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[the peanut gallery]

I liked that line as well Guy. And sorry, I misinterpreted your question.

[juanwilly]

[Enchilada Potosina]

[Prof.Gringo]

In many respects, one can see a place from any one of many angles. For example: What NorteAmericanos see as a warm, family based culture in Mexico is in many ways done because of the harsh economic realities.

If pensions and govt. run and/or backed retirement plans are few, then the main retirement plan of the common Mexican must be family.

A family house is often passed down for many generations in Mexico while in the US parents might change houses several times while the kids are growing up.

Also, the American idea of family and the Mexican ones are very different indeed. In the US I see our concept as being much smaller than it is in Mexico. In Latin America, the "extended" family is seen as important as the "nuclear" family is in the US.

I also sense that our discussion goes on in a bit of a vacuum. I mean, any foreigner from a "1st" world country must have a very different POV from those with whom we mingle and live around.

And as a Mexican student of mine once said (she was assigned to the Mex Embassy in DC for almost 2 years): It's much easier for somebody from Mexico to adapt to a 1st world country than it is for somebody like yourself to adapt to a 3rd world country.

[Professor]

[TeresaLopez]

[SaratheSlytherin]

[SaratheSlytherin]

[SaratheSlytherin]

And as a Mexican student of mine once said (she was assigned to the Mex Embassy in DC for almost 2 years): It's much easier for somebody from Mexico to adapt to a 1st world country than it is for somebody like yourself to adapt to a 3rd world country.[/quote]

It's all relative. This is the opinion of one person, and it's just as valid as anyone's opinion but she can't speak for everyone from Mexico, nor can she speak for every American who has lived in Mexico.

I lived in Mexico for a year.
The most difficult challenge for me was missing my mom (my parents are divorced so I rarely see my dad) and my pets.
There were things about Mexico that required adjusting to, but I felt accepted there as well as a sense of belonging and adjusting to the culture wasn't difficult for me.

I had an extremely difficult time readjusting to North American culture. I'm not hating on USA, just sharing my experiences. It's been seven years and things just don't feel right. I was happy to see my family and still am but it's obvious at this point that I'm never going to readjust to the culture. People can offer me unsolicited advice but at the end of the day my heart's in Mexico. I've been there and had experiences that you can't easily understand unless you share them. I can see that not all expatriated Americans in Mexico share my feelings. But, this is my opinion, for what it's worth.

What I'm trying to say is that everyone's experiences and feelings are different.

[SaratheSlytherin]

[quote="the peanut gallery"]Double post, sorry.


"I wish people would realize that NOT all areas of Mexico were alike. I don't have statistics, but my guess is that 99 percent of these murders happen in the border towns."


I do have statistics, at least relating to the drug violence. Of course things are worse in the border states, but this is a national problem. Why cant some people wrap their heads around that very basic point?

With all respect, I hope I'm not the "some people." I understand that things are not perfect elsewhere in Mexico, what I mean to say is that something can be a national problem and be taken out of context.

But, I imagine that there are also people who can't wrap their heads around the idea that in some areas of Mexico, the chances of becoming a victim of violence are extremely remote. Millions of people from the US go to Mexico every year, and the percentage of Americans that die down there is VERY small.

In Ciudad Ju�rez, the northern border city hardest hit by drug violence and where the consulate employee was killed, homicides of Americans rose to 23 in 2009 from two in 2007.

Out of 79 deaths, 23 happened in Juarez.

The annual murder rate for the estimated 500,000 U.S. citizens in Mexico at any one time has risen - but still remains lower than in some U.S. cities: about 15 per 100,000. Baltimore's 2009 homicide rate was 37 per 100,000 residents.

I wish people would wrap their head around this, with all respect.

I'm very, very concerned about the reports of violence I've read.

However, I feel that people need to be informed of ALL the facts. Things get taken out of proportion very easily.

[SaratheSlytherin]

[Guy Courchesne]

[the peanut gallery]

Sara,

My heart also lies in Mexico so I know how you feel about adjusting to life outwith it.

Your original post suggested that the violence is a regional issue (border towns). It is clear for anyone who cares to look that this is incorrect. I posted the stats that confirm this. How is that out of context?

Your OP made no mention of the crime rates of American cities so its a bit out of context to mention them now in relation to Mexican crime. I posted Mexican crime stats. Baltimore has little to do with what is happening in Guerrero and vice versa. To take it a step further and to reiterate a previously made point, the constant comparison of the USA and Mexico is groundless. From a socio-economic stance they have little in common. A more constructive comparison would be Mexico vs countries of similar GDP. To that end, I agree completely with Teresa's post.

Mexico, despite its problems, is wonderful. There is nowhere i'd rather live. Accepting the negatives of life there is compulsory to be happy. Ignoring or sugar coating them is naive.

[SaratheSlytherin]

[SaratheSlytherin]