Zune Social: *I added info . Look for the asterisk to see the changes.
Due to the fact that it's Hispanic Heritage Month in the States, I'd like to share with you all some of my experiences since my family had to leave the US thanks to the pessimal economy; we would have become homeless had we not left our home in San Diego because our expenses were far greater than our earnings.
I'd gladly talk about any of the other 20 or so countries that make up "Latin" America, but I don't talk about things I don't know about.
I've been living in Mexico with my parents and sister, Amy, since the night of 4 April 2010, (first time since I was born.. I'm 23), and I've been able to compare and contrast what I know about the United States and what I'm learning about Mexico. Yes, learning.
You might now be thinking "What gives this chick the expertise to compare the US to a country like Mexico?" Well, I've lived in seven different cities in Riverside and San Diego Counties in Southern California since I was an infant, as a child I attended three different elementary schools, one middle school, two high schools, and community college, I've traveled up and down the California coast, I've road tripped from San Diego, CA to Great Barrington, MA, I've been to 26 out of the 50 states, and (oh snap) I'm objective.
And if you're wondering, because I know you are, I am a US citizen, I did cross the border with a valid and 100% legal passport, and my overall experience isn't as eventful as you might hope. The only commotion there is to tell about is that INS (now USCIS) gave me a Worker's Permit when I was eight. But given that it's perfectly legal for a seven year old to work the fields in CA, I don't know how much of a mistake that really was.
Now I know that some of you may not like the comparisons, but I really don't care; this is MY opinion, MY perspective, how I see things as a child of two nations; I simultaneously belong to both and neither.
You're free to think however you wish, don't think I don't have the same right. I'm just hoping to be able to give you some insight to something you think you know about the US's southern neighbor.
- In Tijuana, Rosarito, and Ensenada green light means honk your horn until the car in in front of you moves, yellow light means floor it, and red light means go. People here blow through red lights like there's no tomorrow. Stop signs are more like "Yield" signs. Same thing happens in Philadelphia, the disregard for red lights. So I guess it isn't a big deal. It's also fine if you don't use your directional signals and dart in and out of lanes. I'm told it's very similar to how it is in Miami, FL. Just don't try to pull this mess off in CA.
- No one knows how to drive. Kind of like in New York.
- When you say America, you mean the USA. When anyone else outside of the US says America, they mean the Western Hemisphere because it's all America: North AMERICA and South AMERICA. Everyone is American.
- One of the big shockers I got once in Mexico is that kids aren't strapped into the backseat. They're all bouncing around in the car, without the parentals caring much. I'm waiting to see a kid fly 25 feet out the windshield to see if parents begin to care.
- I'm not going to sugar coat it: Mexico is a Third World Country. You'd think that the poverty here isn't anything like what the US deals with. It isn't. The type of poverty in Mexico isn't the same as in the States. In Mexico, people all have a home to go to at the end of the day. It might be a poorly built shack in a shanty town without any utilities, but it's a home. I'm not used not seeing homeless people sleeping in doorways or on the streets.
- At five feet, five inches tall, I am a giant among Mexicans. In flats, I can clearly see over most people's heads. As it turns out, I'm two to three inches taller than the international female average. That isn't made anymore clear to me than when I'm in crowded places. However, my sister and I are total Ginormica-status tall while in downtown L.A. Turns out that Guatemalans are teeny; I can see the top of their heads while in Chuck Taylor's.
- Oh yeah, Los Angeles, CA has the largest concentration of Guatemalans outside of Guatemala, while Chicago, iL has the largest concentration of Mexicans outside of Mexico.
- There are MANY US citizens that live in Tijuana and work in San Diego County. This includes US Federal employees. Life really is less expensive in Mexico, if you know what you're doing. You just have to deal with the commute.
- Wal*Mart, 7Eleven, AMPM, Carl's JR (Hardee's on the East Coast), Burger King, McDonald's, Blockbuster, CostCo, Home Depot, Subway, Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut (in select states), Sears, Office Depot and Office Max, M*A*C* Cosmetics (in select states), Applebee's, T.G.I. Friday's, among a few others are alive and fully functional in Mexico.
- I miss Black people. Not Mexican Black, either.. 'cause well, they're Mexican. I mean like US Black. I can go days without seeing a single Ebonics-speaking Black person. Makes me sad.
- Mexicans in Mexico want to be White: Mexican Olay and Garnier cater to that by offering skin lightening creams. They even include a little chart that lets you track your lightening progress. Mexicans in the US, not so much. At least, not me.
- EVERYONE delivers. ALL the restaurants. On little motor-scooters or mopeds, too.
- The food is monotonously all Mexican. However, it is the best damn Mexican food, period. Like ever. The best thing is that each state in Mexico (there are 31 and the capital: Mexico City) has their own specialty. I love food from Oaxaca (wah-ha-kah). Tacos Perrones (translation: Bitchin' Tacos. NO, not because they're made out of dogs, you sicko) from Rosarito are the most awesome tacos.
- Do not eat Chinese food in Mexico. Just don't. Or Japanese food. I know that the sushi in the US isn't exactly what people from Japan eat. But it's a hell of a lot closer than to what Mexicans pass off as sushi.
- Everything involving the government, infrastructure, city planning, road ways, revolves around Mexico City (aka D.F., Federal District). There are even taxes that the entire republic has to pay, that only benefit the D.F. If this fair? Hell no. But all the wealth, all the goods have been going to the D.F. since Cortez demanded all the riches be given to him. I think that's why no one outside the capital city likes people from the D.F.
- Thanks to all the drug cartels and general violence, the Mexican government has ordered the Federal Police (US Marshall equivalent) to patrol the streets. Along with the Mexican Army (mix of USMC and US Army), Mexican Navy (USMC and US Navy), Baja California State Police, and local police. What still trips me out is that they all run around blatantly swinging their AK-47's and such assault rifles like nothing. They also cover their faces with ski masks.
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| The Mexican Navy |
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| Mexican Feddies |
Hell, there are even armed guards outside the Carl's Jr in Mesa de Otay, Tijuana.
- No, ICE and CBP don't " protect the borders ". They're all (mostly) just racist assholes that hide behind a shiny badge and " national security ".
- I can't, and won't, speak for all of Mexico, but I have noted that the people of Tijuana want to be able to enjoy life without the fear of being caught in a gun fight. They seem to want to be able to socialize without having to worry about somehow being violently reprimanded. They want to be able to enjoy life and not have to be so cautious about who they socialize with. Shoot, they want to socialize!
- Back to the poverty thing: People in Mexico that peddle, usually offer something for your pocket change. Gum, a trinket, a song, or even a dance. When was the last time a homeless person in the States offered to wipe the dust off your car for a few cents? I never saw that in SoCal.
- Also, you cannot let the density of the impoverished get to you. It'll just wear away at you until you go mad. Not saying to ignore people that ask for money, either. It is heartbreaking for me to see so many children begging in the street for something to eat. I can only give so much before I'll need to start asking for pocket change myself.
- Don't drink the tap water in Mexico. It isn't due to "Montezuma's Revenge". It's due to the microorganisms you're body isn't used to. People from Mexico get just as sick when they drink tap water from the US.
- According to something I read in a magazine once, around 80% of all "Latinos" and "Hispanics" are lactose intolerant (including me and my mom). I was kind of floored to see that Mexican dairy companies have like a million different kinds of lactose-free milks. Sadly, their soy milk sucks ass, and I don't like the taste of cow milk anymore.
- Apparently the state of New Jersey, does not allow drivers to pump their own gas. I didn't know.. But anyway, the gas stations in Tijuana are mostly all owned by PeMex. They also pump your gas for you, check your car's oil, clean your windshield. Unless you want to do it yourself, it's all good.
- Street vendors are safe to buy food from. If they weren't, they wouldn't have a solid client foundation. I mean, I'm still here.
- *Mexicans come in all different depths of pigmentation. My maternal great-grandparents were lightly pigmented, light haired, and green eyed. Red hair and fair skin run in my dad's family. Yet, my paternal grandmother was nicknamed "La Negra" (The Black Female. No, it isn't offensive, shut up.). I have a a paternal aunt that was called "La Koreana" (The Korean), my dad has a cousin that looks like a Japanese mobster. Green eyes and fair skin run in my mom's side. I was confused for a Hawaiian child when i was little. People have thought that I'm Arab, Pacific Islander, Malaysian, or Philippine. I tease Amy by saying that she's Buddha's illegitimate child because of how she looked when she was born. Point is that there are blue-eyed, naturally blond Mexicans as there are deeply pigmented, dark featured Mexicans. We're not all brown on brown.
- As all the many countless times I was catcalled, rubbernecked, harassed, and oogled in the States, I was really expecting it to be worse once in Mexico. What else would I expect from a male-dominated, extremely Catholic, chauvinist country? You don't know how surprised I am that the men here seem to be so much more respectful than in the US. However, it seems like a lot of dudes in Tijuana are too metrosexual, if you catch my drift. They all also seem to wear the same cologne. Super lame.
- Overall, Mexicans appear to have this infatuation with Death. I think it's due to the early Catholic attempts to convert the Natives, for the Natives worshiped Death as a goddess. Mexico's patron saint is still female...
- The media greatly exaggerates the events of Mexico. Yes, there is violence. But it isn't like NYC, L.A., Detroit, Miami, Oakland, Chicago are the safest cities in the US. Don't do in Mexico what you wouldn't do in the States.
- Every single student, from grade school to the US equivalent of high school, must wear a uniform. Each school has their own color scheme and coat of arms. Don't try to use the argument of "freedom of expression". That doesn't exist in Mexico. Neither does freedom of speech. So who keeps her trap shut and is very careful about what she says and where?
- Oh yeah, I'm not Catholic. I wasn't raised in any religion, church, or religious organization. I'm not even baptized. I'm probably one of the very few Mexicans in the world that wasn't raised Catholic. I don't believe in religion anyway. Being in a country that's more or less 77% Catholic, I noticed that tons of things in Mexico let you know what the dominant religion is. There are crucifixes, Virgin Mary's, Jesus's, and whatnot almost everywhere I look. It's to the point that I don't even want to touch the things for fear of offending someone.
- Oddly, in a country that is around 77% Roman Catholic, Mexico has legalized gay marriage. In Mexico City. So non-straight couples can go get married in the D.F. and their marriage will be legally recognized throughout the country, so says two recently passes laws.
- Being that The Church is so influential and that a high percentage the population is Catholic, I'm still amazed when I see commercials on Mexican television for condoms, all-night energy drinks and pills for men and women, lube.
- *DUDE! The news here shows everything! Very little is censored. I think I choked a little when I saw a dead body on the news; no little pixels or black out bars. Just BAM! dead body on tv.
- *Another odd thing about all these Catholics is that they over-sexualize women. Some of the soap operas here are would not be aired in the US due to its content. And the commercials for hemorrhoids and vaginal infections are a little too informative for my taste. Eeewwwwww I don't need graphics showing what hemorrhoids do to you!
- *Other things I've learned about the people since living in Mexico, is that, generally, these people are ever so humble. They know they don't have much and that their living conditions may not be something positive to talk about. I know someone that lives on the approximate equivalent to eight US dollars a day. Can you pull that off? Yet, you will not ever leave a Mexican household on an empty stomach. Some Mexican women will offer you their kitchen until you eat something when you visit. My paternal grandmother (RIP) used to ask people, "Have you eaten? Sit down and eat." Without waiting for a response. That's how you know when they're Mexican-Mexican and not wannabe-Mexican. You will be fed.
- *However, due to the fact that the people do not have a lot, they are fiercely proud of what little they do have. Like where they're from. Mexico, as a country, is not a union. The president gives State of the State speeches, not State of the Union as in the US. That is the reason why you'll see Michoacan, or Sonora, or Nayarit, etc decals on the back windshield of trucks. Mexicans claim the state, sometimes city, they're from before claiming Mexico. BUT may whatever you worship have mercy on your soul if you dis Mexico in front of a Mexican. I learned this back during the 2010 South Africa World Cup. I'm not exaggerating when I say that everyone and their granny wore green, white, and red via the official jersey for Mexico's team. I thought my dad was going to get lynched when he said that he wanted the teams playing against Mexico to win when we were watching the games at restaurants. When Mexico beat France two to zero? Oh my gat!
- *Sadly, I think that all the good produce is exported to the US because the produce in Mexican grocery stores isn't anywhere near as appealing as I thought it'd be.
- *No, I don't know why so many women walk around in heeled shoes. Maybe to make themselves took taller? Or maybe to look nicer? I'm happy in flats, thanks.
Don't know why the chicks are so crazy over acrylic nails, either. They just get in the way, I think. - *Also, Mexicans with pet dogs don't treat the dogs how you would. You're affectionate with your dog. Mexicans just use them as guard dogs. I find it so odd not to see people walking their dogs.
- *Which reminds me; there aren't any laws in Mexico whatsoever that protects animals.
- *However, I think that Mexico is much more progressive in matters pertaining to the environment: plastic bags are illegal in Mexico City, a very large majority of food wrappers are 100% biodegradable, the major grocery food chains only use biodegradable plastic bags, and there are a lot of movements aimed at cleaning the water.
- *Mexican food companies do not use high fructose corn syrup. None. Well, rarely. I don't drink soda (or pop/soda pop depending where in the US you're from) all that often because I don't like that thick, syrupy feeling it leaves in your mouth. Not so much in Mexico. See?
- *Bimbo is not insulting in Mexico. It's just the Mexican version of Wonder Bread.
- *Throughout "Latin" America, it is customary for people to have four names; first name, middle name (but not always), paternal last name, and maternal last name. Take my name: Alfa Azeneth Santos Saenz. When I added my mom's last name on Facebook, after we moved to Tijuana, some of my friends thought that I got married. HA! No, I'm just full Beaner; I have all four names on my birth certificate. Santos is my dad's last name. Saenz is my mom's maiden name. If and when I get married, I'm changing my name to Alfa Azeneth Santos-_his last name_. I figure that if I'm going to belong to a man my entire life, I might as well make it known which man.
Well... I think that's all that's really stood out to me since I've been in Mexico.
I can only hope that you've at least learned something after reading this little novel of mine.
*Pictures from when I first arrived in Mexico.
*Pictures from when I first arrived in Mexico.
I welcome any comments, questions, etc so feel free to leave your thoughts.
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