Diplomat leaves Mexican consulate in good stead

A tiny girl with polka dots on her shoes yells for her sister, who comes running. A father, sifting through documents, holds a toddler on his lap.

At the Mexican consulate in St. Paul, the business is about paperwork, yet you can't help but notice the families.

For nearly three years since it opened on the city's East Side, the consulate has helped to build bridges between the state's new immigrant families and the communities in which they live, and Nathan Wolf, the consul general, has been its leader from the start.

A new foreign-service job, however, soon will take Wolf back to Mexico City, away from the Minnesota Vikings games that he's come to love. And away from state debates over the matricula consular -- the Mexican identification card that police and many private companies accept as legal, yet critics say makes life too easy for undocumented people.

Wolf's last day on the job was Friday, but he's remained busy. A few weeks ago, he signed an agreement calling for the consulate to help direct immigrant families and the Latino community to health care services.

Recently, Wolf spoke with the Star Tribune.

Q Remind us again why you're leaving.

Q So, it's nothing to do with the weather?

A No, actually, I really like the cold. Nobody believes me, but I prefer cold weather rather than warm weather. Maybe today (a day it was below zero) is too extreme. But the truth is: You really are prepared for it. The times that you really suffer are very small.

Q For those new to your work, could you tell us what you do here at the consulate?

A Since our opening, we have an average of 100 to 150 people every day stopping by the consulate. We issue any kind of official Mexican documents. Can be passports, can be the matricula consular, which is the consular ID. We issue tourist visas.

Q One of the first stories about you said you planned to work in St. Paul, but live in Minneapolis, so you could get a full sense of the region. Did that work for you?

Q Tell us about the matricula consular -- and what you see as its benefits.

A It is a document that helps people not live in the shadows. For the police, you can know who is that person, and that the person lives in the 200 block of 7th Street. Any Mexican citizen living abroad can have this ID. It is a very secure document. It has been accepted at most of the bank institutions all over the country in order to open a bank account, a checking account, in some cases to help get credit or a mortgage.

Q Will the controversy over it ever let up?

A At the political level, the controversy will continue until there is some immigration reform. I don't know what has to be decided by the U.S. Congress, but the problem is -- and I think it is the only thing everyone agrees on -- is that something has to be done. So, it is a door open to make controversy, to make political speeches, just to attract the spotlight. I hope that with whatever decision they come up with regarding immigration that they will recognize also the contributions of these migrants. All of the time we just hear about the bad things. Which, by the way, are the less of the things.

Q During your travels, your speaking engagements, has there been anything that you've learned about Minnesotans that might surprise people?

Q Here on the East Side, near the consulate, 3M is moving out, which some neighbors might see as a blow. Do you get to get out much in the neighborhood? Do you think it can prosper?

A I think that this building, and I don't mean just the consulate, but also CLUES, which has really good services for the Latina community, that this is a really good spot for people to come. We have started to see people opening services and restaurants. I think they're revitalizing this area.

Q You have hopes for the East Side, then?

A Yes, I really like it.

Q Sounds like you've enjoyed your time here in Minnesota.

Q In Mexico City, you could start watching soccer again, however.

A Soccer, yes, but actually, almost at the same level, I like American football. I have been a fan of American football since I was a kid.