mexico cultural immersion experience
DESCRIPTION
In 2007 I traveled to rural Mexico with the Puentes/Bridges Program. In February 2008 I shared my experience at a Southern Wisconsin Rural Imigration Summit.TRANSCRIPT
Life in Rural Mexico: Lessons from a Cultural Immersion
Experience
Jenny Erickson, Sauk County UWEX
This is NOT the Mexico we visited!
This is the Mexico we visited.
www.puentesbridges.org/
This is the story of my experience.
Mexico
Two Worlds
The Farmer’s Story WI farmers needed additional workers Hesitant to hire Mexican employees
at first Employees provide documentation Pay is $10/hour Now farms rely on Mexican employees
Hispanics made up about 40% of all U.S. agricultural workers in 2005. (Census Bureau)
The Mexican’s Story
Difficult to make a living in Mexico.
Benefits of working in the US are obvious.
Workers typically want to return to Mexico
Becoming more difficult to cross the border
More likely to move family to the US
Long Term ImpactsSome investment in infrastructure
Patrone
Father figure Usually a man Upper middle class The person who distributes the pay Someone you have to “obey”
Expectations of a Patrone
Mexican employees expect to work hard, but they expect help, protection and support when they need it.– Attend family gatherings if invited– Take employee to the doctor– If necessary, help employee get out of
trouble
Buena Vista
Crossing the Border
Cost about $5,000 to $8,000 dollars Borrow money from community
members Hire a “coyote” or smuggler to get
across the border Nearly 500 die
crossing the border each year
Expected to helpthe next person
Crossing the Border
Main causes of death at the border:– Hypothermia– Dehydration– Sun stroke– Stinging by poisonous insects– Drowning– Car Accidents– Homicide
US Border Patrol Statistics
Unauthorized Immigrant Population
11,550,000 unauthorized immigrants residing in US (arrived 1980-2006)– 8.4 million from North America– 1.4 million from Asia– 1.0 million from South America– 0.5 million from Europe
Department of Homeland Security
Duel Identity In Mexico these
employees are seen as as providers, responsible and hardworking
In US they are seen as illegal.
Salgado de Synder, 1996
Remittances
$23.1 billion in remittances to Mexico in 2006
Summary Impact of US dollars
on Mexico was prevalent
Many opportunities for cultural miscommunication
Mexican people were outstanding
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