Analysis of the Mexican Economy I. Historical, Population, Culture, Political, and Economic Information History Mexico was the site of some of the earliest and most advanced civilizations in the western hemisphere. The Mayan culture, according to archaeological research, attained its greatest development about the 6th century AD. Another group, the Toltec, established an empire in the Valley of Mexico and developed a great civilization still evidenced by the ruins of magnificent buildings
On December 20, 1994, in an attempt to make Mexican products more competitive, Mexican President, Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Len, devalued the Mexican Peso. Unfortunately, attempts at keeping the Peso to only a fifteen percent devaluation failed. The Peso dropped almost forty percent (Roberts, 1). It went from 3.5 to almost 7.5 peso’s to the dollar before it stabilized. The devaluation not only sent shockwaves through the Mexican economy, but through the rest of the world. Why should the world
financial crisis in Mexico affected me in a very personal way. My family is from Mexico City, and my dad owns a small private firm that specializes in manufacturing tools. After the devaluation, I not only watched my father struggle with the failing economy and lack of business growth opportunities, I also witnessed a country begin to sink deeper into poverty and despair. There are many reasons for the devaluation, but one of the main ones is probably the “poor savings rates and the low rate of investment
changes in their economy, far more than the U.S. “The Mexican overall trade balance went from a $18.5 billion deficit it 1994 to a $7 billion surplus in 1995”. Even though American exports slipped $4 billion in 1995, the recovery of the Mexican economy in 1996, when the GDP grew 5.1%, American exports came round and grew to 20%, later to 35% thanks to NAFTA. Also because of NAFTA two way trade between the United States and Mexico has grown to 60% from 1993. Although Mexico’s economy is making its
narcotics funnel as much as $30 billion into the Mexican economy each year, “more than the country’s top two legitimate exports combined.”[1] Despite decades of attempts to control this illegal activity, the public perception is that the United States’ war on drugs has failed to substantially reduce both the supply and demand of illegal drugs. Supply-side efforts have been plagued by conflicting political priorities and corruption in both American and Mexican administrations, while the costly anti-drug
this an interesting topic to me. On that date I was only eleven and was completely oblivious to what the agreement incorporated. My entire family comes from a Mexican heritage so NAFTA was definitely a topic of conversation at the dinner table. All I really understood was that its implementation would hopefully stimulate the Mexican economy and improve its trade relationship with the United States and the rest of the World. Well now I am twenty-one and in the ten years since NAFTA has been implement
Mexico 1940-82: Higher Priority on Political Stability and Economic Growth than on Social Change Mexico’s political and economic stability from 1940-1982 can be well understood by looking at one of Sergio’s televisions. In Mexican Lives, Judith Adler Hellman introduces the reader to Sergio Espinoza, a businessman who once employed some 700 workers to produce televisions, stereos and sound systems. His televisions’ high production costs, low quality, high prices and inaccessibility to the poor
The Mexican Revolution The prevailing concern of the Mexican revolution was the welfare of the common Mexican worker, be he a farm worker on a Southern hacienda, or a rancher in the North. The presidents of Mexico, starting most notably with Benito Juárez, really incited the revolution, though laterthe main course of protest and turmoil focused on the presidents themselves. Díaz served as Mexican president until 1910. During his time in office, the Mexican economy and lifestyle were fairly
United States, and Mexico. The World Bank Group and the United States is pouring billions of dollars into the economy of Mexico and Mexico itself has decentralized it’s government. (2) Mexico has made great strides in the world economy, but the dollars that could be going to the improvement of the people and the country are being paid to the creditors holding up the Mexican economy. (3) The Mexican government has put restrictions on the states for borrowing money to bring themselves out of an immediate
Blacks and Latinos in America Through our readings of the Mexicans in the U.S. and the African-American experience modules, we begin to understand the formation of identity through the hardships minorities faced from discrimination. In this paper, I am going to compare and contrast the ideas of identity shown through the readings. These two modules exemplify the theme of identity. We see how Blacks and Latinos tried to find their identity both personally and as a culture through the forced lifestyles
Mexican Labor Unions and Economic Reforms Over the Past 20 Years INTRODUCTION: Since labor unions in Mexico were originally formed in the early 1900s, they have maintained a unique system of collaboration and collusion with the government of Mexico. Though many may refer to their system as one of “corruption,” it is a system that has become so deeply imbedded in the relationship between labor unions and the government, that it is now a well-understood unofficial network. Over the past 20
Migration: Its’ Causes and Effects within a Mexican Sub-Culture “Migration uproots people from their families and their communities and from their conventional ways of understanding the world. They enter a new terrain filled with new people, new images, new lifeways, and new experiences. They return … and act as agents of change.” (Grimes 1998: 66) The migration experience is one that has deeply altered and affected the lives of many peoples, including Mexicans and specifically Putlecans. Some say that
Understanding Zapatista Longevity When Mexican President Vincente Fox rode into office on a wave of popular support in 2000, he inherited the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas. In 1994, the largely indigenous Zapatista movement began a military campaign to protest economic and political disenfranchisement. Vincente Fox claimed that he could solve the Zapatista uprising in “15 minutes.” Like his predecessor, he has failed to solve the problem. How did the Zapatistas achieve such longevity in the
The Rise of Mexican Corn Production in the Face of Cheap Imports Mexico has completed sweeping changes in its economy and trade relations with the rest of the world. NAFTA is both a symbol and a means to insure the changes remain permanent. Mexico had hoped to generate economic growth through increasing trade with the United States. Economists expect there will be winners and losers when trade develops. Corn producers were expected to be one of the losing sectors. The NAFTA agreement was
Introduction It has been said that California’s 1996 Proposition 209 is misleading. It can also be said that it is discriminating to women and minorities. Proposition 209 was passed on November, 5 1996 but has not taken effect since the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional in February 1997. Body As I stated before, Proposition 209 was passed in 1996 by California voters. It was passed by a margin of 56% to 46% but was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1997 and has not taken
Mexican Lives by Judith Adler Hellman The author of Mexican Lives, Judith Adler Hellman, grapples with the United States’ economic relationship with their neighbors to the south, Mexico. It also considers, through many interviews, the affairs of one nation. It is a work held to high esteem by many critics, who view this work as an essential part in truly understanding and capturing Mexico’s history. In Mexican Lives, Hellman presents us with a cast from all walks of life. This enables a reader
located on the U.S./Mexican border, known as maquiladoras, have threatened and abused their workers and repeatedly ignored the labor laws. Women have begun to take a stand and fight for their rights as well as for their fellow workers. First, it is best to explore the origin and function of the maquiladora in the economy. Mexico's Border Industrialization Program of 1966 first established the maquiladoras. The plants must operate within the framework of Mexican laws, and the Mexican government is free
has and will have on the industry. In addition, I will make a suggestion on a possible strategy the Maquiladoras can adopt in order to address the challenges brought on by the NAFTA, to ensure it remains a strong force in the future. Background Mexican agricultural workers had been granted temporary work visas allowing them to work in the United States' agricultural industries through a program called the Bracero Program until 1965 when this program was terminated. As a result of this termination
state of Chiapas. The Mexican army quickly pushed these rebels, who were mostly indigenous Mexicans, back into the jungles whence they came, but not before the rebellion in Chiapas gained the attention of the world. As time progressed, these rebels did not go away. They identified themselves as the Zapatista Army for National Liberation and their spokesman, Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos, quickly became a minor world celebrity, renowned for his communiqués denouncing the Mexican government and advancing
The Mexican State of Chiapas Historically, the preservation of culture and the progress of development have been conflicting ambitions. Mexico, in particular, has been a frequent witness to the violent clash of the Old and New Worlds ever since European explorers set foot on American soil in 1492. In particular, the Mexican state of Chiapas has resisted the desecration of Mayan culture for the past 500 years, culminating in the Zapatista Revolution that began on New Year’s Eve of 1994. This