEALTH & DISPARITIES: TRADE - NAFTA

The goal of NAFTA was to eliminate barriers to trade and investment between the US, Canada and Mexico. The implementation of NAFTA on January 1, 1994 brought the immediate elimination of tariffs on more than one-half of Mexico's exports to the U.S. and more than one-third of U.S. exports to Mexico

US goods exports to NAFTA in 2010 were $411.5 billion, up 23.4% ($78 billion) from 2009 and 149% from 1994 (the year prior to Uruguay Round) and up 190% from 1993 (the year prior to NAFTA). US exports to NAFTA accounted for 32.2% of overall US exports in 2010.

US exports of agricultural products to NAFTA countries totaled $31.4 billion in 2010. Leading categories included red meats, fresh/chilled/frozen ($2.7 billion); coarse grains ($2.2 billion); fresh foods (excluding nuts) ($1.8 billion); and fresh vegetables ($1.7 billion).

Maquiladoras (Mexican factories that take in imported raw materials and produce goods for export) have become the landmark of trade in Mexico. These are plants that moved to this region from the United States, hence the debate over the loss of American jobs. Hufbauer's (2005) book shows that income in the maquiladora sector has increased 15.5% since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994.

The most serious overall increases in pollution were found in the base metals sector, the petroleum sector, and the transportation equipment sector

In the USA from 1994 to 2007, net manufacturing employment has declined by 3,654,000

NAFTA has increased U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico and Canada even though most of this increase occurred a decade after its ratification.

URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

: NEW YORK

KEY STATS AREA: 830KM2 POP DENSITY: 9, 600 PEOPLE PER KM2GDP: US$56,103 PER CAPITA (22% MEXICO’S GDP)

Emissions: CO2, NO2, SO2.

58.3 million metric tons of CO2 during 2005.

Acid rains.

HAZARDS & DISASTERS: HURRICANE KATRINA

Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest and most destructive Atlantic hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. At least 1,833 people died in the hurricane and subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane total property damage was estimated at $81 billion (2005 USD)

Eventually 80% of the city and large tracts of neighboring parishes became flooded, and the floodwaters lingered for weeks.[4] However, the worst property damage occurred in coastal areas, such as all Mississippi beachfront towns, which were flooded over 90% in hours, as boats and casino barges rammed buildings, pushing cars and houses inland, with waters reaching 6–12 miles (10–19 km) from the beach.

The hurricane surge protection failures in New Orleans are considered the worst civil engineering disaster in U.S. history and prompted a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the designers and builders of the levee system as mandated by the Flood Control Act of 1965. Responsibility for the failures and flooding was laid squarely on the Army Corps in January 2008 by Judge Stanwood Duval, U.S. District Court,[6] but the federal agency could not be held financially liable due to sovereign immunity in the Flood Control Act of 1928.

Federal disaster declarations covered 90,000 square miles (233,000 km2) of the United States, an area almost as large as the United Kingdom. The hurricane left an estimated three million people without electricity

FEMA provided housing assistance (rental assistance, trailers, etc.) to more than 700,000 applicants—families and individuals. However, only one-fifth of the trailers requested in Orleans Parish were supplied, resulting in an enormous housing shortage in the city of New Orleans

HAZARDS & DISASTERS: DEEPWATER HORIZON GULF OIL SPILL

the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry

Following the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, which claimed 11 lives, a sea-floor oil gusher flowed unabated for 87 days, until it was capped on 15 July 2010. The total discharge is estimated at 4.9 million barrels (210 million US gal; 780,000 m3).

A massive response ensued to protect beaches, wetlands and estuaries from the spreading oil utilizing skimmer ships, floating booms, controlled burns and 1.84 million US gallons (7,000 m3) of Corexit oil dispersant

Due to the months-long spill, along with adverse effects from the response and cleanup activities, extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats, fishing and tourism industries, and human health problems have continued through 2013

Numerous investigations explored the causes of the explosion and record-setting spill. Notably, the U.S. government's September 2011 report pointed to defective cement on the well, faulting mostly BP, but also well operator Transocean and contractor Halliburton. Earlier in 2011, a White House commission likewise blamed BP and its partners for a series of cost-cutting decisions and an insufficient safety system, but also concluded that the spill resulted from "systemic" root causes and "absent significant reform in both industry practices and government policies, might well recur"

As of February 2013, criminal and civil settlements and payments to a trust fund had cost the company $42.2 billion

NOAA had closed 36% of Federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico, for commercial fishing causing $2.5 billion cost.

The U.S. Travel Association estimated that the economic impact of the oil spill on tourism over a three-year period could be $23 billion, in a region that supports over 400,000 travel industry jobs generating $34 billion in revenue annually.

FOOD & HEALTH: OBESITY

Obesity in the United States has been increasingly cited as a major health issue in recent decades. While many industrialized countries have experienced similar increases, obesity rates in the United States are among the highest in the world.

From 13% obesity in 1962, estimates have steadily increased, reaching 19.4% in 1997, 24.5% in 2004, 26.6% in 2007, and 33.8% (adults) and 17% (children) in 2008. In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported higher numbers once more, counting 35.7% of American adults as obese, and 17% of American children.

Obesity has been cited as a contributing factor to approximately 100,000–400,000 deaths in the United States per year and has increased health care use and expenditures, costing society an estimated $117 billion in direct (preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services related to weight) and indirect (absenteeism, loss of future earnings due to premature death) costs and accounts for 6% to 12% of national health care expenditures in the United States.

Under pressure from parents and anti-obesity advocates, many school districts moved to ban sodas, junk foods, and candy from vending machines and cafeterias. State legislators in California, for example, passed laws banning the sale of machine-dispensed snacks and drinks in elementary schools in 2003, despite objections by the California-Nevada Soft Drink Association.

In 2008 New York City was the first city to pass a “labeling bill” that “require[d] restaurants” in several cities and states to “post the caloric content of all regular menu items, in a prominent place and using the same font and format as the price.”

HealthCorps work to educate people on healthy eating and advocate for healthy food choices in an effort to combat obesity

GLOBAL INTERACTIONS: ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

Greenpeace evolved from the peace movement and anti-nuclear protests in Vancouver, British Columbia, in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Greenpeace is known for its direct actions and has been described as the most visible environmental organization in the world. Greenpeace has raised environmental issues to public knowledge. Greenpeace has also been a source of controversy; its motives and methods have received criticism

Lawsuits have been filed against Greenpeace for lost profits, reputation damage and "sailormongering”.

Some corporations, such as Royal Dutch Shell, BP and Électricité de France have reacted to Greenpeace campaigns by spying on Greenpeace activities and infiltrating Greenpeace offices. Greenpeace activists have also been targets of phone tapping, death threats, violence and even state terrorism in the case of bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.

Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organization that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace by:Catalysing an energy revolution to address the number one threat facing our planet: climate change.Defending our oceans by challenging wasteful and destructive fishing, and creating a global network of marine reserves.Protecting the world’s remaining ancient forests which are depended on by many animals, plants and people.Working for disarmament and peace by reducing dependence on finite resources and calling for the elimination of all nuclear weapons.Creating a toxin free future with safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals in today's products and manufacturing.Campaigning for sustainable agriculture by encouraging socially and ecologically responsible farming practices.

GLOBAL INTERACTIONS: SOCIO-CULTURAL AMERICANIZATION

Americanization is a term for the influence the United States has on the culture of other countries, such as their popular culture, cuisine, technology, business practices, or political techniques.

Hollywood (the American film and television industry) dominates most of the world's media markets. It is the chief medium by which people across the globe see American fashions, customs, scenery and way of life.

Many U.S.-based artists, such as Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson are recognized worldwide and have sold over 500 million albums each. Michael Jackson's album Thriller, at 100 million sales, is the best-selling album of all time.

According to a recent survey by the influential British broadcast media magazine Radio Times, The Simpsons, Lost and Desperate Housewives are among the most watched TV shows, with CSI being the most watched show among the surveyed 20 countries

Of the top ten global brands, seven are based in the United States. Coca-Cola, which holds the top spot, is often viewed as a symbol of Americanization. Fast food is also often viewed as being a symbol of U.S. marketing dominance. Companies such as Starbucks, McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Domino's Pizza among others have numerous outlets around the world.

Public opinion began to resent American advertising and business methods, personnel policies, and the use of the English language by American companies. Criticism was also directed toward the international currency system which was blamed for inflationary tendencies as a result of the dominant position of the U.S. dollar.

GLOBAL INTERACTIONS: FINANCIAL FLOWS/SOCIOCULTURAL MCDONALDIZATION

McDonaldization is a term used by sociologist George Ritzer in his book The McDonaldization of Society (1993). He explains it occurs when a culture possesses the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant.

McDonald's adjust to local cultural preferences and the result is a diminution of the original McDonald's product. In fact, the more the company adjusts to local conditions the more appeal of the specifically American product may be lost. At the end of the day, McDonald's is a contributing factor to glocalization.

This global presence led the British magazine The Economist to develop the Big Mac index , which involves comparing the price of a hamburger (the Big Mac , the most famous of the chain) in all countries where they sell it and establish a parameter common costs of living in each country and whether currencies are overvalued relative to the U.S. dollar .

McDonalds serves around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries.

McDonald's revenues grew 27 percent over the three years ending in 2007 to $22.8 billion, and 9 percent growth in operating income to $3.9 billion

Thomas Friedman once said that no country with a McDonald's had gone to war with another. However, the "Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention" is not strictly true. Exceptions include 1989 United States Invasion of Panama

McDonald's is the world's largest distributor of toys, which it includes with kids meals. It has been alleged that the use of popular toys encourages children to eat more McDonald's food, thereby contributing to many children's health problems, including a rise in obesity

The soya that is fed to McDonald’s chickens comes directly from Brazil. Greenpeace alleges that not only is soya destroying the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, but soya farmers are guilty of further crimes including slavery & the invasion of indigenous peoples’ lands.