As I reflect on my time spent in Mexico, one of the most impactful differences I felt living in a small city was the friendliness I experienced daily. Wherever you go, it is appropriate to recognize the existence of others around by greeting them with a hello, good morning, good afternoon or good night, regardless if you know them. You generally greet everyone that is in your space, whether they are just a neighbor, street vender, staff, or a stranger. It is rude not to greet someone you recognize. At first, I was bad at greeting everyone since I don’t like small talk. But as time passed, I learned to talk more with strangers until I was completely accustomed to small talk and greetings. After the program ended, I went to visit Mexico City for a few days. Unfortunately, that same culture was not present in the big city. I tried to go out and make small talk with strangers as I did in Oaxaca, but the people seemed uninterested. It felt similar to the USA where everyone walks past each other and are very formal. I very much missed the feeling of being recognized and the sense of community in Oaxaca. Over there, I got to know my neighbors, cooks, artists, the people at the laundry mat, and friends, which was hard to say goodbye at the end of the program. In Oaxaca, your existence is acknowledged and appreciated, which isn’t often the same in the USA.
I think anyone from the USA would have mixed opinions of the program. Especially the theme of the program being about migration, with so much xenophobia and racism in the USA some people will automatically be against the humanizing perspective of migrants. I think for any one who is a recent immigrant and sympathetic for those migrating to the USA, this program is irreplaceable. For every one who was a recent immigrant, this program was extremely emotion. Working with migrant workers, visiting courts, shelters, and a morgue. Learning about the miserable journeys they have traveled to reach Mexico and the extraordinary unlikelihood of them entering the USA, but at the same time seeing and hearing their desire and hope was heart wrenching. Also, the program’s focus on experiential learning is uncommon in the US educational system. Some may see it as a unique and profound way to learn, while others may complain that it is unprofessional and not applicable for practical use. I would argue that I learned more about the migrant communities staying with them for a day than I had learning about migration for weeks.
I think by far I learned to be more intentional and consider the space I am in. How am I relating to others in the room and what power dynamics may affect our relationship? How can my words and actions inadvertently or directly affect this person life? Before arriving to Mexico, I had this expectation of how Hispanics talk to each other, which is very blunt and informal from my experience at home. I also expected that most were socially conservative. In reality, I saw that there was a huge diversity of ideas, perspectives, and personalities. I felt like I needed to change my personality to match the stereotypes of my host country but I found that I should and could retain my personality regardless of the space I was in or the language I was speaking.