Complex sentence: Food shortages were common in Mexico while most of the foodstuffs produced were exported; hunger, along with a growing population, prompted many Mexicans to attempt to enter the U.S., legally or illegally, in search of wages and a better life.
Split into simpler sentences: Food shortages were common in Mexico while most of the foodstuffs produced were exported. Hunger and population growth prompted many Mexicans to attempt to enter the U.S., legally or illegally, in search of wages and a better life.