School daze is near which reminds me that most of what I think I know about Mexico education is based on second-hand information. The system is not broken. It never worked in rural communities, out in the country, where so many live near or below the poverty line. There is no yellow school bus, no […]
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For some, illegal immigration is a simple equation, what you risk for what you get. Luis Alberto Martinez Gomez became an illegal immigrant four years ago. He was 16. “Everybody was on their way to the U.S.” He had shallow roots in Tepic, four years until his parents divorced. After that, his mother moved around. […]
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Please do not ask questions that require only yes or no answers. It takes more and better words for me to tell you how much I know about Mexico. Question Is Mexico competitive in international sports? Answer Yes and no. Mexico is almost a world power in soccer. Lorena Ochoa isn’t too bad at golf. Little boxers […]
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Perhaps you have heard that illegal immigration is down. The economy up north is supposedly discouraging. More and better border surveillance, patrols and the fence could be factors. Up, down or sideways, illegal immigration is, well, illegal. It is breaking and entering followed by an occasional game of hide and seek. Through the years, 15 […]
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Question: There is so much bad news along the border. Does anybody ever smile? Answer: Of course — and sometimes we laugh out loud. With all hell breaking loose around them, Border Patrol agents in the Juarez region caught a crowd of bad Barbie dolls trying to sneak into the United States. These were not genuine Barbies […]
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Question: Are gringos really welcome in Mexico? Answer: Some guests are an aggravation, others are a pain, but it appears their folding money is well received. Officials of the beach community of Puerto Escondido, in the state of Oaxaca, threw a December party to celebrate foreigners. A few hundred attended. Free food and drink remains an exciting lure. […]
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Three Mexican fishermen, lost at sea for nine months and nine days, were world news for a few minutes in 2006. Their survival was a miracle of faith and fierce determination, or the biggest fish tale ever told. As you may recall, shark hunters Salvador Ordonez, 37, Jesus Vidaña and Lucio Rendon, both 27, ran […]
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Please pardon me. I have neglected Mexico City. It has been years since I have told you how much I love it. Don’t laugh. For much of our time in Mexico, the really big city has meant life-threatening smog, bumper to bumper deadlocks and keep your hand on your wallet. Careful on the metro and […]
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Some of the stuff you hear about Mexico and Mexicans just isn’t true. Lazy? No way. Manana? No delay when it comes to lunch. Some of the tall tales about government bureaucracy and red tape are probably exaggerated but some are tragically true. I and others got a chuckle out of the recent government campaign […]
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Age-old question: Were great churches built to the glory of God or to satisfy puffed-up egos of men? Mexico has many magnificent cathedrals in a variety of architectural styles and craftsmanship, some with spires and bell towers reaching for the sky, some featuring spectacular art, some with lavish decorations, some of historical significance, some tourist […]
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