The economic crisis, coupled with rising violence in Mexico, prompted fewer immigrants to travel south of the border for the holidays in 2009, Mexican officials said.

Many Mexican [Mexico] immigrants decided to skip traditional Christmas vacations because they lost their jobs and couldn’t afford the trip, according to the Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino.

The consulate serves San Bernardino and Riverside counties, home to nearly 1.6million people of Mexican origin.

“Unfortunately, the bad economic situation here and in Mexico has affected travel,” said Federico Bass, the consulate’s director of political affairs. “Fewer people have the resources to make the trip and take gifts to family members and pay for gas and food along the way.”

The consulate issues permits that are required for legal residents and U.S. citizens to drive their vehicles in Mexico for up to six months.

The number of permits issued declined about 20percent for the first three weeks of December compared to the same period in 2008, Bass said.

Laura Medina, a 38-year-old Mexican immigrant, said she was laid off in June from her job at a plating company. So she was unable to make her annual Christmas visit to Mexico City with her 4-year-old daughter.

“I usually go once or twice a year, but this year for the holidays I couldn’t afford it,” Medina said. “It’s sad because the way people celebrate Christmas in Mexico is very beautiful.” – read more @ sbsun.com