Some common stereotypes perpetuated about Mexicans in the U.S. have to do with corruption and work ethic. As well all know, stereotypes are lame, so here's my take on those subjects. I've often had people talk to me about corruption and employment in their country Mexico, so I thought I'd share everything people have said. Clearly just my impressions and the people I've met, but it's been very interesting for me.
Jobs
In terms of employment, any one who has ever stereotyped Mexicans as lazy is completely crazy--I have no idea why! Most people I know who aren't studying work 6 days a week and definitely heftier hours than most people in the U.S...and that's just people who have regular work. People who have stands, etc. on the street are there all day every day. I rarely see my host family because they all work Monday-Saturday, for many many hours. Everyone I know who studies (besides some people from very rich families at my university) all work a great deal in addition to their studies, usually for their families' businesses or food stands. A lot of people seem to have pretty minimal vacation..I even know some people who have jobs where they can't have their phones at! As my econ professor said, the stereotype of the "ranchero" or "campesino" taking a siesta under a tree is because he was up at 4 AM or earlier working away before it got too hot.
Another interesting aspect in terms of employment is that it is not illegal in Mexico to solicit employment of a certain age, gender, etc. Often signs in stores ask for applications from someone "20-30 years of age, female, with good recommendations." While this discrimination definitely happens in the U.S. in interviews or due to the names of the applicant, here it can be more blunt. This leads to what some people have mentioned to me about how it's hard for people to get jobs at 40 or later. While I also remember hearing about this when people were getting laid off in more force in the U.S., people I have talked to (who have been to the U.S.) seemed to think it was later there. Unless you're an exec, it's hard to break in to the business once you're past 30, they say (obviously, I don't have experience here). Also, there is a lack of work for people with degrees (obviously true in U.S. too). I've met several people who have set, I have a college degree and look at my job--for example, the last person who said this to me was collecting trash.
Amongst more familiar requests for employment applications, this notice asks that the person be between 18-3o years old and a female (and asks you to include photos with your application.
There are so many people trying to make a living on the streets by selling newspapers to parked cars, selling umbrellas, toys, food, water, etc. to parked cars, washing cars parked at stoplights and juggling, among others. It's obviously difficult to make a living this way, but they are super dedicated, it seems to me..and also pretty dangerous! This is a way for older people to find a job, since their other options are limited (some have said to me).
I'm not sure I'd like to work here in Mexico, it seems like a lot of people my age and who are rich enough to go to college, once done with school, work really really really hard-incredibly so. Those that aren't "lucky" enough to have employment in the city work hard hard hard at their food stands, restaurants, clothing stands at markets, etc. While I'm sure there are some tight jobs, it seems people just work so hard! Not so down.
Corruption
Again, everything I'm sharing here is particular to my experience. I think most gringos like myself have at least heard mention of corruption in Mexico. For one thing, there is the famous "mordida," literally meaning "bite" but it also means bribe. If you get in a car accident, drive the wrong way down a one-way street, drive with open containers or get caught drunk driving, instead of getting a ticket (or jail), it is typical to pay the police officer a little "bite" and be on your way. My first week here, a city bus I was on slammed into a car in front of it (basically rather reckless driving, or as reckless as you can be in a bus). He tossed the policeman who came over some pesos and we kept on our driving path. In the (minor, minor) car accident I was in (mentioned in earlier blog posts), both insurance agents came, along with a police officer. My friend Alan gave the police officer something probably like $5 and we moved on to the insurance stuff.
It is expected that police officers will be expecting mordidas, because they earn really low salaries. Of course, there is still a procedure for tickets. If a police officer pulls you over, you can demand a citation and then go deal with it in court. However, I imagine if this happened to me, it would be much easier to mordida and be on my way, especially because they are not too extravagant. I hear the nicer your car/ the richer you look, the more mordida is expected. My Mexico guidebook mentions to be careful about being stopped for invented infractions, and to demand a citation, but the only time I've been in a car that was pulled over, the driver had driven the wrong way down a one-way street (duh) and after talking to them, he still didn't pay a mordida.
I have often thought about the efficiency of this process-a lot of time and administration fees are saved, as opposed to the U.S. Also, although I've oft heard my foreign friends appalled at the corruption of police and how they can just charge "fake" mordidas all over the place, the only time I've been gotten a ticket in the U.S. was for what I think was invented-but of course the police are believed over me!! In that case, seems rather similar...just used some more tax money for it in my case. Police are trained to reach a quota of citations in the U.S. In Mexico, they are paid a lower salary, giving them an economic incentive to create their own quota. Just a thought...I sometimes feel frustrated by how the U.S. is portrayed as being such a great beacon for Mexico, when really we're not so different in some aspects.
As a side note, since penalties for drunk driving/driving with an open container are typically solved with a mordida, there is more incentive to drive drunk. Therefore, I somewhat often see people (mostly younger) with neck support braces..like cushy neck chairs. Don't worry anyone though, I've only once wanted a friend to drive slower, and I demanded they did with success!
Beyond driving penalties, police/government seems less controlled than my perspective from home (although I would partly say I believe the U.S. government, army and police has a lot of corruption that is well hidden). As my friend Fernando said, "Mexico is corrupt, but the government is even worse."
A couple examples:
1. My friend's family sells clothing at tianguis, a sort of street market. Federal representatives came and took a bunch of the merchandise and money for no reason, and his parents are still trying to get it back.
2. While this is a long story, here is the short version. Outside the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Monterrey (north where there is a great deal of drug trafficking) last month, there was a confrontation between the army and an armed group of presumably people having to do with drug trafficking. The government said no one from the campus community was injured, but two students were missing. When their parents pressed that it be investigated, it was discovered that two postgrad students had been killed by the army. They were without their ID cards, which indicates that they were just hoping they'd disappear..except these parents actually have money and power to protest. After this came out, this stepped up the amount of talking and complaints I heard about corruption.
3. When I was in Michoacán last weekend (another state known for drug trafficking), I was talking to two guys and we were talking about police. One mentioned the "Familia," which knows everything that goes on the state. He refused to talk more about it, saying they knew everything and we didn't know if something would get back to them. Since he was a miner who probably wouldn't have any insights on the Familia he would share with me, I found that kind of intense. Just living a normal life, except for a little more fear...although I imagine there are places like this in the U.S. as well.
As a disclaimer, please don't worry about me being abused by police, drug traffickers, etc. Of course, most of what I hear on this subject is just heresy, but I thought it'd be interesting to share. Just as you are probably fine if you steer clear of gangs and dangerous neighborhoods in U.S. cities, you are fine here in beautiful Mexico as well.
As I don't drive here and don't get involved with legal activity, the only run-in I've had with the police is when I was walking home a couple blocks late at night and they gave me a ride to my house...gotta love it.
No comments:
Post a Comment