The men and women in the Chapala-Ajijic area whom I admire the most are those who can give so generously of their time to help others (without expecting anything in return), and Lakeside seems to be ov... read more

One of the prizes of the revolution, a hundred years ago, was free public primary education, as mandated in article 3 of the constitution. Early education is said to be "compulsory" but that means states are compelled to offer it. In most places, youngsters are not required to attend and certainly aren't forced to learn. read more

The Costa Chica ("Short Coast" in Spanish) is one of two regions in Mexico with significant Black communities, the other being the state of Veracruz on the Gulf coast. The Costa Chica is a 200-mile long coastal region beginning just southeast of Acapulco, Guererrero, and ending near the town of Puerto Angel, Oaxaca. read more

For some, illegal immigration is a simple equation, what you risk for what you get.

Luis Alberto Martinez Gomez became an illegal four years ago. He was 16.

The family concluded Luis might be better off in the United States. There was an uncle who once made a promise to help the nephew if ever needed. He came through with cash for a border coyote.

Going north sounded so simple.

It wasn't.

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Often, when we think of starving children, we're thinking about Central Africa or parts of India or even remote areas of South America. But Mexico has its share of the poor, as close by as the Chapala area. The truth is, unremitting hunger is right here under our noses and most of us aren't aware of it. Three Lakeside residents have formed what they call "Operation Compassion." read more

At 9:15 a.m. on February 3, 2010, I steeled myself to enter the Central Penitentiary in Oaxaca, Mexico. Having heard stories of overcrowding, rampant drug use, filthy conditions, torture, inadequate fo... read more

An old railway station at the western end of the train tracks in Jalisco, Mexico, bears witness to unspeakable cruelties perpetrated upon thousands of Yaqui Indians in the early 1900s.Yaquis were sold as slaves at the station "for 25 centavos a head." read more

More than 190 countries, including Mexico, have now signed up to the UN Millennium Development Goals, originally agreed in the year 2000. There are eight key goals (see table) and Mexico is well on... read more

Most people probably have a vague idea that the Green Revolution was something to do with improving crops in the developing world, but how many realize that it began in Mexico? In fact, the Green Revol... read more

People are still going about their business as usual, only we're all wearing surgical facemasks. I can't decide if this whole fear campaign is a massive media beat-up or if it has some credence. read more

A warm-hearted missionary rescues a Tijuana street dog and smuggles him across the border to a new home in California. read more

Through the years, Colima, Colima meant volcano views, small sacks of sea salt, classy museums, pretty parks, souvenir casts and carvings of hairless dogs -- and another hour to the beach. ¡No más! ... read more

In the United States those who live on the streets are called homeless, but Martín had a home. read more

Every visitor to the city of Oaxaca has the potential to make a significant contribution. read more

"For many of us, water simply flows from a faucet, and we think little about it beyond this point of contact. We have lost a sense of respect for the wild river, for the complex workings of a wetland, for the intricate web of life that water supports."

- Sandra Postel, Last Oasis: Facing Water Scarcity, 2003.

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What no one was aware of was that, subtly, Guy and Bill were changing the ideals of the future leaders of a Mexico mountain village. Try Guy's Guy's Gringo Chile Relleno Casserole recipe. read more

The Mexican state of Oaxaca, located along the Pacific Ocean in the southeastern section of the country, consists of 95,364 square kilometers and occupies 4.85% of the total surface area of the Mexican... read more

Several million Americans look to the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua as their ancestral homeland. Chihuahua - with a total of 245,945 square kilometers within its boundaries - is the largest state... read more

By common consent, the history of blacks in Mexico is a long one. The first black slave to set foot in Mexico is thought to have been Juan Cortés. He accompanied the conquistadors in 1519. It has been... read more

When Elvira Arellano illegally crossed the U.S. border in 1997, she had no idea that one day, she would become a beacon of light in the darkness of U.S. immigration politics, nor that Time magazine wou... read more

The financial impacts of poor water quality on Mexico are nothing short of staggering. In any discussion about visiting Mexico, somebody always pipes up with the comment "Don't drink the water." If I ... read more