“Another cycling story this week! While cycling last weekend, I noticed a street corner where about 100 Hispanic guys were hanging out, all of whom appeared rather impoverished. I dismounted my bike and went up and asked (in Spanish) what was going on. They said that they were waiting for work. They explained that each morning, prospective employers drive by that particular corner to hire workers. The employer announces, for example, that he needs a roofer or a painter and then selects which of the workers he wishes to hire. So, here was a classic example of the spontaneous order — a labor market with no overhead popping up to satisfy the needs of employers, workers, and consumers. One of the younger men (23) told me that he was from Honduras. After arriving in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico (which is directly across from my hometown of Laredo, Texas), he paid $1,000 to a ‘coyote’ to cross him into the U.S. by swimming across the Rio Grande (a dangerous undertaking at Laredo due to the currents). From there, he traveled north to Washington. I asked him why he risked his life to do this and he responded, ‘To make money.’ He told me that he sends part of his money back to Honduras to help his mother and saves the other part for when he ultimately returns home. I thanked them for coming to the U.S. and for helping us out, got back on my bike, and rode off, reflecting on the wonders of human nature and the market process.”
CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “The Benefits That Immigration Brings”
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