Week 2: Exploring Mexican History and Culture

Does there always have to be more than one way to look at a question, a building, a piece of literature, etc.? These were questions that had to be answered during this week.

A visit to a convent and retreat center gave us the chance to better understand the significance that the Virgin of Guadalupe played and plays in the lives of the Mexican people. She appeared to an indigenous man, Juan Diego, at a time when the Spanish had already taken over and conquered Mexico for themselves. The Virgin is known as a saint by many today because she was able to bridge the gap between the old religions of the indigenous peoples with the new influence of Spanish Catholicism. She appeared to bring peace between the two religions. But is this always the case when at times this image is used to hinder the growth and strength of women in this culture as they strive to reach an unattainable image of purity and greatness?

A visit to Hernan Cortés’ palace in Cuernavaca revealed a magnificent mural painted on the walls by Diego Rivera called “History of Morelos, Conquest and Revolution.” As our eyes scanned the massive walls that displayed indigenous people being slaughtered and forced into slavery by the Spanish, it was clear the name of the mural did not clearly portray the contents of the work. Where was the revolution that Diego Rivera strived to bring and portray in his works? Each day when we go out into Mexico and see the struggles that Mexicans face, we are privileged to see glimpses of this revolution. Rivera’s murals conveyed a message of hope—a message that requires us to learn from the past and to make for ourselves a better future.

One of the ways Mexico tried to make a better future was to join Canada and the U.S. in the well-known NAFTA agreement. Even though this treaty was meant to benefit all three countries involved, it has instead increased the power of Canada and the U.S. while diminishing the power of Mexico. A representative of the Unión de Pueblos de Morelos, Emilio Garcia [1], explained this phenomena as he described what has been going on in Mexico since the passing of NAFTA in 1994. He spoke to us about current political events in Mexico. The Mexican people have been greatly hurt as mass-producing companies come in and buy out the small lands of the farmers. To make matters worse, the agricultural sector in Mexico can’t compete with a market in America. The statistics are staggering—1180 tractors per 1000 farmers in the U.S., compared to 20 per 1000 farmers in Mexico. Not to mention the production cost has gone up 450% for Mexican farmers. Looking at this issue from a social work systems perspective, it is easy to see why so many Mexicans are forced to migrate to other countries or enter into illegal activities. Mexico is a world of juxtapositions.

[1] From a talk given on February 7, 2008 at Casa Verde in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

-by Abbie Sumrall