Ask a Mexican Anything

[open_space]

Edit: After thinking about it, I started the post as a place for the controversy regarding ethnic and cultural movements in society and their polite discussion but I think if I make another it would be about other things as well, given the jolly reception, with an opening line of a theme perhaps, as we did with this one about immigration. Is there an interest in a particular theme about Mexico and Latino related things? If yes let me know in the comment section and if not, the next post will be about food. A recipe perhaps? Odd dishes of far away local markets?

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Something I've noticed in the past five years is that some people are very touchy and yet curious about immigration matters; the nations involved and their culture and the corresponding implications in the societies of the nations involved, but most people I've tried engaging with are afraid of getting down to real talk to not offend, me or somebody else. I appreciate the gesture for sure given today's broad hysteria and conversations can get tough, but this I intend for such things to be discussed without them becoming personal.

Me? I like that immigration matters are brought to the fore after centuries of imperial immigrant abuse, but I also think that many of my fellow Mexicans and latinos here in the U.S seem to be enjoying too much the attention that SJWs have given them and turned capricious or they have been dumped by their apparent saviors and switched sides. They have good points but they also have blindspots --and some of their supporters magnify those with wishful thinking, that seems either self-sabotage or just ignorance about politics and economics. And even others, who used to favor the wall vehemently, now live in Puerto Vallarta or what not.

The image is the stunning sculpture Promerica by Polish American artist Stanisław Szukalski and it depicts his vision for the Americas: science and mysticism; engineering and magic; european and indigenous, working together. Oh, and when the wind hits it in the right way, the whole monument hums. He wanted it to be in the border between Texas ans Mexico where a university would be founded. He meant it as a mexican priest blessing an american engineer's blueprints but it can go both ways in today's America. It could very well be a Druid, Wiccan high priestess or Sioux medicine man blessing the code of an Ecuadorian software developer.

Ask me anything about being Mexican in the US; growing up in Mexico and it's history; Spanish language and mesoamerican esoterica; culture shock, food, art or religion; the differences between the US and Mexico; what I think about immigration policies, stereotypes. You get the idea, controversial, pleasant or just curious, I'll gladly answer it. You can just drop by and I'll listen too.

Comments

[lp9]

I am seeing some well-off acquaintances I know retiring early (mid-50s)/working remotely and moving from the US to Mexico. They don't have any ties to the country and don't speak Spanish; they are looking for warmer weather and a lower cost of living.

Based on your knowledge of Mexico, do you think that's a good idea? What do you think Mexico will look like in the long descent, as the U.S. empire wanes and we all have less access to fossil fuels? Any regions you think will fare better than others?

[open_space]

Thank you!

Bam, straight ahead ;-) I like it.

It's a terrible idea in my opinion. I personally don't really like people doing that. It's a huge stress in the social and economical structure and it's already had many problems and displaced many families from the areas tourist find pretty and cool and gentrification is already felt just from these two years very strongly. Remember that 70% of Mexico is poor, and 30% extremely poor and has been one of the most abused cultures during the colonization of the Americas, I think we've given them enough. I guess that's the karma we have to deal with, LA being the second capital of Mexico and most by illegal immigration, but I honestly wish it becomes an illegal practice for example, for American or European people to buy all the land at local prices, a tax should be applied that makes it square with foreign land to help house and feed the poor or at least being able to make competing offers by locals. I don't have a problem in itself, it just isn't fair and it's having way too much of an impact, unfortunately and I truly do not like beaches turned to resorts. My cousin works for an American owned hotel and the sentiment isn't good; wouldn't like Mexico to become what was of Costa Rica were all the locals please the foreigners and are displaced to the slums. A Costa Rican tour guide told me a harrowing story about crack abuse and family violence in Costa Rica after this. This of course, speaking in very general terms, you'll understand, speaking from the problematic side of things. A friend of mind moved to Mexico City and loves it, but he moved to a local job for a Mexican company, I'm okay with that.

The locals are getting angry however, it's already made the news and the government there won't really do anything if someone gets lynched by angry peasants or pissed Narcos. Unfortunately we have a very complicated relationship that way... and the government doesn't care as long as it sees a cut from those sweet dollars.

In the longer span of things, I think Mexico is going to do very well in the Long Descent. Though I am afraid of the shock, because the U.S gets very keen of Mexico sometimes but forgets we have strong intellectual ties with Russia and our president is a populist, with no sight of the trend changing for the whole of Latin America were most heads of state are populists right now. For example, the largest research university system, UNAM had a lot of russian intellectuals as teachers after the World Wars and we work closely with Cuba and that can still be felt.

Huge changes are coming for the next 50-100 years that I think will include a recovery of indigenous identity among other things. I am not sure we have enough water for the Northern part of the country to exist as is, but with the climate belts moving upwards, the south of Mexico might get more tropical jungle and the now deserted north will become the climate that is now north of Mexico City, leaving the East Coast in the middle of what now is the Sonora Desert. So at least in that sense is looking lush for the territory. A Mayan Revival? I don't think that'd be a completely crazy idea. Today there are thousands and thousands of practitioners, and traditional medicine mixed up with hoodoo is making a comeback in the popular eye as well as the works of Jacobo Grinberg regarding mexican shamanism, so whatever the powers that brought once that civilization seems to be very much active and making contact with all sorts of people. I saw someone in Magic Monday asked about a dream he had about Tonatiuh, the God of the Sun, most likely.

[lp9]

Thank you! I suspected that wealthy Americans moving in wouldn't be looked upon too fondly...

I think the religious aspects of these changes will be very interesting as we see regionalism across the Americas increase and US influence fade.

[open_space]

It's not even about the wealthy part. It's good they come and move money around our economy, but, that also gives them a lot of power. What we don't like is people coming in feeling as if they own the place and displacing the citizens.

[open_space]

I think the U.S migration movement is going to be an important part in the recovery of indigenous identity, for what is worth.