mexico cultural immersion experience

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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