Week 11: "Mi Casa es su Casa"

“Marta…no, Estela…no, Lydia.....no.....ahh, Ofelia, there she is, my mom for the next month!” On Saturday, April 5th we got to meet our Mexican families that we are going to be living with for the next month. Before we loaded the taxis with our luggage and excitement, the families and students entered into a large group to discuss the essential pieces of the pie in order to have a successful homestay. After easing any concerns or doubts that either the students or families had, we said our good byes to one another and off we went to settle into our new homes. I believe the purpose of this homestay is for us to learn more about the customs, the traditions, and the culture of Mexico and of course I cannot forget the desire to improve our Spanish speaking skills. We all live with different families ranging from single moms to big “traditional” families to same sex couples. After spending a week in my homestay I think that this experience has been and will continue to be a very enriching part of our stay here in Mexico because we are not only reading about the customs and traditions of Mexican families but we are living them and breathing them as if they were our own. We are all very grateful to our families for opening their homes and their hearts to us and treating us as if the same blood ran through our bodies. In response to this hospitality, I believe many of our hearts and minds have been opened to a new way of thinking. The U.S culture tends to have the mind set, “what’s mine is mine” and “to each their own.” But here in Mexico, life is different. The majorities of people are always considerate of one another and want to make sure that the other is taken care of. A common saying here in Mexico is, “Mi casa es su casa.” What’s mine…is yours.

However, the existence of some people’s homes are being threatened by massive housing developments. On Friday, April 11th we were very fortunate to have Don Saul Roque share with us the visions and the goals of an organization he belongs to called 13 Pueblos (towns). Don Saul Roque, who is a resident of one of these towns stated, “It’s not the housing developments that we are against because we know that people need a place to live. We are against the fact that the government is allowing the developments to be built where natural resources are being severely affected.”[1] The people of these towns believe that nature gives life and that it should be reserved. There are natural springs located within these pueblos in which the townspeople rely on for drinking, bathing, cooking and washing clothes; the basic necessities which water should provide all people with. I have a lot of respect and admiration for this organization because they are fighting with all their soul for something I consider to be a basic human right. As my compañera (classmate) Hyacinth said, “Although it may seem like housing developments are a good idea from the outside looking in, we aren’t always aware of whom it may negatively impact.”[2] I want to thank Don Saul Roque for sharing this information with a culture of students who are known for consumption; I can’t imagine it was easy. He helped to open our hearts and minds to understand the ‘true value’ of something as simple as water.

-by Julie Schellack

[1] Don Saul Roque, speaker from 13 Pueblos, April 11th 2008
[2] Hyacinth Mosse, social work student, April 11th 2008