Many of us had initial doubts about the wisdom of jumping into a free-trade agreement with a third world country in which corruption and political oppression were often still the norm. But our future is increasingly tied to Mexico and other countries of Latin America, whether we like it or not.
There are profound changes underway in Mexico, and we need to better understand these. The other Latin American countries also can no longer be thought of as mere "banana republics," and more and more we are tied to them through trade, migration, cultural links, environmental issues, and the impact of the illegal narcotics trade. We need to understand them in a way that goes beyond old stereotypes.
In my undergraduate studies, I focused on Latin America, as well as the Asia Pacific. My courses dealt with the history and politics of the region, and I also studied Spanish. I spent three months in Mexico and Guatemala in 1993, studying Spanish in an intensive immersion program in Antigua, Guatemala. Having traveled through Chiapas several times, I was not surprised when the rebellion broke out in January, 1994. I also wrote several essays later that year correctly predicting the crisis of the Mexican peso, that occurred in December 1994, and showing how the policies of the Salinas government contributed to the crisis.
Ultimately, the research essay which helped to earn my my MA in Political Economy, was an interdisciplinary examination of how Mexico's history has helped to shape its present political culture.
© 2000 Richard McGuire
Last revised May 08, 2004