The logic is obvious: immigrants have added so much to the U.S. economy and culture that the U.S. response to Mexican immigration should be the same: encourage emigration to Mexico by populations seeking a better life. Just as Mexicans seek economic and social gains in the U.S., so people elsewhere would very likely see Mexico as an improvement over their difficult circumstances. While some argue that Mexico is already multicultural, it has a long way to go.

The U.S., then, should immediately begin to encourage global emigration to Mexico. Mexico has lost at least 10 percent of its population to the U.S., leaving towns depopulated, schools empty, jobs unfilled, a yawning social gap as the best and brightest head to el Norte. It’s only fair that the U.S. take steps to replace the lost millions. Given a current population of 106 million according to the CIA, an influx of 10 million immigrants would give Mexico’s economy and culture an enormous boost.

And the best part of it? Mexico wouldn’t have to do anything. Remember, the U.S. is now going to play by Mexican rules, which means:

1. Immigration laws don’t count – economic necessity always trumps the rule of law

2. Immigrants need not bring visas, green cards, or any such bureaucratic nonsense. To paraphrase a wonderful movie set in Mexico, “Visas? We don’t need no stinkin’ visas!”

3. Mexico must welcome the new immigrants with open arms and swift changes to its social institutions. To do anything less would be racist, classist, and antithetical to the global value of diversity. In fact, Mexico has shown that it is perfectly capable of a proper "abrazo" for desperate people on the move from catastrophe -- "The Day After Tomorrow," surely the most prophetic movie ever made, nailed that point down to everybody's satisfaction.

At this point you’re no doubt thinking, “Sounds good, what next?”

First, the U.S. should reach out to find 10 million people who would want to move to Mexico. Given the groups that have added so much to the rich ethnic diversity of the U.S., my suggestion is:
3 million from China
3 million from India
3 million from Russia
1 million selected at random to enhance the “rainbow effect” for Mexico. Haiti, Albania, and Denmark sound like a good start.

This selection will provide Mexico with an excellent mix of new citizens, many of whom will be deeply grateful for the opportunity to leave areas of poverty, corruption, and economic hopelessness for everything that Mexico offers.

I see the U.S. government distributing materials in these countries touting Mexico as the land of opportunity and sunshine. Private transportation companies would handle the movement to the shores of Mexico, but the U.S. government could make some battleships available to pick up the slack. The materials would give immigrants pointers on how to thrive in their new country -- a gracious acknowledgement of the pathbreaking pamphlet prepared by the Mexican government for illegal immigrants to the U.S.

Naturally, the presence of millions of newcomers will pose a challenge for Mexican public officials and civil society. Schools must soon begin a vigorous program of "quadrilingual" education, instructing children in Hindi, Cantonese, Russian, and Spanish. Public spaces now devoted to soccer will now have areas strictly allocated to chess, tai chi, and Bollywood song-and-dance presentations.

The world-famous Mexican police forces will especially want to prepare to welcome the millions of new residents. Their languages, customs, and attitudes toward Mexican authority may differ from the norm. With that in mind, Mexican police should start their own quadrilingual training and sensitivity programs to help them deal in a calm, honest, and reassuring manner with the newcomers who will put their trust in professional functioning of local law-enforcement.

Mexican police can greatly benefit from the example of U.S.counterparts, who enthusiastically embrace sensitivity training that smooths out potential misunderstanding between police and those they serve and protect. With that in place, the Mexican police can get back to a focus on crime.

Most likely the newcomers will maintain political ties with their old countries, necessitating many visits by politicians from abroad seeking votes of citizens living in Mexico. Some of them, such as this group, might have valuable ideas to contribute to the Mexican political debate. This doesn't apply to China, of course, where the only parties are the Communist Party and the Going-Away Party.

No doubt El Inmigracion Grande de 2006 will challenge Mexico as it becomes a more richly diverse society. The newcomers will arrive with aspirations and perspectives that may differ from the norm. But I'm confident Mexico is up to the challenge. The U.S. can only benefit by playing the immigration game by Mexican rules. As Mexicans will learn to say from their new Russian compadres, "Ochen spacibo!"

Perhaps the old saying, "Mexico -- so far from God, so close to the United States," will be modified, to say, "Mexico, so far from God, but now much closer to Russia, China, and India."