Uh, HTA associations were HUGE among Italian Americans. When I lived in the Bronz, there was the Catania and Corleone social clubs founded by men from those two Sicillian villages. They were also big among German and Greek Americans, but were probably most popular among Italians. Just a little history.
Yes, thank you for the additional info. I noted that HTAs have long been part of immigrant lives here in the U.S.
IMO there is a difference today. Perhaps you can provide sources that document that HTAs were so important to the home countries' governments.
To wit, Mexican citizens here have "HTAs [that] support community projects such as street work, water provision, parks, bridges, ambulance services, libraries, sports facilities, and the restoration and building of churches." IMO that's taxation and given peer pressure, just how voluntary are these "group" remittances, I wonder.
There are an estimated 1500 "clubs" here in the U.S. and the Mexican consulates are active in organizing them. Was that true in the past besides pre-W.W.II Germany? That is, have foreign governments openly organized their citizens living here?
"The Mexican government has used its consulates in the United States as a vehicle to recognize HTAs as legal entities and work with them to channel funds to poor Mexican communities."
http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/0205/remittance2of2.html
However, some citizens of Mexico living here choose to avoid Mexico consulate involvement owing to Mexican corruption even here in the U.S.!