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Javier Chagoya, the new consul for Mexico in Salt Lake City, wears a lapel pin with the flags of both Mexico and the United States flying together.

It is a symbol for something he seeks to promote.

"We are allies. You don't have to see us as enemies," Chagoya says, adding that he knows many U.S. citizens view Mexico with a distrust that he blames on long misunderstandings.

That includes anxiety over undocumented Mexican immigrants who many argue take away jobs or unfairly benefit from U.S. taxpayer-funded programs, or a dark perception about other problems in Mexico from drug trafficking to violence.

Chagoya says Mexican immigrants bring many unrecognized benefits. As for the other problems, "They exist; we cannot deny it. But in every country there are criminals. Every country has good people and bad." He says conditions often are portrayed as worse than they are and insists that tourists may travel safely there.

Chagoya, an attorney, has been a Mexican diplomat for 34 years. He became the country's consul in Salt Lake City (one of 50 consulates nationwide) June 1. He has been a consul previously in Guatemala and Ecuador, and held other diplomatic posts in Denver, Miami, Seattle and Jamaica.

As consul, he oversees efforts to serve Mexicans living in Utah — from ensuring those arrested or facing deportation hearings here are treated fairly to providing documents they may need from passports to Mexican voting cards and identification papers.

He also seeks to improve how Utahns view Mexico and Mexicans living here — those who are documented and undocumented. He notes that 35 million Mexicans now live in the United States.

Immigration myths • Chagoya says many U.S. citizens cannot fathom why so many Mexicans have immigrated, often without documents, or the poverty that helps fuel it.

"In Mexico, if you work all day, you can make $10. Here you can make $10 in an hour," he says. "That is the difference that attracts people."

In some places in Mexico, he adds, it's difficult to find any employment — although his country is working to improve those prospects. That makes some desperate, and they leave.

Many of them "don't know anything about laws. They are just trying to make a life," Chagoya says, noting that legal immigration to the United States is extraordinarily hard and requires years. That doesn't solve tough, immediate needs.

He says many U.S. citizens believe the problem of undocumented immigrants is worse than it is.

"There actually are more people returning to Mexico than are coming to the United States," for example, he says, a fact verified by U.S. Census Bureau data.

Chagoya lists many reasons for that reverse migration.

Mexico's economy is improving and offers more opportunities. Many immigrants have saved money and want to return home, especially older people. "It's cheaper to live there," he says. Some feel they lack respect here; some are deported.

Benefits to U.S. • Chagoya says half the Mexicans in the United States are here legally and bring benefits many may not realize — including spending an estimated $1.5 trillion a year here to boost the economy.

"Many say Mexicans send all their money back to Mexico. That's a lie," he says, pointing to studies that estimate they spend about 87 percent of their earnings here.

"Sometimes people think Mexicans don't pay taxes. I can tell you that everyone is paying taxes," Chagoya says. "You cannot live in the United States without paying taxes."

That includes sales taxes on purchases. Also, "If you live in a house, you rent it. And it you rent it, you are helping the owner to pay property taxes."

He explains that even undocumented immigrants who work "with an invented Social Security number" pay into Medicare, Social Security and other payroll taxes, but never will likely receive any of the benefits because of their status.

Chagoya says Mexicans in the United States "start a lot of businesses, so they create employment."

Finally, in areas such as agriculture, without immigrants, farmers "don't get the people they want who will work for what they want to pay." Many Utah farmers complain that they leave crops in the field every year because they cannot find enough workers to harvest them.

"They are hard workers," Chagoya says of the immigrants. "Sometimes the people leave because they feel persecuted, that they are not welcome. They are not respected even if they are here with documents."

Neighbor, partner • Chagoya would like to show that Mexico is a partner in other ways.

"Mexico is the second-largest importer from the United States," he says. "Mexico buys a lot from the United States in basic materials" and often exports back manufactured goods. "That creates a lot of jobs in Mexico and the United States."

A lot of people also move back and forth across the border — legally — every day as a sign of close relations between the nations.

"You cannot imagine how many people cross every day legally," he says. "Approximately 1 million cross every day legally in more than 300,000 vehicles."

Chagoya would also like to assure U.S. tourists that travel in Mexico is safe and fun.

"The problem is publicity, and how they portray it in the movies," he says, again noting that all countries have crime, and Mexico is no exception.

"In some places in Mexico, you can be as secure as in Finland," he says. "Riviera Maya, Yucatan, Tabasco all have a very low crime rate."

He hopes that tourists will research and realize that — and then enjoy Mexico's beaches, Mayan ruins and culture. "We have a lot of beautiful things that people can enjoy, and there is no danger."

He adds, "We love the people from the United States. We have a lot of respect for them, and we want that respect for us.

"That is how we would like them to see Mexico, as a partner — not just someone who sends people here."