Written 12 October, 2007

In 1999, I made my first trip to Mexico. This was to the border town of Juarez on a spring break mission trip. The following year, I traveled to Mexico City for a summer mission trip. It was there that I met my future wife. Since that time, I have traveled to Mexico City many times and am now married to a Mexican. I am currently living in Mexico City, participating in a local church, and returning periodically in the United States to work. I would like to give a brief overview of this fine country.

Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, United Mexican States, is its official name. The derivation of the name Mexico is subject to interpretation, but may mean "Place at the center of the Lake Moon."[1] This nation consists of 31 states plus a federal district. The current estimated population is 108,700,891 making at the 11th most populous nation.[2] It is located in North America along with United States of America and Canada. It spans 758,249 square miles making it the 15th largest nation in the world.[3] Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world and contains about one-third of all Spanish speakers.[4] Its Federal District, Mexico City, is the largest metropolitan area in the Western Hemisphere and the second-largest in the world.

In the pre-Colombian era, the area that is now Mexico was populated by various indigenous groups including the Mayans and Aztecs. In the early 16th century, the sophisticated Aztec Empire in Central Mexico was destroyed by the Spanish and smallpox.[5] Independence from Spain was first declared by Priest Miguel Hidalgo on September 16, 1810. After many years of war, its independence was first recognized in 1821. In 1824, a Constitution was drafted and Guadalupe Victoria was named the first official president. The current president is Felipe Calderon from the National Action Party. Of note, the Mexican government has undergone much change over the past decade as prior to this a single party was in control for greater than 70 years.

The current government structure of Mexico is somewhat similar to that of the United States. It consists of executive, legislative, and judiciary branches. There are three major political parties and several other smaller ones. Unfortunately, the Mexican government has been infamous for its corruption on various levels.

Mexico has a free market economy and is the 12th largest economy in the world.[6] Mexican currency is the peso which is currently worth a little less than 10 cents (1 dollar equals almost 11 pesos). Oil is Mexico's largest export. Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) is the government controlled oil and petroleum enterprise. Another large source of income is the tourist industry. In 2005, Mexico was considered to be the seventh most popular tourist destination in the world receiving over 20 million tourists per year.[7] Despite its large economy, many Mexicans continue to suffer from severe poverty. This is in part due to corruption but also to the fact that there is a relatively small middle class. This is a problem common to much of Latin America. Anecdotally, some would say that 95% of the money is controlled by 5% of the people.

Mexico is ethnically diverse. According to Operation Word, 61.1% of the population is Mestizo (Spanish/Amerindian). This group speaks Spanish and is culturally Mestizo. Another group consisting of 20.5% is Spanish-speaking but culturally Amerindian, while 7.5% speak only indigenous languages. There are also 9% Euro-American and several other smaller groups.[8]

Although Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, it does not have an official legal language. Spanish along with 62 other Amerindian indigenous languages are recognized as national languages.[9] There are also more than two hundred other languages.[10] However, as mentioned above, over ninety percent of the country speaks Spanish. There are several versions of the Bible in Spanish. The most popular version that I have seen in Mexico is the Reina Valera 1960. This version still uses some old Castilian Spanish language but for the most part is understandable by most Mexicans. The New International Version has a Spanish counterpart which is called La Nueva Version Internacional. This version uses more common modern language and is gaining in popularity. At the time of its printing, Operation World reports that there are complete Bibles in 5 of Mexico’s languages and New Testaments in another 98. There are also portions and projects continuing in other languages.

Mexico City, the city in which I currently live, is the second-largest metropolitan area in the world—being second only to Tokyo and beating out New York. The population in 2005 was 19.2 million people[11] although other sources are even higher.[12] This is almost a fifth of the total population of Mexico. Mexico City has seen huge growth over the last several decades. Many people travel to the city looking for work. Unfortunately, this has led to rapid and disorganized growth of the city. Because of this, the infrastructure has suffered.

Mexico City was built on the bed of Lake Texcoco. It has an elevation of 7,349 feet, although the city is sinking several inches per year. This elevation creates a rather temperate climate most of the year. Mexico City consists of 16 delegaciónes or boroughs and hundreds of colonias or neighborhoods within these. For example, I currently live in the colonia of San Juan Tlihuaca in the delegación of Azcapotzalco. There are no clear divisions of colonias and they all blur together throughout the huge city.

Transportation within the city is abundant. One of the biggest assets of Mexico City is its subway system. One can get near virtually anywhere in the city via the subway. It is clean and organized and costs less than 20 cents per trip. One does not even have to be literate to get around as all of the lines and stations are defined by color and figures. If the subway does not arrive at the final destination destination, a taxi can get one the rest of the way relatively inexpensively. There is also an extensive bus system throughout the city, but this can be very confusing.

In Mexico City, one can find many American stores including Wal-Mart, McDonald's, and Starbucks. Also, one can view current U.S. movies at the cinema-- most often these are in English with Spanish subtitles. Typically, American-based stores and activities are more expensive than Mexican-based ones. For example, a hamburger at McDonald's may cost the equivalent of three dollars, which is more expensive than the same hamburger the United States, while a hamburger at a local stand may cost less than a dollar.

One of the biggest problems in Mexico City is the air pollution. Since it is located in a lakebed and surrounded by mountains, it is difficult for the smog to escape. The biggest source of smog is that of cars and buses. There are no strict regulations on exhaust and Mexico and many of the cars would never be allowed to be on the road in the United States due to safety and emissions laws. For most cars, the government has restricted driving in the city to only six days of the week in an attempt to decrease air pollution.

Another problem is that of crime and drugs. Like any big city, when so many sinners are in such proximity, these problems abound. Also, there is a great deal of corruption in Mexico City. Unlike the United States, police officers are not thought to be upstanding citizens trying to protect the people. On the contrary, they often exploit the citizens for their personal gain. Bribes are common and referred to as mordidas (literally “little bites”). Since police officers are not well-paid, they often accept these bribes to supplement their income.

The culture of Mexico is somewhat diverse as it ethnically diverse. However, certain generalizations can be made among Mexicans and some among various groups of Latin Americans. Although these generalizations should not be taken as absolutes, they can be helpful for one newly entering the culture. I would like to give a few points. Much of following has been taken from my own experience in Mexico:

Mexicans are friendly! More so than many groups of Americans. When being introduced to someone for the first time, entering a house, or even walking into a church service, it is customary to greet everyone. Between men this is done by a firm handshake. Between women or a man and a woman, this may be done by a handshake or a mutual kiss on the right cheek. A greeting of words alone, as is common in American culture, would be considered cold or even rude. In general, Mexicans are very warm and expressive.

There is a persistent remnant of chivalry in Mexican culture. For example, a host would let the guests enter the house before himself as a sign of respect. Also the principle of “mi casa es su casa” (my house is your house) is a reality. Mexicans are very hospitable. Another example of chivalry is that when a man and woman are walking in the street, it is custom for the man to walk on the side closest the street in case there is an unexpected splash from a puddle in the street.

Mexicans are more people and project oriented than task and time oriented. This can be a great source of frustration for American visitors. An appointment at 12:00 noon means that arriving any time between 11:55 and 12:30 would be “on time” and arriving before one or even later would be acceptable. Although some appointments are stricter than this (for example a plan departure), this is the common practice. Also, plans are always subject to change especially if a visitor arrives. Therefore, in order to function in Mexico, Americans must be very flexible. It was difficult for me to adapt to this. I would often get frustrated when I had a list of tasks to complete that day and got none of them done because several unforeseen meaningful distractions.

Another source of frustration for Americans in Mexico is that things are not always black and white. Justice is a very important American value. In Mexico, justice is not as high on this list of values. For example, if a man is robbed, it is unlikely that he will report this to the police because he does not expect that justice will ever come to pass. There is a Mexican phrase that sums up this philosophy: “ni modo”. This is difficult to appreciate in English but is basically means “Oh well. That’s life. There’s nothing I can do about it so I’ll just forget about it.” An American’s sense of justice is also tested in the daily routine. This may be from an events as simple as “I was in line first, why did they attend someone else first.” (By the way, chivalry did not permeate into the area of customer services. Whoever shouts loudest or pushes himself to the front will likely get served first.) It may more complex as exemplified by the fact that I have been unable to find out how to obtain a medical license to practice in Mexico despite talking to various medical and government offices. An American would think that there has got to be a simple way to find out this process, but I have yet to find it.

Mexico has no official religion unlike some Latin American countries. It is 89% Catholic and 6% Protestant.[13] There are also over a million of each of Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses and a few other smaller groups. There is a huge difference between Roman Catholicism in Mexico and that of the United States. I have had it explained to me that the Catholic Church in Mexico did not undergo the transformation that resulted from the Reformation as did the Catholic Church in the United States. Therefore it is laced with corruption and false doctrine. In addition, there is a huge degree of syncretism which resulted from the mixing of Christian doctrine with that of indigenous religions. Many who claim to be Catholic, do not understand even the basics of Christian doctrine. There is more superstition and false faith in objects, shrines, and “saints” then in Jehovah God and his Son Jesus Christ. Idolatry is rampant and many households and businesses have set up various shrines, images, and idols. One of the biggest downfalls of the Catholic Church in Mexico is in regard to the Virgin of Guadalupe. One cannot appreciate Catholicism in Mexico without having an understanding of this.

The Virgin of Guadalupe, also called Our Lady Guadalupe, is an icon of the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico. This is a picture depicting the appearance of the Virgin Mary in indigenous form to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin in 1531.[14] Mexican Catholics believe that Guadalupe was a true manifestation of the Virgin Mary in the Americas. Since she appeared in indigenous form, she is also referred to as "La Virgen Morena" which means “the Dark-Skinned Virgin.” Some believe that this was nothing more than an invention of the Catholic Church to represent both the Virgin Mary and the indigenous goddess Tonantzin in an attempt to gain more converts. This syncretism has plagued Mexican Catholicism ever since. The image of the Virgin of Guadalupe was carried by the armies of Priest Miguel Hidalgo during the War of Independence. Currently there are shrines with the image of Guadalupe on essentially every corner Mexico City and in many taxicabs, buses, and businesses. The Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes said that "...one may no longer consider himself a Christian, but you cannot truly be considered a Mexican unless you believe in the Virgin of Guadalupe."[15]

Unfortunately, the result is that the false doctrine and worship of Virgin of Guadalupe has become more important than the basic teachings of the Bible and the need for Jesus Christ as a Savior. This is further influence by a Mexican family structure. Oftentimes, the father of the household is viewed as a stern disciplinarian while the mother is viewed as always caring, loving, and forgiving. Therefore, to a Mexican mind, it is so much easier to have a mother figure intercede for them in their relationship with the Father than to address the Father directly. It is thought that as long as the Virgin of Guadalupe is respected, they will have salvation and a right relationship with God the Father.

And this false teaching, and other areas of heresy in the Catholic Church, Mexican evangelical churches do not consider the Catholic Church to be Christian. In Mexico, “Christian” refers only evangelical churches and “Catholic” refers only to Catholic Churches. This terminology is mutually agreed upon by the two groups. Evangelical churches teach that it is a sin to even enter a Catholic Church-- even if this is for a funeral of a loved one. Most evangelicals believe that it is not possible for a practicing Catholic to be saved unless they come out of the Catholic Church, repent of this idolatry, and receive Christ. Many new converts who come out of the Catholic Church continue to practice some degree of idolatry through the display of images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Catholic Saints, other idols, or superstitious objects. Unfortunately, Satan has done an effective job of causing the nation of Mexico to break the first two of the Ten Commandments.

On a positive note, the evangelical churches are steadily growing. Seven percent of the population consisted of evangelical Christians in 2000. This was an increase from 2.1% in 1960.[16] Estimates of the current number of evangelical Christians are much higher. Many of the evangelical churches that I have attended are doctrinally solid, have glorious worship, and have much focus on a personal relationship with Christ. Operation World reports 2,140 missionaries to Mexico from 29 countries. Mexico has also sent missionaries to 44 countries of the world. [17] May the power of God’s Word continue to destroy the lies of the enemy in Mexico and may many come to know the True and Living God.

For one traveling to Mexico there are several books and internet resources available. The more that is done ahead of time to prepare, the better one may do entering the culture. The United States Department of State[18] and the United States Embassy in Mexico[19] can be helpful. See the footnotes for their websites.

Mexico is a wonderful country and culture that I have now married into and reside in. It has yet to see its development into a true Christian nation. However, God is at work in this land. May His work continue to increase until the coming of Christ.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico (Accessed October 2007)

 

Johnstone, Patrick and Jason Mandryk. Operation World 21^st Century Edition. Paternoster USA. 2001.

 

Martell, Iván Iglesias. Almanaque Mundial 2007. Televisa Internacional. 2006.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe (Accessed October 2007)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Mexico (Accessed October 2007)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico_City (Accessed October 2007)

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html#nationality

http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/