Mexico

Overview of Entertainment Industry in Mexico By: Jennifer Tarleton Date: November 15, 2010 GEO 111 World Regional Geography Instructor: David Harris South Piedmont Community College TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Actors and ComediansP. 1 II.

Singers and MusiciansP. 2 III. Production CompaniesP. 3 IV. BibliographyP. 5 Business is booming for Mexico’s entertainment industry. Mexico promotes itself as choice destination for filmmakers, but problems threaten to stunt industry’s growth.

The entertainment industry in Mexico faces two serious challenges.The first challenge is to generate an environment that the entertainment industry can prosper and second, to protect intellectual property. A stable business environment is vital to the success of the entertainment industry in Mexico. I. Actors, Comedians, Films The history of Mexican cinema goes back to the ending of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th but some movies have rediscovered just recently. The “silent film” industry in Mexico produced several movies; however, many of the films up to the 1920s have been lost and were not well-documented.The Mexican cinema golden era occurred during the 1940s.

The origin of early filmmaking is generally associated with Salvador Toscano Barragan. Toscano compiled the country’s first fictional film, titled Don Juan Tenorio. By 1906, 16 movie salons opened their doors to accommodate the popularity of cinema in Mexico City. Actors such as Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, Cantinflas, Joaquin Pardave, Maria Felix, and Dolores del Rio gained their recognition. The themes during these years touched all aspects of Mexican society. The majority of the productions were comedies and dramas.Mexico’s most famous contribution to popular cinema is perhaps the beautiful Mexican actress Salma Hayek who has endeared herself to thousands of fans across the world.

Hayek is the first Mexican national to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She is one of the most prominent Mexican figures in Hollywood. Some of today’s most popular comedians also have Mexican roots. George Lopez is one of the top five highest grossing comedians in the world. Lopez, a Mexican-American, was deserted by his father at birth but was raised by his maternal grandmother.Lopez has received several honors for his work and contributions to the Latino community. In September 2004, George was honored with the “Spirit of Liberty Award” presented by People for the American Way.

In August 2005, Time magazine recognized George as one of “The 25 Most Influential Hipics in America”. Another large sector of the entertainment industry in Mexico is the adult entertainment industry. The adult entertainment industry in Mexico is worth around one billion US dollars, and employs around 20,000 in direct and indirect jobs.While this entertainment industry produces revenue it also causes problems. Many film stars were diagnosed with various sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. II. Singers and Musicians Mexico has a rich musical history.

Mexico has a musical history that is full of cultural contrasts, with many different musical styles and influences. The popularity of the Mexican music goes back to the 16th century. Mexico’s musical tradition shows strong folk as well as modern influences. However, the various music traditions have managed to unite Mexican society into one popular musical culture.Modern Mexico’s music lovers are equally swayed by the tunes and rhythm of traditional music like mariachi and ranchero songs as well as by the Latino beats of hip-hop and salsa. The music industry has also brought considerable economic advancement to Mexico-generating jobs, bringing long-term investment and spawning a number of parallel businesses related to the industry (e. g.

, recording studios and radio stations). Mexican music is popular in not only in Mexico but also in America and Europe.The famous Mexican American singers and musicians are playing a crucial role in keeping their traditions alive. The Mexican music is lively and offers pure entertainment. The singers like Jade Esteban Estrada, Selena, La Mafia, Roy Benavidez, Freddy Fender, Hector P. Gracia are some of the famous contemporary singers. III.

Production Companies Mexico has a flourishing film industry and has produced a number of internationally acclaimed film directors. “There’s no question that Mexico is one of the brightest hopes for the future of our company … It’s one of five key global markets. (Sumner Redstone) Redstone is the chairman and CEO of the entertainment conglomerate Viacom. Viacom’s holdings include MTV, Nickelodeon and Blockbuster Video.

Redstone is optimistic about the prospects of connecting with Mexican audiences and growing with the market in coming years. Mexico is also building its reputation as a destination for filming. According to Kevin Trehy, executive producer for Warner Brothers Productions, the real value of Mexico being used as a location shoot is that the local community reaps benefits at a rate four times the cost of production.Miguel Angel Davila, president of Cinemex, a national chain of movie theaters, sees growth potential for his business in Mexico too. Many films raise many unanswered and perhaps unanswerable questions about where Mexico has been and where its people, politics, and culture are headed.V. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.

museumstuff. com/learn/topics/Mexico_City::sub::Culture http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/George_Lopez http://latinmusic. about. com/od/countrie1/p/PROBASICS17. htm http://en.

wikipedia. org/wiki/Film_industry

El Nino Fidencio The Mythical Curandero Throughout the book Curanderismo: Mexican American Folk Healing Trorrer and Chavira make mention of el Nino Fidencio in countless areas of the book.

It is mentioned that one of the most important spiritualist movement is based on “the life teaching, and the spirit of a famous young folk healer (now dead) from northern Mexico el Nino Fidencio” (1997:35). Even today el Nino is an important figure in many aspects of the belief system and practice associated with the Curanderismo folk healing.History plays a major role in culture when it comes to establishing religion and medical practices, which in the case of the Mexican Curanderos many times martyrs or perhaps people with supernatural or mythical abilities lay the foundation for the belief system and its practice. Consequently, this allows such people (those with supernatural abilities) to become saints thus becoming an important part of the Catholic faith, which has become syncratic with the traditional folk healing system.What is interesting about el Nino and his legacy, is that he not only serves as an influential figure in the history of Curanderismo but also plays a large role in the spiritual practices and the contemporary culture associated with the Mexican folk healing practices. In a modern society where immigration has promoted syncretism and a separation between those who still live in or near Mexico and those who have moved to other regions causing them to lose many of their traditional beliefs and practices el Nino serves as an icon from the folk saint movement that helps draw a culture and the people back together.One of the things the turned Fidencio into a saint and a man of great power was the vision or hallucination that he had of a bearded man with a halo who came to him under a tree when he was a young man right after he had been run off by the family with which he had been living with this is what he says he was told in his hallucination.

Fidencio, you are called to a very high destiny. I put in your eyes a marvelous curative power, which will serve to alleviate the suffering of those with pain.I give you this divine power only for the good of humanity, only in order to that you will cure those who are deserving, never for you to enrich yourself with it, not to benefit those who do not deserve such good things (1973:91) What caused Fidencio to become so well received was not only the fact that he had a gift but the way in which he came to understand develop and use his gift for healing. Many saints receive divine intervention, which leads them on a particular path.When taking on such a role as Fidencio did he made the decision to leave the secular world behind to enter into a practice, which is often ill-defined and perceived based upon the fact that it involved dabbling in the supernatural and the lines between good and evil are thin. “The curandero is considered different from ordinary people, and this difference produces respect, distrust, and even fear. Sometimes it produces the accusation that the curandero is a brujo, a witch, doing antisocial magic so not everyone feels drawn to this profession” (1997: 110).

However, Fidencio was not perceived in such a way; he was known to give, and share with the people. Thus using his gifts as instructed by what many refer to as “the heavenly father”, for good striving to benefit those around him as he was told to do. It is said that, “Fidencio accepted his mission and devoted the remainder of his life to curing. But from time to time intense fatigue would weaken his resolve. On these instances he would weep and say that he has been ordered to cure and had no choice but to do so” (1973:91).In doing so he inspired others and created a legacy that would be remembered and celebrated long after his death. The “fidencistas” (Fidencios followers) have built a number of temples (called centros) in Mexico as well as in the United States where Mexican immigration are prevalent.

Such temples are important when it comes to the practice of spiritual curanderimo. This is because although many of the foundational aspects if folk healing stem from some of the methods used by Fidencio mediums who work in the spiritual realm have special gifts thus they look to the guidance of Fidencio’s spirit.This has created a sort of sub culture or cult in which those who have the ability to become a medium sometimes choose to spend their lives living and working in such temples. The centros are staffed by trance mediums who, often… go into trance, and (in their words) let the spirit of el Nino descend on them, their bodies forming a link between the material and spiritual realms of existence. Through this linkage, the immortal spirit of el Nino performs cure, does consultations, even predicts the outcome of future events for members of his cult (1997: 35).Followers of Fidencio and other spirits tend to have much more religious beliefs due to the fact that they are wholly focused on doing their work through the guidance, protection and possession by that saint. Although it is interesting to note that people consider the curenderos to be a saints because of the connection that they have with the seen unseen realms associated with the gifts that mediums possess.

Not all mediums choose to become part of a cult dedicating themselves and their work to the will of a saint who will ultimately work through them.Others might choose to work alone, some for profit and some solely for personal growth knowledge and gratification as is mentioned in chapter six of Curanderismo: Mexican American Folk Healing. Yet these Mediums might still attempt to gain guidance and protection from the saints such as Fidencio conversely; they do so with the help of a master curendero or by making a trip to a temple while making no commitment to the cult. Today although it has been more than 72 years since the death of el Nino Fidencio’s death many people still attribute their successes in both giving and receiving healing to the saint el Nino Fidencio.He serves not only as an important figure to those who practice Curanderismo but also those who receive treatment from the curandos. The saint plays such a large role in the culture in Mexico (even today) that people make pilgrimages to his burial place located outside of the small town of Espinazo on the eve of his birthday. According to the Houston Chronicle, the procession and rituals are as big a deal for many Mexicans as it is for those who have immigrated and become Mexican Americans.

Thousands of Hipics come to this high desert site in northern Mexico on the eve of the birthday of legendary healer el Nino Fidencio.Through song and ceremony, pageantry and ritual, they have come to invoke El Nino’s spirit, to prostrate themselves in acts of humility and submission, to crawl up the road of penance that leads to his tomb, and to find rebirth through immersion in a muddy pool of water (1995:8). For many people the pilgrimage represents more than just going to honor the dead saint for the most determined believers, (both those who practice and those who are served) it is a quest for answers and solutions to the myriad of problems common to the human condition.Through the spirit of el Nino, they believe that they can find a way to cope with illness, business, marriage, money, the community and ultimately, with life itself. The ceremonies associated with the pilgrimage are so large that they draw the attention of newspapers, which publicize the special evens that take place in honor of the dead saint. In the National Catholic Reporter is was noted that, “During the week of Oct. 17 and again in March, to honor El Nino’s patron St.

Joseph, throngs of devotees carry flowers and copal incense like ancient Aztec celebrants. They wend their way through narrow Espinazo streets to El Pirulito (which is the little pepper tree where he had his Hallucination), where El Nino received his healing powers” (Burbank1997: 3). In participating in such ceremonies the people are celebrating and honoring not only the saint but “God” as well, thus insuring that they will have a prosperous rest of the year. The celebration is a time for people to not only honor el Nino but also the Virgin of Guadalupe.People dance in headdresses and costume near the tomb and vendors have to opportunity to make money off of the crowds by selling items like balloons and medicines. Many of the people who attend the pilgrimage are poor, marginalized, and have little to no access to health care. For many, it is about more than just honoring a saint and being a Catholic; these celebrations allow people to gather and seek healing for ailments that they could not otherwise afford to get treated.

The reasons for the celebration go beyond the fact that he was a saint; he also represents the freedom that Curanderos have to practice their craft. In 1928 Mexican President Plutarco Elias Calles suppressed the Catholic priesthood, which resulted in a revolt the following year he went to Mexico to arrest el Nino for practicing without a license. However, he and his daughter were ill and el Nino healed them both in Espainazo. This attracted much attention and caused him to not only escape a jail sentence but also made him the most famous Mexican curandero according to the National Catholic Reporter.This proved not only that he was a gifted healer but also that he was willing to help those who wished to oppress him and keep him from his craft. Thus proving to be a symbol of hope, strength, and power for the people of Mexico, and Mexican Americans who come to celebrate him. The Curanderismo folk healing of Mexico has a long legacy and although it has changed and become synchronic due to religious influence and Western medicine.

Its fundamental roots have survived; the spiritual and physical healings that result from the craft are still received by those who live both within as well as outside of Mexico.Saints such as el Nino Fidencio help remind the people of amazing healing powers that curenderos can possess and serves a figure which causes the people of the culture to unite yearly despite the fact that some have immigrated or moved to other geographical locations. The tale of the saint El Nino and his legacy not only serves as an influential figure in the history of Curanderismo but also plays a large role in the spiritual practices and the contemporary culture associated with the Mexican folk healing practices.Works Cited Burbank, J. (1997). Catholics, too, venerate el nino fidencio. National Catholic Reporter, 33(14), 3.

Macklin, B. J. , ; Crumrine, N. R. (1973). Three north mexican folk saint movements. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 15(1), 89-105.

Spaulding, G. (1995, January 8). JOURNEY OF THE SPIRIT ; pilgrims by the thousands are drawn to the town where curandero el nino performed his legendary healings. The Houston Chronicle, pp. 8. Trotter, R. T.

I. , ; Chavira, J. , Antonio. (1997). Curanderismo: Mexican american folk healing (Second ed. ). Athens, Georga: University of Georgia Press.

NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, has been getting a lot of not so favorable, and sometimes, controversial headlines in recent years. Some critics blame it for the current labor shortages in the United States, due to the fact that most U. S. companies have been and continue to outsource and ship jobs overseas. However, its proponents have been hailing it as a great success in helping lowering national prices on certain manufactured goods and services and that it has caused to increase wages for certain jobs within the U. S.The Agreement was signed by Bill Clinton, president of the United States, Brian Mulroney of Canada, and Carlos Salinas de Gortari of Mexico. It was hailed as the highest achievement and largest trilateral agreement between the tri-bloc countries in decades. “Under the NAFTA, all non-tariff barriers to agricultural trade between the United States and Mexico were eliminated.

In addition, many tariffs were eliminated immediately, with others being phased out over periods of 5 to 15 years. The pros and cons of NAFTA can be regrouped as following: Proponents claim that:The accord has stimulated democratic reform and opened markets in Mexico and has also improved the standard of living in Mexico. The Bush administration claims that NAFTA has led to income gains and tax cuts amounting to about $930 each year for the average U. S. household of four. Many of the 20 million new jobs the U. S. generated from 1993 to 2000 can be attributed to the free-trade bloc that NAFTA created, the administration continues. NAFTA brought in a flood of foreign investment and contributed to a 24% rise in Mexico’s per capita income as well as a reinforced political cooperationWhile detractors argue that: The agreement has taken a toll on both U. S. and Mexican jobs, according to the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). While real wages for Mexican manufacturing workers declined 13. 5%, more than half a million U. S. employees have entered government retraining programs after their companies moved production south or north of the border, says IPS. NAFTA has wiped out Canadian social programs, purports IPS. The pact has also destroyed Mexico’s small farmers, says IPS, bringing in an influx of subsidized U. S. food imports.In fact, about 1. 3 million farm jobs have been lost since 1993, indicates a recent report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The Carnegie report also concluded that the pact has generated few new jobs in Mexico and might only be credited for a “very small net gain” in jobs in the U. S. What Are the Advantages of NAFTA? : NAFTA created the world’s largest free trade area, linking 444 million people and producing $17 trillion in goods and services annually. Estimates are that NAFTA increases U. S. GDP by as much as . 5% a year. That’s because it eliminates tariffs and creates agreements on international rights for business investors. This reduces the cost of trade, which spurs investment and growth especially for small businesses. Eliminating tariffs also reduces inflation by decreasing the costs of imports. Increased Trade: Trade between the NAFTA signatories tripled, from $297 billion in 1993 to $1 trillion in 2007 (latest data available). Exports from the U. S. to Canada and Mexico grew from $142 billion to $452 billion. Exports from Canada and Mexico to the U. S. increased from $151 billion to $568 billion.One reason trade grew because NAFTA provided the ability for firms in member countries to bid on government contracts. It also protected intellectual properties. Boosted U. S. Farm Exports: NAFTA increased farm exports because it eliminated high Mexican tariffs. Mexico is the top export destination for beef, rice, soybean meal, corn sweeteners, apples and beans. It is the second largest for corn, soybeans and oils. As a result of NAFTA, the percent of U. S. agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico has grown from 22% in 1993 to 30% in 2007. Created Trade Surplus in Services:More than 40% of U. S. GDP is services, such as financial services and health care. These aren’t easily transported, so being able to export them to nearby countries is important. NAFTA boosted U. S. service exports to Canada and Mexico from $25 billion in 1993 to $106. 8 billion in 2007 (latest data available).

Service exports were $40 billion. NAFTA eliminated trade barriers in nearly all service sectors, which are often highly regulated. NAFTA requires governments to publish all regulations, lowering hidden costs of doing business. Reduced Oil and Grocery Prices: The U. S. imported $157. billion in oil from Mexico and Canada (shale oil). This also reduces U. S. reliance on oil imports from the Middle East and Venezuela. It is especially important now that the U. S. no longer imports oil from . Why? Mexico is a friendly country, whereas Venezuela’s president often criticizes the U. S. Both Venezuela and Iran have started selling oil in currencies other than the dollar, contributing to the decline in the dollar’s value. Since NAFTA eliminates tariffs, oil prices are lower. The same is true for food imports, which totaled $28. 9 billion in 2008. Stepped Up Foreign Direct Investment:Since NAFTA was enacted, U. S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in Canada and Mexico more than tripled to $348. 7 billion (as of 2007, latest data available). Canadian and Mexican FDI in the U. S. grew to $219. 2 billion. NAFTA reduces investors’ risk by guaranteeing they will have the same legal rights as local investors.

Through NAFTA, investors can make legal claims against the government if it nationalizes their industry or takes their property by eminent domain. Political Ties Free trade agreements can help to encourage coordination and cooperation among member states, according to southerncenter. rg. Some may argue that NAFTA has, for example, increased Mexico’s willingness to cooperate in the U. S. ‘s crackdown on illegal immigration and international smuggling; others would argue that these problems have not diminished enough to prove that the cooperation is helpful. Disadvantages of NAFTA: NAFTA has many disadvantages.

NAFTA made it possible for many U. S. manufacturers to move jobs to lower-cost Mexico. The manufacturers that remained lowered wages to compete in those industries. Many of Mexico’s farmers were put out of business by U. S. -subsidized farm products. NAFTA provisions for Mexican labor and environmental protection were not strong enough to prevent those workers from being exploited. U. S. Jobs Were Lost: Since labor is cheaper in Mexico, many manufacturing industries moved part of their production from high-cost U. S. states. Between 1994 and 2002, the U. S. lost 1. 7 million jobs, gaining only 794,00, for a net loss of 879,000 jobs. Nearly 80% of these jobs were in manufacturing. California, New York, Michigan and Texas were hit the hardest because they had high concentrations of the industries that moved plants to Mexico.These industries included motor vehicles, textiles, computers, and electrical appliances. U. S. Wages Were Suppressed: Not all companies in these industries moved to Mexico. The ones that used the threat of moving during union organizing drives. When it became a choice between joining the union or losing the factory, workers chose the factory. Without union support, the workers had little bargaining power. This suppressed wage growth. Between 1993 and 1995, 50% of all companies in the industries that were moving to Mexico use the threat of closing the factory.

By 1999, that rate had grown to 65%.Mexico’s Farmers Were Put Out of Business: The 2002 Farm Bill subsidized U. S. agribusiness by as much as 40% of net farm income. When NAFTA removed tariffs, corn and other grains were exported to Mexico below cost. Rural Mexican farmers could not compete. At the same time, Mexico reduced its subsidies to farmers from 33. 2% of total farm income in 1990 to 13. 2% in 2001. Most of those subsidies went to Mexico’s large farms, anyway. Maquiladora Workers Were Exploited: NAFTA expanded the maquiladora program, in which U. S. -owned companies employed Mexican workers near the border to cheaply assemble products for export to the U.S. This grew to 30% of Mexico’s labor force. These workers have “no labor rights or health protections, workdays stretch out 12 hours or more, and if you are a woman, you could be forced to take a pregnancy test when applying for a job,” according to Continental Social Alliance Mexico’s Environment Deteriorated: In response to NAFTA competitive pressure, Mexico agribusiness used more fertilizers and other chemicals, costing $36 billion per year in pollution. Rural farmers expanded into more marginal land, resulting in deforestation at a rate of 630,000 hectares per year.This leads me to conclude that NAFTA has neither been a boon nor a bane as its effects depend on the type of economic agent involved with it. As the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace calls it, the pact is “neither the disaster its opponents predicted nor the savior hailed by supporters. “

Sources:

1. Carnegie Endowment, NAFTA’s Promise and Reality, 2004 Worldpress. org, Lessons of NAFTA, April 20, 2001
2. International Forum on Globalization,Exposing the Myth of Free Trade, February 25, 2003
3. The Economist, Tariffs and Tortillas, January 24, 2008).

Discussion Questions for Chapter 3 History and Geography

The Foundation of Culture Discussion Questions

• Define: Manifest DestinySustainable development Roosevelt CorollaryMonroe Doctrine
• Why study geography in international marketing? Discuss.

Geography is the study of the physical characteristics of a particular region of the earth. Involved in this study are climate, topography, and population. The interaction of the physical characteristics is one of the principal determinants of a country’s customs, products, industries, needs, and methods of satisfying those needs. Marketing is concerned with satisfying the needs of people. International marketing seeks out the whole world as its marketplace. Therefore, for an international marketer to know how to satisfy the needs of the international market, he must be familiar enough with geography to know what the various causal factors of the people’s needs are. He must know that various climates and topographies do exist and that they are vital in shaping the marketing plans that an international marketer must make.

As an example, a producer selling machinery in the tropics would have to realize that special protection is needed to keep a machine running properly in hot and humid climates.

Why study a country’s history?

Discussing history helps to define a nation’s “mission,” how it perceives its neighbors, how it sees its place in the world, and how it sees itself. Insights into the history of a country are important for understanding attitudes about the role of government and business, the relations between managers and the managed, the sources of management authority, and attitudes toward foreign corporations. To understand, explain, and appreciate a people’s image of itself and the attitudes and unconscious fears that reflected in its view of foreign cultures, it is necessary to study the culture as it is now as well as to understand the culture as it was—that is, a country’s history. Unless you have a historical sense of the many changes that have buffeted Japan—seven centuries under the shogun feudal system, the isolation before he coming of Admiral Perry in 1853, the threat of domination by colonial powers, the rise of new social classes, Western influences, the humiliation of World War II, and involvement in the international community—it is difficult to fully understand its contemporary behavior. Loyalty to family, to country, to company, and to social groups and the strong drive to cooperate, to work together for a common cause, permeate many facets of Japanese behavior and have historical roots that date back thousands of years.

Loyalty and service, a sense of responsibility, and respect for discipline, training, and artistry have been stressed since ancient times as necessary for stability and order. Confucian philosophy, taught throughout Japan’s history, emphasizes the basic virtue of loyalty “of friend to friend, of wife to husband, of child to parent, of brother to brother, but, above all, of subject to lord,” that is, to country. A fundamental premise of Japanese ideology reflects the importance of cooperation for the collective good. Japanese achieve consensus by agreeing that all will unite against outside pressures that threaten the collective good.A historical perspective gives the foreigner in Japan a basis on which to begin developing cultural sensitivity and a better understanding of contemporary Japanese behavior. 4. How does an understanding of history help an international marketer? To understand, explain, and appreciate a people’s image of itself and the fundamental attitudes and unconscious fears that are often reflected in its view of foreign cultures, it is necessary to study the culture as it is now as well as to understand culture as it was, that is, a country’s history.

An awareness of the history of a country is particularly effective for understanding attitudes about the role of government and business, the relations between managers and the managed, the sources of management authority, and attitudes toward foreign MNC’s. History is what helps define a nation’s “mission,” how it perceives its neighbors, and how it sees its place in the world. To understand a country’s attitudes, prejudices, and fears it is necessary to look beyond the surface or current events to the inner subtleties of the country’s entire past for clues.

Why is there a love/hate relationship between Mexico and the United States? Discuss.

A crucial element in understanding any nation’s business and political culture is the subjective perception of its history. To a Mexican, the United States is seen as a threat to their political, economic, and cultural independence.

To most citizens in the United States, the causes for such feelings are a mystery. After all, the U. S. has always been Mexico’s “good neighbor. ” Most would agree with President Kennedy’s proclamation during a visit to Mexico, “Geography has made us neighbors, tradition has made us friends. North Americans may be surprised to learn that most Mexicans felt it more accurate to say, “Geography has made us closer, tradition has made us far apart. ” North Americans feel they have been good neighbors.

They see the Monroe Doctrine as protection for Latin America from European colonization and the intervention of Europe in the governments of the Western Hemisphere. Latin Americans tend to see the Monroe Doctrine as an offensive expression of U. S. influence in Latin America. Or to put it another way, “Europe keep your hands off, Latin American is only for the United States. United States Marines sing with pride of their exploits “form the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli. ” To the Mexican, the “Halls of Montezuma” is remembered as U.

S. troops marching all the way to the center of Mexico City and extracting as tribute 890,000 square miles that included Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Most U. S. citizens probably do not know of the boy heroes of Chaptultepec Park but every Mexican can recount the heroism of “Los Ninos Heroes,” and the loss of Mexican territory to the United States. 6. Some say the global environment is a global issue rather than a national one.

What does this mean? Discuss.

Many view the problem as a global issue rather than a national one. One report on the global environment stressed . . . “it is quite clear that a number of critical problems—the threat to the ozone layer, the greenhouse effect, the loss of biodiversity, and ocean pollution—cannot be addressed by nations in isolation. ” Companies looking to build manufacturing plants in countries with more liberal pollution regulations than they have at home are finding that regulations everywhere are becoming stricter.

Many Asian governments are drafting new regulations and strictly enforcing existing ones.A strong motivator for Asia and the rest of the world is the realization that pollution is on the verge of getting completely out of control. Neither Western Europe nor the rest of the industrialized world are free of environmental damage; rivers are polluted and the atmosphere in many major urban areas is far from clean. The very process of controlling industrial wastes leads to another and perhaps equally critical issue: the disposal of hazardous waste, a by-product of pollution control. Estimates of hazardous wastes collected annually exceed 300 million tons; the critical question is disposal that does not move the problem elsewhere.The business community is responding positively to the notion that the focus must be on the global environment rather than “the quality of the air, land, and water in our own backyards. ” An International Chamber of Commerce Industry Forum on the environment reflected a shift in company attitudes toward environmental issues away from a reactive and largely defensive stance to a proactive and constructive approach.

Some skeptics may dismiss such statements as “window dressing” and they could be, but the beginning of change is awareness. Responsibility for cleaning up the environment does not rest solely with governments, businesses, or activist groups. Each citizen has social and moral responsibility to include environmental protection among his/her highest goals.

Pick a country and show how employment and topography affect marketing within the country.

Library project

Pick a country (other than Mexico) and show how significant historical events have affected the country’s culture. Library Project 9. Discuss the bases of world trade. Give examples illustrating the different bases. The basis for world trade is the differences between countries.One of these differences is the difference between people. Different heritages have resulted in the development of certain unique skills in the people of a country.

An example would be the watchmaking skill developed by the Swiss. Thus, they have a unique skill on which to base trade. Another difference is the one of differing stages of economic development existing in the world today. Some countries are highly developed and industrialized. These nations, such as the United States and France, might be trading in luxuries, whereas an underdeveloped nation, such as Kenya, might be forced to trade only in essential capital goods.A third difference in countries serving as a basis for world trade is the availability of natural resources. Great Britain, poor in mineral resources, imports petroleum, where West Germany, rich in mineral resources but not food, imports large amounts of fruits and vegetables.

Thus, trade is created by these differences:

1. differences in skills – other countries seek the products of skills,
2. differences in economies – countries seek products they don’t produce but need,
3. differences in national resources – countries buy and sell resources which they do not have or have an abundance of.

The marketer “should also examine the more complex effect of geography upon general market characteristics, distribution systems, and the state of the economy. ”

Comment

There can be no doubt that geography has had a “complex effect upon general market characteristics, distribution systems, and the state of the economy. ” Therefore, the world marketer should be careful not to look just at how his product must be changed to fit into a foreign market. That is, he must not just fit his electric motors, say, with high-temperature operating characteristics and stop there.

There’s more to it than that. Consider the diverse nature of South America, for example. The channels of distribution that a domestic marketer has been accustomed to using might not even exist because of natural barriers. These same natural barriers also cause quite varied levels of economic development within the same country. Cities and rural areas might not even be on the same economic plane. Finally, as a result of these barriers and thus physical isolation of various population centers, areas of the same economic development might have entirely different cultures. Therefore, the general market characteristics of these areas would also differ greatly and have a direct effect upon the success of marketing plans.

The world population pattern trend is shifting from rural to urban areas.

Discuss the marketing ramifications

There are many marketing ramifications to the world rural-urban population shift. One of the obvious ones is that the world market is becoming more unified in location. Thus, it is becoming easier to reach a larger segment of the market by just marketing in the urban population centers. The types of products marketed will also change with this population shift.For example, food might become a more important product in international marketing with few people raising their own.

Similarly, these shifts will result in greater industrialization in countries with presently low levels of industrialization. This again implies marketing changes that might affect the world marketer, increased sales of capital goods, for example. In summary, people living in cities have different needs than those living in the country. Thus, the shift from country to city means that the world marketer has a different market to serve with different characteristics. 12.Select a country with a stable population and one with a rapidly growing population. Contrast the marketing implications of these two situations.

Library Project

“. . . world trade routes bind the world together . . .” Discuss.

World trade routes bind the world together. This statement means that the world trade routes serve as avenues of minimizing differences between countries. Without these routes, countries would stand alone – each different from the rest in resources, economy, and people. The trade routes allow both people and products to flow, making more of a unified, balanced world.The physical imbalances overcome, also smooth, cultural and economic differences through the exchange of ideas as well as products. 14.

Discuss how your interpretation of Manifest Destiny and the Monroe Doctrine might differ from a Latin American’s. Manifest Destiny and the Monroe Doctrine were accepted basis for U. S. foreign policy during much of the 19th and 20th centuries. Manifest Destiny, in its broadest interpretation, meant that Americans were a chosen people ordained by God to create a model society. More specifically, it referred to the desires of American expansionists in the 1840s to extend the U.S. boundaries from the Atlantic to the Pacific; the idea of “Manifest Destiny” was used to justify U. S. annexation of Texas, Oregon, New Mexico, and California; and later, U. S. involvement in Cuba, Alaska, Hawaii and the Philippines.

The Monroe Doctrine, a cornerstone of U. S. foreign policy, was enunciated by President James Monroe in a public statement proclaiming three basic dicta: no further European colonization in the New World, abstention of the U. S. from European political affairs, and nonintervention of European governments in the governments of the Western Hemisphere.After 1870, interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine became increasingly broad. In 1881, its principles were evoked in discussing the development of an interoceanic canal across the Isthmus of Panama. The Monroe Doctrine was further applied by Theodore Roosevelt with what became known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The corollary stated that not only would the U. S. prohibit non-American intervention in Latin American affairs but it would police the area and guarantee that Latin American nations met their international obligations. The corollary sanctioning American intervention was applied in 1905 when Roosevelt forced he Dominican Republic to accept the appointment of an American economic advisor who quickly became the financial director of the small state; it was used in the acquisition of the Panama Canal Zone from Colombia and the formation of a provisional government in Cuba in 1906. According to U. S. history, these Latin American adventures were a justifiable part of our foreign policy; to Latin Americans, they were unwelcome intrusions in Latin American affairs. The way historical events are recorded and interpreted in one culture can differ substantially from those same events recorded and interpreted in another.

A comparison of histories goes a long way in explaining the differences in outlooks and behavior of people on both sides of the border. Many Mexicans believe that their “good neighbor” to the North is not reluctant to throw its weight around when it wants something. There are suspicions that self-interest is the primary motivation in good relations with Mexico, whether it be fear of Fidel Castro 25 years ago or eagerness for Mexican oil today. 15. The telegraph, telephone, television, satellites, computer, and the Internet have all had an effect on how international business operates.

Discuss how each of these communications innovations affects international business management.

An underpinning of all commerce is effective communications, knowledge of where goods and services exist and where they are needed and the ability to communicate instantaneously across vast distances.

Facilitating the expansion of trade have been continuous improvements in electronic communications. First came the telegraph, then the telephone, television, satellites, the computer and the Internet. Each revolution in electronic technology has had a profound effect on human conditions, economic growth and the manner in which commerce functions. As each “new” communications technology has had its impact, new business models have been spawned and some existing businesses re-invented to adapt to the new technology while other businesses have failed to respond and thus ceased to exist. The Internet revolution will be no different; it too affects human conditions, economic growth, and the manner in which commerce operates. As we will discuss in subsequent chapters, the Internet has already begun to shape how international business is managed. However, as the Internet permeates the fabric of the world’s cultures, the biggest changes are yet to come!

The United Nations defines the metropolis with over 10 million populations as mega cities . According to the latest study carried in 2007, nowadays more people live in cities than in the countryside resulting in a shift in balance. The issues of energy, water, transportation and health care are in the priority list of major challenges faced by mega cities. Densely packed areas releases large amounts of wastes results in air, water and soil pollution. Another unfocused point is the condition of the surrounding states or regions around the mega cities.

The current waste disposal management is concerned about driving the waste and garbage out of the cities and caring less about the nearby rural areas where the garbage is dumped. People in the rural areas are left them to themselves unless any strong protest comes from that region. The rural folk are becoming the real victims and scapegoats due the pollution caused by the producers living the cities. Mega cities are generally facing the problem of clean water scarcity and improper sanitation.

The water resource management systems are well managed and administered by popular administrators. But they are not meeting the required standards due to the loop holes which have been prevalent for many years. Such loopholes include illegal connections for about 30 to 35 percent, lack of proper roads and lanes making the supply complex, improper planning of buildings, etc. The short term approach for every problem will hinder the road map to the long term plan.

Major challenges faced are: • Lack of transparency and huge corruption in governance. • Rural-urban and rich-poor demarcation. • Short, medium and long term goal achievements. • Traditional and future-oriented approach. • Financial, institutional, political and managerial constrains. • Engineering-oriented, service-oriented, capital intensive and labor intensive management philosophy. • Water pricing related socio economic problems • Municipalities and river basin management issues .

Historians are still unclear on when the first Latinos appeared in North America. The most prevalent theory is that they were nomadic hunters who came from the Asia mainland and across the then frozen Bering Straight into Alaska. Regardless of their origins their main region is now the Americas, both North and South and it is expected that the Latino population in the United States will increase by 40% in the next ten years (US Census 2010). Their culture and society is steeped in tradition and understanding and appreciating their culture is imperative for any person working in the social services field.

Latino Traditions and Culture The Latino culture contains many diverse sub-cultures, however there is a common theme and religion that run through all Latino cultures. An important cultural trend that is prevalent among many Latinos is the closeness of the society; the lack of personal space in their culture is very important as they are more open to physical contact and showing affection. Social Expectations Time orientation tends to be different for Latinos who are generally more concerned with the present than with the future or planning ahead.

Due to this trend, it is often helpful to remind Latino’s the day before an appointment or activity. This also relates to why many Latinos tend to focus more on work than advancing their education. Latino’s see work as a way of receiving money now which is a way they can improve their lives now and if needed have enough to send money to relatives back in their countries of origin. However, advancing their education would mean that they make more in the future but less in the short term where their focus is.

The Latino family, including extended family, is the primary social unit, and source of support. Often Latino men who are in the United States come looking for a way to support their family’s back in their home town. Even making minimum wage or less here the amount that these Latino’s send home can make a significant change for the families in their home country. This support of family also extends to those who come to the United States. Often when Latino’s migrate to the United States they stay with family or friends who have previously immigrated. Respect and Interpersonal Relationships

Respect is important in Latino culture as it indicates appropriate behavior towards others based on age, gender, social and economic position and authority. Formality is seen as a sign of respect, including the use of suffixes such as Senor/ Don, Senora/ Dona. Another sign of respect in Latino culture is avoiding eye contact with authority figures. This is often confusing to Americans who see maintaining eye contact as a way of showing several things including respect, listening, understanding, and honesty. Latinos tend to stress the importance of personal rather than institutional relationships.

Interpersonal contact is very important to develop trust when interacting with a person of Latino culture. It is common that Latino clients find it uncomfortable to leave messages in office voicemails for this reason. Trust is built on mutual respect over time. Showing personal interest in Latino individual may help establishing trust. Latino families are characterized by traditional gender roles. Men are expected to have machismo or prominently exhibited masculinity this means men should be rational, strong, authoritarian, and independent.

Women are expected to be submissive, dependant, as well as take care of the children and the household. Many Latino’s believe that events are meant to happen because of fate, a power that they cannot control. Many Latino clients will say “It’s my cross to bear”, or “If God wishes so”. This fatalism may prevent them from seeking help. Because of this fatalism, spiritual healers play an important role in helping people with physical as well as mental concerns. Some Latinos believe that bewitching is often the cause of a change in behavior or illness.

Bewitching involves the use of magical acts and supernatural powers either by humans or supernatural beings. This may simply involve the casting of a spell. Religion and Traditions In general Latinos are very religious, 90% of Latinos are Catholic or Protestant. The church serves as a guide for perceptions and behaviors, influencing decisions and judgments. The church is often an important source for social support and interaction. Latino churches also teach the value of family and are often a place where there are Spanish language masses.

The communal nature of Latinos is represented by the use of food in the culture, sharing and offering food to guests is important and often relates to the holidays that Latino’s often celebrate. Holidays are an important part of Latino culture, some holidays relate to the religious, while others relate to anniversaries of major battles in Mexican history. All the major catholic holidays are celebrated by Latinos such as Christmas, Lent and Easter as well as the Catholic rites of passage Baptism, Holy Communion, and Confirmation. The Day of the Virgin Guadalupe is December 12.

The Virgin of Guadalupe is Mexico’s most popular religious and cultural image, with the titles “Queen of Mexico”, “Empress of the Americas” and “Patroness of the Americas”, both Miguel Hidalgo (in the Mexican War of Independence) and Emiliano Zapata (during the Mexican Revolution) carried Flags bearing the Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Guadalupe Victoria, the first Mexican president changed his name in her honor. The shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City is the most visited Catholic shrine in the world. (Elizondo, 1997) The Day of the dead is another holiday celebrated by Latinos which is connected to the Catholic church.

November 2 is the Catholic holiday of All Souls Day, for Latinos it becomes The Day of the Dead. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Shrines and food are prepared and often brought to the cemetery where loved ones are buried. The flower type Marigold also play a part in the celebrations. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday held on May 5 that commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Mexican Independence Day had its bicentennial on September 16, 2010. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest, known for his progressive ideas, declared Mexican independence in the town of Dolores on September 16, 1810. History and Immigration Waves of migrants came into the Americas starting around 50,000 B. C. during the Pleistoncene Ice Age, and the migration ended when a melting trend came about around 9,000 B. C. The first Mexicans were hunter-gatherers until around 8000 B. C. when they started to breed Maize plants. In 1800 B. C. he most intensive Maize farming began. Maize or corn, along with squash and beans were a staple of the early Mexican diet and are still a major part of Mexican diets today. ((Meyer, Sherman & Deeds, 1999)). Between 1800 B. C. and 1521 A. D. complex cultures began to form, some becoming very advanced, such as the Maya, and the Aztec. These cultures along with others made significant technological, cultural, and scientific advances, such as building pyramid-temple complexes, sophisticated mathematics and astronomy, and the creation of the Long Count Calendar.

These civilizations had large cites and militaries and ruled over the Valley of Mexico until the Spanish Conquest begin in 1517 A. D. ((Meyer, Sherman & Deeds, 1999)). The Spanish Conquest Fifteen century Spanish explorers discovered what we know today as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. In the following years, Spain expanded its empire into the “new world” by force. The conquistadores had more advanced weapons and were thought to be gods by the indigenous people because they were unstoppable.

Spain claimed Mexico as part of its empire, although it took 200 more years to complete the conquest. Spanish culture spread from Mexico to Central and South America, and over what is now the southwest United States. Early Spanish settlements were established in what became Florida, New Mexico and California. ((Meyer, Sherman & Deeds, 1999)). Conquistadores claimed treasures for the Spanish crown and brought Catholic missionaries to forcibly convert indigenous inhabitants. Some indigenous populations became extinct during this period.

Over the three centuries of Spanish rule less than 700,000 Spaniards, mostly men settled in Mexico, this led to intermarriage of Spaniards and indigenous natives that produced persons of mixed blood which the term Mestizos represents. The Spanish also brought diseases such as small pox which the indigenous peoples had no immunity to it and eventually died in the hundreds of thousands. (Meyer, Sherman & Deeds, 1999). The Colonial Period: 1650-1810 During this period Mexico was a part of the much larger Viceroyalty of New Spain, which included Cuba, Puerto Rico, Central America, the south estern United States, and the Philippines. Colonial law was destructive and unfair to the natives, as no Mexican native, even one with pure Spanish blood, could hold an administrative office. From an economic point of view, New Spain was administered not to compete with Spain in terms of exports, such as grapes and olives. Only two ports were open to foreign trade, one on the Atlantic and the other on the Pacific. Foreigners had to obtain a special permit to travel in Mexico and few Mexicans were permitted to travel abroad. Few books were available and education was discouraged.

Mexican natives live in serfdom. ((Meyer, Sherman & Deeds, 1999). Mexican Independence: 1807- 1910 In 1807 Napoleon I invaded Spain and placed his brother on the Spanish throne. Mexican conservatives and rich landowners who supported Spain’s royal family objected to the liberal policies that Napoleon favored. Mexican liberals who wanted a democratic Mexico allied with the Mexican conservatives who wanted a Spanish monarch rather than Napoleon’s brother, these two sides agreed only that Mexico must achieve independence. ((Meyer, Sherman & Deeds, 1999).

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest, known for his progressive ideas, declared Mexican independence in the town of Dolores on September 16, 1810. This declaration started a drawn out war that lasted 11 years, with liberating troops entering Mexico City in 1821. The Treaty of Cordoba, signed August 24, 1821 verified that Mexico was now a sovereign nation. After achieving freedom from Spain, Mexico struggled with the decision to be an empire or a republic. The Mexican government went through many changes often by co-ops during this period of instability.

One example of this is when federalists asked General Santa Anna to overthrow the current president, Bustamante. Santa Anna did this and later went on to serve as president 11 times, including when Texas declared itself a sovereign nation and later during the Mexican-American War. The Mexican-American war was when The United States occupied California and attacked Mexico City. The war ended with the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which stated that Mexico must sell its northern territories to the United States for 15 million dollars. However, after war with The United States, Mexico’s political nrest continued (Meyer, Sherman & Deeds, 1999). The Mexican Revolution: 1910-1929 Many Mexican were unhappy with their government, so after blatant election fraud, from an incumbent president, riots broke out and the revolution began.

The revolutionary forces led by, among others, Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, and Venustiano Carranza defeated the Federal Army, but later disagreed on how to organize the government. These disagreements became a political standoff that led to a violent struggle for control that lasted for more than 20 years. The Constitution created in 1917 still governs Mexico today. (Meyer, Sherman & Deeds, 1999)) The PRI and the rise of Contemporary Mexico: 1929- present In 1929 the National Mexican Party was formed by the president, General Plutarco Elias Calles. The National Mexican Party convinced most of the remaining revolutionary generals to hand over their personal armies to the Mexican Army, this act ended the Mexican revolution. Later renamed Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) this new party ruled Mexico for the rest of the 20th century. The PRI is referred to as the three-legged stool, in reference to Mexican workers, peasants, and bureaucrats.

The PRI did not lose a senate seat until 1988 or a gubernatorial race until 1989. It was not until July 2, 2000 that Vicente Fox of the opposition, National Action Party, won the presidency, ending the PRIs 71 year hold on the presidency (Meyer, Sherman & Deeds, 1999). The PRI achieved economic growth and prosperity until the late 1960s when the party’s management of the economy led to several crises and political unrest that led to the Tlatelolco massacre in 1968. More economic crisis in 1976 and again in 1982 led to the nationalization of Mexico’s banks.

In 1994, Mexico became a full member of the North American Free Trade Agreement, this strengthened Mexico’s economy. Mexico now has a free market economy that has entered the trillion dollar class (Meyer, Sherman & Deeds, 1999). Mexico is a major drug producing nation, an estimated 90% of the cocaine smuggled into the United States every year moves through Mexico. Mexico is also a major supplier of heroin, ecstasy, and the largest foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamines to the US market. Major drug syndicates control the majority of drug trafficking in the country.

The Mexican government conducts the largest independent illicit crop eradication program in the world, however, Mexico continues to be the primary shipment point for U. S. bound cocaine from South America. (CIA. gov, 2010). One the other hand there are also many negative adjustment for Latinos who migrate to the United States. Stigmatization of Latino immigrants is common in the United States; Americans often assume that anyone who is Latino and doesn’t speak English perfectly is an illegal immigrant and look down on them. Institutionalized racism is another negative adjustment factor as well.

Laws are being passed in Arizona that requires Latinos to carry documentation of their citizen status at all times. Latino’s are often segregated from other parts of the community because they live in the poorer neighborhoods with many other immigrants. The language difference often hinders communication and keeps Latino’s in lower class communities, where others speak Spanish. Because Latino’s are oriented on the present time they focus more on work the education which could increase their socio-economic status and help their adjustment to The United States.

There is a lack of support for education that would help immigrants learn English or would help Latino children prepare for higher education. Because of this lack of education many Latino’s have low level or under skilled jobs. Latinos: Oppression and Marginalization Latinos are one of the largest minority groups in America. The number of Latinos had steadily increased over the last forty years in the United States (Bergad & Klein, 2010). Census data from the year 1970 indicates that there were 9. million Latinos in the United States, and it is estimated that the census data from 2010 will indicate that there are 48. 7 million Latinos living in the US. Census projections for the year 2050 indicate that there will be 102. 6 million Latinos in America (US Census Bureau, 2010). Although the numbers of Latinos has steadily increased and are expected to continue to rise, the level of marginalization and oppression they endure on a regular basis has not changed substantially over the years.

Contributing factors to the oppression and marginalization of Latinos in American society include limited or lack of opportunities in the areas of economic stability, fair access to housing, marginal or no access to affordable health care, poor access and quality of education, and limited political representation. Latinos are marginalized based on economic factors, which play a predominant role in their ability to achieve a higher standard of living. Obtaining higher paying jobs, adequate housing and education for themselves and their children is often much more difficult than it is for other populations in America.

As reported above, Latinos often migrate to America with the desire and hope to earn a living wage to support themselves and their families. Unfortunately, Latinos often work in service jobs which offer low wages and few benefits. They are often hired for jobs such as landscaping, janitorial, and various service jobs which require little to no formal training or education. These jobs are considered menial jobs in our society and often fail to meet the basic needs of the workers, let alone offer disposable income that can be used to obtain a greater quality of life.

Our group interviewed two men who are undocumented workers. These are some of the most marginalized and oppressed Latinos in America due to the fact that they have no documents indicating that they are able to work in the United States legally. Economic reasons were cited by both men; one who was in his mid-forties and the other who was in his early twenties, as factors for their immigration to the United States. Both men indicated that the job opportunities were far greater for them in American then in their home countries of El Salvador and Honduras.

These men indicated that they are fully aware that they are discriminated against and oppressed here in the United States because of their legal status, and both men reported feeling powerless to change the system without obtaining legal status to work freely in America. They reported subminimum wages and long hours as landscapers. They also reported that they often get taken advantage of by those “hiring” them for the day as laborers, as sometimes they are not paid at all and they feel they have no recourse under the legal system.

The wages they do make are barely sufficient for them to live on, so they find themselves living in large group situations with other immigrants to pool their resources. They report that communal living in their only option for survival at this time, especially during the current economic depression. The few dollars they may have each month after their own basic needs are met are sent to their families in their homelands to assist them in meeting their basic living needs.

They reported that they would need approximately two thousand dollars each to become documented, which is a tremendous and impossible amount of money for them to save considering the meager earnings they have each month. The poor overall economic conditions of Latinos have a severely limiting effect on their ability to purchase a home and enjoy home ownership, which is touted as part of “success” here in America. Research indicates that Hipic or Latino households have less than ten cents for every dollar in wealth owned by white households.

Growing wage inequality makes it very difficult to emerge from the cycle of poverty or to accumulate assets and increase their net worth (News Batch, 2008, p. 1). Only one in four Latino households owns no assets other than a car or unsecured debt (Lowery, 2010, p. 1). In 2007, the median non-Hipic white family reported $171,200 in net worth versus only $28,300 for non-white and Hipic families. Latinos have been far more likely than whites to receive higher-priced loans, when they are given loans, and carry higher debt relative to their incomes.

Loan approval is difficult for most Latinos in good economic times, and almost impossible in recessionary times. Communities of color commonly experience higher crime rates and lower tax bases than predominately white neighborhoods. Latinos are a relatively young group or population. They are not as highly educated, and they tend to be concentrated in high cost regions of the country, such as New York and California, where homeownership can be less attainable, or it forces them into low income neighborhoods. As well, in these areas, Latinos are much more likely to be immigrants (Dugan, 2004).

In the current economic conditions the rates of foreclosures disproportionately impact communities of color. The income gap continues to deepen in America between the wealthy and the poor at an alarming rate, with the poorer class increasing in numbers with each passing year. Research indicates that these economic and social disparities stand to grow worse in the years to come, which further oppresses Latinos and other people of color. Not only are poor economic opportunities and access to adequate housing real issues for Latinos in America, heath care is a serious concern.

Many Latinos work in menial jobs earning minimum wage or less. These jobs often do not offer health insurance benefits and the cost of purchasing health insurance is prohibitive for many Latinos and their families. Often they must rely upon government programs such as Medicaid, which is a needs based health insurance program for the indigent. This in turn leads to negative perceptions of Latinos “draining the system” and further fuels oppressive and discriminatory acts against them. Other contributing factors facing Latinos in the area of health related issues are poor diets and access to adequate nutrition.

Research indicates that there are a disproportionately high number of fast food establishments in economically depressed areas in which predominately people of color reside (Freeman, 2007, p. 2225). This leads to increased health risks, including heart disease, obesity, and diabetes in these populations. Low income families often cannot afford healthy, nutritious foods from grocery stores, and grocery stores are often not easily found in low income areas, whereas fast food establishments are plentiful (Freeman, 2007). This is a marginalizing factor that often goes unnoticed by society.

Between 1991 and 2001, the obesity rate among Latinos has gone up from 11. 6% to 23. 7% within the United States. 23% of Hipic men are obese, and 27. 5% of women are obese. These statistics are higher than those of non-Hipics within the U. S. Also, Latinos are twice more likely to have diabetes and to suffer from various diabetes-related illnesses such as kidney and eye disease. Studies have found that these ailments can stem from poor eating habits, and tend to increase with immigration (Arizona State University, 2010).

Lack of access to quality educational opportunities and support is another contributing factor to the oppression and marginalization of Latinos in American society. The high school dropout rate among Latinos is higher than any other minority group, with only four in ten high school aged students obtaining a high school diploma. The statistics for the Latino high school dropout rate in Nevada is currently one of the highest in the nation with only 42% of Latino students earning a high school diploma (Sitwell, 2010).

Young men still have higher dropout rates then young women, however the gap is closing in this area, and society is seeing more young women exit the school setting without graduating from high school, which sets them up for a life time of menial employment opportunities and low wages. As well, research indicates that by age 26, thirty eight percent of white high school graduates have obtained a bachelor’s degree, in comparison to 18 percent of Hipic high school graduates. The U. S. Department of Education identifies seven undergraduate attributes negatively associated with postsecondary degree attainment.

The risk characteristics are delayed college entry, part-time attendance, financial independent status, single parent status, having dependents, not having a regular high school diploma, and working full-time. The average number of risk attributes for Latino undergraduates is 2. 4, in comparison to 2. 0 for white undergraduates. Often the level of education individuals obtain is directly related to their quality of life as they are better able to afford a higher standard of living with increased education. Many Latinos do not have the basic education required to ensure financial security in American society.

One of the major barriers for Latinos obtaining adequate educational levels is in their use and understanding of the English language. For many Latino families, English is often a second language which makes it difficult for learning to take place in the American culture. Additionally, the recent political campaigns here in Nevada offered a clear indication that political discrimination is rampant in our society. The recent negative political ads ran by candidate Sharon Angle were a blatant example of institutional discrimination against Latinos.

The television ads ran by Sharon Angle for Senate showed Latinos dressed up as gang bangers with a narrator warning “waves of illegal aliens are streaming across our borders, joining violent gangs and forcing families to live in fear”. These types of negative ads only enforce the long standing stereotypes about Latinos. The Latino population is split over whether immigrant and native-born Latinos are working together to achieve common political goals. About half (45%) say they are, and half (46%) say they are not.

Both the native born (who comprise 47% of the adult Latino population) and the foreign born (who comprise 53%) are roughly equally divided on their perceptions of political solidarity. On every level, from the micro, mezzo and macro levels, Latinos face inequities as a result of our social system that supports it. As social workers we must be aware that the issues of oppression, marginalization and discrimination against Latinos are a result of a social system that promotes and justifies marginalizing others. We must look oward changing the systems that support oppression, rather than looking to change the people who are victims of the system. Push and Pull factors Latinos travel and migration to the United States can be understood in terms of pull and push factors, these factors that would pull Latinos to the United States include the Network theory, those who migrated first would help their family and friends come to US, who would then help others, and so on. The United States has higher living standards than some places in Mexico where some places the water is not safe to drink among other factors.

The United States has higher wages, even those who make less than minimum wage make more than they could make in some areas of Mexico. Factors that push Latinos out of their native country include shortage of jobs, unemployment, and low wages. Political conflicts are common in some areas of Latin America as well as government conflicts with drug rings, Latinos do not want to be caught in the middle of a conflict or have their family caught and so they migrate to the United States. These conflicts can also lead to forced displacement, especially in Central America where there is insufficient lands.

Some countries in Latin America violate human rights, have high levels of corruption and crime. In Latin American countries there is often persistent poverty and parts of the population go hungry at times. Positive-Adjustment Factors Latinos have some positive adjustment factors for migration, such as a strong desire for a better life for their family. They have supportive families, especially when some family members have previously migrated. These family members help in many ways including lodging, food, networking, finding jobs, and financially.

Friends also help in the ways mentioned above. With Latino’s becoming one of the largest minorities in the United States they are beginning to have a significant political voice. Negative- Adjustment Factors One the other hand there are also many negative adjustment for Latino’s who migrate to the United States. Stigmatization of Latino immigrants is common in the United States; Americans often assume that anyone who is Latino and doesn’t speak English perfectly is an illegal immigrant and look down on them. Institutionalized racism is another negative adjustment factor as well.

Laws are being passed in Arizona that require Latino’s to carry documentation of their citizen status at all times. Latino’s are often segregated from other parts of the community because they live in the poorer neighborhoods with many other immigrants. The language difference often hinders communication and keeps Latino’s in lower class communities, where others speak Spanish. Because Latino’s are oriented on the present time they focus more on work the education which could increase their socio-economic status and help their adjustment to The United States.

There is a lack of support for education that would help immigrants learn English or would help Latino children prepare for higher education. Because of this lack of education many Latino’s have low level or under skilled jobs. Society looks to place blame on individuals and groups in hard economic times rather than examine and blame hard times on a dysfunctional systems which is inherently imbalanced and discriminatory. A profound example of “blaming” can be witnessed with the recent passage of the Arizona law against Latino immigrants.

These types of laws justify institutional discrimination and oppression against minorities (Goodwin, 2010). The vast majority of Latinos-79%-disapprove of the first-of-its-kind Arizona law enacted this year that gives police broad powers to check the immigration status of people. By contrast, the general population approves of the measure by a ratio of two-to-one. This amounts to racial profiling, and would not be tolerated by other ethnic groups. Research further indicates that 25 more states may try to pass similar anti-illegal-immigration laws next year (Goodwin, 2010).

Misunderstanding of Cultural Values There are several misunderstanding of cultural value this is due to a lack of bilingual staff in agencies and organizations which lead to misunderstandings of cultural believes and values in our society. Language barriers: Lack of interpreters or bilingual staff available, Legal Status and Fear of deportation are many causes of lack of communication from Hipics to service providers. Many of the Hipics will be not be eligible for services for being undocumented, Lack of knowledge on how the US health care system works.

They may think it’s cheaper to go to the ER than to a PCP, Many of the Hipic families won’t have access to health insurance coverage. Latino children who are not US citizens or legal residents will not be eligible for the health insurance state programs, Lack of knowledge on how the US educational and legal system works. Hipics may think they can’t file for protective orders or custody, Lack of information that leads to misconceptions about resources in the community. Many Hipics may think that they are not eligible for WIC, Food Stamps, etc. his is anther misunderstanding but for many Hipics a large majority who have children born in the United States or what is known by many as “Anchor Babies” may be eligible for government related services and assistance. Practice Issues As a service provide it is important to incorporate a positive environment to all cultures. Any and all services such as written materials and audiovisual tools should be presented in Spanish when available. When working in the Latino Culture it is important to follow a set of guidelines that focus on what makes the Latino Culture and those within it comfortable.

As a Service provider using the guidelines below will help to effectively work within this culture. • The effectiveness of word-of-mouth referrals to the center should be recommended. It is not uncommon that referrals are made because a neighbor or family member had been under treatment at the center. Once individuals and families are aware that the center offers low-cost mental-health services in Spanish and that the services offered are respectful of Latino values and beliefs, the good reputation becomes a viable source for future referrals and treatment compliance. validation, generational life reviews, and ceremonies and rituals.

When working within the Latino culture it is important to focus on appropriate ways that incorporate an understanding of another’s culture. There are ways you can promote a comfortable environment using the guidelines below. One can have a clearer understanding of what can be done and what cannot. ? Strive to spell and pronounce names correctly. ? Don’t assume all Latino’s are Mexican ask of origin and recognize differences among Latino culture. ? Avoid asking if a person speaks “Mexican or” Puerto Rican”. Spanish is Spanish. ? Use qualified interpreters. Children should never be asked to act as interpreters. Try to learn Spanish. Speaking in Spanish facilitates a greater level of comfort. ? Identify and address the decision-maker or spokesperson, the Patriarch and Matriarch. ? Be formal in interactions with older Hipic. ? Encourage the family to ask questions. Explain thoroughly and confirm understanding. ? Check to make sure recommendations will fit into the family lifestyle. ? And finally listening is the key ? Use Spanish words you know when comfortable. Latino Education In our current educational system there have been some studies that discuss the differences with Mexican American children and American children.

To better understand these differences one must first identify that Mexican American Children have a different learning style. There are four important aspects that can improve the way that these children learn. These four aspects are; Environmental Learning Style, Emotional Learning Style, Physiological and Sociological Learning Style. They may be homesick for their families, friends, language, and customs. Economic survival is the primary concern for immigrant families. Teachers need to recognize that it is likely that the children of these newly arrived Hipic families will be motivated, hard-working students.

Their parents have sacrificed their old life to provide a better life for them and their children. Immigrant children might suffer from culture shock when arriving to the United States. They may be homesick for their families, friends, language, and customs. Many times the need for economic survival is the primary concern for immigrant families. Empowering Teachers Teachers need to develop a multicultural curriculum that celebrates Mexican Americans for their Mexican American students. The following contributed to the effectiveness of teaching Mexican American students: ?

Teachers who accepted full responsibility for helping students. ? Teachers who were extremely caring and nurturing to students. ? The encouragement of collaborative learning. ? Student access to a wide variety of learning materials. ? If allowed in a teacher’s school district, the utilization of both Spanish and English when needed to enhance learning. Conclusion Latinos are politically marginalized and oppressed in the United States. Inequity is the virtually inevitable result of two powerful forces: prejudice on the level of the individual and political imbalance on the social level.

Through Building Effective Communications, Increase Partnerships between schools and Latino Hipic Communities, Establish linkages and dialogue, and Seed new initiatives that foster change with immigration reform. We can begin building a better foundation for current and future immigrants. Research indicates that when sources of inequity are built into the social system, resulting differences are neither trivial nor discrete. Such inequities persist over time and space. Often, the inequities and oppression is blamed on the discriminated-against (Power Inequities by M.

Dugan). Mexican American students face many challenges. Many are from poor backgrounds. Their families may lack the communication skills, knowledge, and experience to take advantage of educational, cultural, and social opportunities. Some Mexican American students are newly arrived immigrants who may experience culture shock and limited English proficiency. However, with proper education that includes caring teachers who have high expectations for these students, Mexican American students can become high achieving, successful adults.

References

• Issue Brief). Retrieved from The American Independent News Network: http://minnesotaindependent. com/60416/foreclosure-crisis-race Arizona State University. (2010).
• Latino Health Issues: Diet and Health. Retrieved from Arizona State University: College of Liberal Arts : http://www. asu. edu/courses/css335/ Bergad, L. W. , & Klein, H. S. (2010).
• Hipics in the United States: A demographic, social, and economic history, 1980-2005. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Dugan, M. A. (204, February 2004).
• Power Inequities (White Paper). Retrieved from Beyond Intractability: http://www. beyondintractability. org/essay/power_inequities/ Freeman, A. (2007). Fast Food: Oppression through Poor Nutrition. California Law Review, 6, 2221-2259. Goodwin, L. (2010, October 28, 2010).
• Report: 25 states considering Arizona-style immigration laws. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2010/04/24/us/politics/24immig. html

Weller and Hersh (2002) perceive deregulation as a negative force for trade markets as well as for capital markets. They argue that deregulated trade flows would result to into having more inequality in terms of income distribution, and more unregulated capital flows. Macro economically, these incidents will lead into economic stabilities and will affect the poor negatively. Based from their data gathered from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the United Nations, they find out that: “income share of the poor is generally lower in deregulated and macro economically less stable environments trade flows in more regulated environments may be good for growth and, by extension, for the poor in the long run”. (Weller and Hersh, 2002, p. 1) The reason for the unequal income share for the poor is the capital flows’ faster mobility in deregulated environments. “Faster capital mobility in a more deregulated environment can lead to rising inequality in the short and medium term, both within countries and between countries, and to less poverty reduction or even increasing poverty. ” (Weller and Hersh, 2002, p.

They conclude based from the results of their study that trade, as well as capital flows, can be significant for economic growth and have no negative effects on the income shares of the poor in the long-run as long as the environment is regulated. (Weller and Hersh, 2002) Trade liberalization or what Weller and Hersh describe as the “complement to deregulated capital markets” was criticized by a number of authors (Bannister and Thugge 2001; Mishel, et. al. 2001; Ocampo and Taylor 1998; Taylor 1996) in relation to the rising inequality.

They argue that: “by inducing rapid structural change and shifting employment within industrializing countries that liberalize, trade leads to falling real wages and declining working conditions and living standards. ” On the other hand some authors blame the ‘skill-biased technological change” as the main cause of inequality. (Weller and Hersh, 2002, p. 5) Feenstra and Hanson (2001) support the argument by saying that skill-biased change is a possible effect of trade liberalization.

Another issue that Weller and Hersh see on the removal of the barriers of trade is that it contributes to lower tariff revenues for developing countries. They use India as an example where in 40 percent of its tax revenues come from tariffs in the 1980’s. Removing the barriers for trade will lower or remove the tariffs and thus, changes will occur in the structure of tax in order to fill up the shoes left by the tariff fees. “Restructuring tax regimes to offset lost tariff revenues takes time and introduces administrative costs.

Even if trade liberalization were growth enhancing in the long-run, in the short-run revenue shortfalls may seriously constrain a government’s ability to maintain spending on social services that benefit low-income households. ” (Weller and Hersh, 2002, p. 5) Bronfenbrenner (1997, 2000) sees free trade as advantageous for employers in response for the workers’ pleads for their rights like higher wages and improved working conditions. The author argues that companies and factories are encouraged to either shut down their own workplaces and/or locate to other states wherein they will benefit the most.

These benefits may be in the form of less strict labor regulations or lower taxes and wages. The negative implications will be felt by the workers because they cannot pressure strongly these companies for an increase in wages. As Weller and Hersh concludes in their article: “this trend fuels a race to the bottom in which national governments vie for needed investment by bidding down the cost to employers (and livings standards) of working people. ” (Weller and Hersh, 2002, p.

Examples of these companies are the multinational companies which have Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Industries that are located in many developing countries. The United Nations Conference on Trade Development (UNCTAD) (1997) reports that the liberalization of trade in many parts of Latin America resulted to widening wage gap, falling real wages for unskilled workers and rising unemployment. Perry and Olarreaga (2006) identify four (4) main reasons why in Latin America and in several countries, trade liberalization resulted to increases in skill premiums and wage inequality:

1. ” Relative factor endowments, as most Latin American countries are rich in natural resources (which, are in general complementary with capital and skills) and were more capital abundant than other developing countries with large pools of unskilled labor, such as China and India, that were already integrating into the world economy by the time of Latin American trade liberalization.
2. Dynamic effects of trade that led to an acceleration of skill-biased technical change and Schumpeterian creative destruction, which led to an increase in demand for skills in most industries.
3. Initial conditions and contemporary events that make predictions based on a simple factor abundance model difficult to generalize; for example the pre-reform structure of protection was biased towards unskilled intensive sectors in most LAC countries and tariff reductions naturally led to a relative increase in demand for skills, but differences in consumption bundles across income groups and exchange rate policies also complicate predictions.
4. The impact that trade reform had on imperfectly functioning labor markets, such as potential transitions in and out of unemployment, informality, as well as income volatility {which is] likely to affect and sometimes change the direction of the impact of trade reforms on income inequality and poverty. ” (Perry and Olarreaga, 2006, p. 1) Reveles and Rocha (2007) see the other dimension of the EU-Mexico Free Trade Agreement and the IPPA which made negative impacts on Mexico.

The agreements not only brought severe effects on the social and economic conditions of Mexico but also left the Mexican state incapable of encouraging local and small businesses and enterprises. These medium to scale businesses were the ones hit hard by the agreements because the large companies of the European Union dominated them. Mexico’s industry which is the essential part for economic development has been increasingly controlled by the European Union since the start of the Free Trade Agreement.

The financial sector of Mexico was also affected that it cannot provide credit for production and it only seeks assistance from the United States and EU. (Reveles and Rocha, 2007) Shafaedin (2005) mentions other setbacks of Mexico after the free trade agreements in relation to base industry: “In the important case of Mexico where exports grew extremely fast, acceleration of manufactured exports was not accompanied by an acceleration of MVA.

Much upgrading of the industrial base did not take place and the non-maquila [factory] industries which performed better than others were those which had enjoyed high investment during import substitution era. ’’ (Shafaedin, 2005, p. 20) Dennis Arnold (2004) identifies the drawbacks of Mexico during the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which badly affects its workers particularly the rural poor. The NAFTA removed several agricultural sectors and pushed the wages and working conditions at the bottom on factories and non-factories.

Audley (2003) notes five (5) points that will conclude the impacts of NAFTA to the Mexican economy as a whole:

• “NAFTA has not helped the Mexican economy keep pace with the growing demand for jobs. Unprecedented growths in trade, increasing productivity, and a surge in both portfolio and foreign direct investment have led to an increase of 500,000 jobs in manufacturing from 1994 to 2002. [However, employment reduced in the manufacturing sector because of import competition and substitution of foreign input in assembly operations. (Arnold, 2004)] The agricultural sector, where almost a fifth of Mexicans still work, has lost 1. 3 million jobs since 1994.
• Real wages for most Mexicans today are lower than they were when NAFTA took effect. However, this setback in wages was caused by the peso crisis of 1994-1995—not by NAFTA. That said, the productivity growth that has occurred over the last decade has not translated into growth in wages. Despite predictions to the contrary, Mexican wages have not converged with U. S. wages.
• NAFTA has not stemmed the flow of poor Mexicans into the United States in search of jobs; in fact, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of migrants to the United States, despite an unprecedented increase in border control measures. Historical migration patterns, the peso crisis, and the pull of employment opportunities in the United States provide better explanations for the increase in migration than NAFTA itself.
• The fear of a “race to the bottom” in environmental regulation has proved unfounded. At this point some elements of Mexico’s economy are dirtier and some are cleaner. The Mexican government estimates that annual pollution damages over the past decade exceeded US $36 billion per year. This damage to the environment is greater than the economic gains from the growth of trade and of the economy as a whole. More specifically, enactment of NAFTA accelerated changes in commercial farming practices that have put Mexico’s diverse ecosystem at great risk of contamination from concentrations of nitrogen and other chemicals commonly used in modern farming.
• Mexico’s evolution toward a modern, export oriented agricultural sector has also failed to deliver the anticipated environmental benefits of reduced deforestation and tillage. Rural farmers have replaced lost income caused by the collapse in commodity prices by farming more marginal land, a practice that has resulted in an average deforestation rate of more than 630,000 hectares per year since 1993 in the biologically rich regions of southern Mexico. ” (Audley, 2003, p. 6-7)