Through Our Eyes
Minister David Nájera
Embassy of Mexico, United Kingdom
BRLSI 19th July 2016 7:30pm
Notes by William Gaskell
Talk
chaired by Dick Bateman and introduced by Steve Walter.
Strong
links with UK as Mexicans often thought of as “that Western guy”. They are
Central American by ethnicity. UK first country to recognise independent Mexico.
450,000
illegal immigrants move to Mexico each year from central and south America,
mostly on their way to the USA.
Mexico
is linked to the Philippines as both territories were managed from Mexico City
by the Spanish. Also share culture with the Carribean. Trade partners are
Brazil, Argentina, China, biggest partner is USA.
Iconic
cultural Mexican Mariachi music is also loved and just as popular in Columbia. El
Chavo – little boy, an orphan living in a home is a well known and loved
cultural figure by many people in Mexico.
400,000
US citizens staying illegally in Mexico, 5 times as many as in Canada. There
are 20 million tourists to Mexico each year, mainly Americans. Canadians visit
Mexico 5 times in their lives on average, with 2 million of them visiting each
year.
When
I think of Mexico I think of:
Aztecs,
Cortes, Mayapan, Tequila, Day of the Dead, Santa Anna, Antonio Banderas and
current Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto.
Who
is the leading Mexican actress?
Salma
Hayek who also lives in London currently!
My conclusion:
Mexico is diverse
culturally but still Spanish-seeming people (whites) are in charge and Indigos
(coloureds) disadvantaged economically and in Yucatan there is still Mayan
culture extant.
Big government has led
to Mexico’s poor record on human rights.
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