A the Rio Grande Is the Fourth Longest River in the USA

A B C The Rio Grande is the fourth “Jonaleros” are Mexican migrants who wait Enrique Canchola is a 42 year old longest river in the USA. on street corners in American cities to be Mexican from Zacatecas. collected for work such as painting, moving furniture, gardening and farming.

D E F Five percent of Mexico’s population Zacatecas is a city that is 450 miles In, 1998, there were 5 million are undernourished. This isn’t a from the border with the USA. migrants into the USA and only one problem in the USA. million were legal. Over half, 2.7 million, were from Mexico.

G H I His plan was potentially deadly. It 88% of people in Mexico have The average hourly wage in Mexico is was really hot and he risked access to safe drinking water. In $ 3.49 but it is $ 6.75 in California, suffocation. the USA everybody has access to USA. safe drinking water.

J K L Last time, Enrique tried to swim The guards at the San Ysidoro His family hope he’ll be able to send across the polluted Rio Grande at crossing saw his legs sticking out. money back home. Enrique plans to night with ten other people, but he return in 6 months or so. was caught and sent back. M N O He sliced off the top of the leather The border is 1, 950 miles long and Unemployment is rising in Zacatecas. seat and wriggled inside the cushion. patrolled by armed guards in jeeps, Mining is no longer as profitable. on horses and in helicopters with searchlights.

P Q R His friend drove the car. Enrique’s The river forms half of the border Enrique has a wife and two young plan was very different! to separate the two countries. daughters. His daughters are often ill.

S T U The USA government spends more Zacatecas is 2,400 metres above Many try to cross the border in the money on education and healthcare sea level. There are few rivers hope of a better life. than Mexico’s government. nearby which creates water supply problems for agriculture.

V W X Last year there were 356 deaths 18% of people in Mexico live on less In the USA, 8 out of 10 have a car. along the border. The USA claims than 60 pence per day, it is less In Mexico, 2 out of 10 have a car. the main cause was exhaustion. than 1% in the USA.