Looking beyond Mexico: how far can one teen's ambitions take him?

Lesson 2

* Objective

* Perceiving, through the eyes of one young Mexican, why many might look beyond their homeland for their future.

* Before Reading

Ask students: Can you find Mexico City on a world map? What language is spoken there? What else do you know--or think you know--about Mexico? Then tell them that they are about to meet a young resident of Mexico City.

Reading prompt: Why might Marco's plans take him far from home?

* During Reading

Mexicans have two last names: the father's surname, then the mother's. Marco, Ricardo, and their parents are referred to as the Jimenez family, but Marco's full name is Marco Jimenez Gonzalez.

* After Reading

* Revisit: Have students answer the reading-prompt question. (He wants to be an automotive engineer, but there are few such jobs in Mexico.)

* Why go?: What does Marco hope to gain from attending school in Toronto? (learn English, see a different culture)

* Compare cultures: How does Marco's life in Mexico City compare with yours? Would you feel at home if you were to visit the Jimenez family? Explain.

* Keep It Going

Discuss: If someone offered to pay your way for a school year in another country, where would you go? Explain.

Marco Jimenez Gonzalez enjoys a typical teen's pastimes. But at 14, he is already planning for a future that could take him far from his home and family.

Marco is from Mexico City, Mexico's capital. He is a city kid, who likes tinkering with cars and playing video games about cars. Marco also enjoys watching NFL football, and like other Mexican boys follows soccer and lucha libre (LOO-chah LEE-bray), the country's unique style of wrestling. When be has time, he trains at a nearby boxing gym. Until recently, Marco was studying for the national exam that Mexican students must pass to get into high school.

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His studies took a new turn when his parents received a surprising offer. His mother's employer said that he would pay for Marco to spend a year at a school in Toronto, Canada. There he would be able to learn English.

Marco was uncertain at first. "But then I opened up to the idea," he told JS. "Because of the language, to get to know the city and to know the culture there."

So last summer, Marco prepared to leave Mexico for the first time, his new suitcase packed with borrowed sweaters. He admitted that he was nervous at the thought of being all alone, in a place where he doesn't know anybody. Yet he was excited too.

"I think it will be worth all the effort," Marco said.

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Cumbia and Hip-Hop

With nearly 20 million people, Marco's hometown is the second-most-populous urban center in the world. Mexico City was founded in the 14th century as Tenochtitlan (tay-nohch-TEE-tlahn), the capital of the Amerindian empire of the Aztecs.

In 1521, Hernando Cortes, a Spanish explorer, conquered the Aztec and destroyed Tenochtitlan. The city that rose from its ruins is a vibrant mixture of rich and poor people, and Spanish and Indian culture. One of North America's most important cultural centers, Mexico City is a place where modern skyscrapers rise close to tin-roofed shacks.

Marco's working-class neighborhood, called Juventino Rosas, is one of modest concrete houses and corner stores where mothers and small children shop for food. Norteno and other Mexican music mixes with hip-hop in the streets.

It is a comfortable, family-oriented neighborhood, where fathers start their Sundays by washing the car.

The Jimenez family lives in a three-room apartment on the top floor of a two-story building. Marco's grandparents, who live below them, run a building-supply business from their garage. Many of their neighbors also run small businesses.

Marco's sights are set on Mexico's National Polytechnic Institute, and then a job as an automotive engineer. "The engineers ... watch how the cars are assembled, they follow the design," he said. "I like cars. The speed gets your adrenaline up. I'm interested in fast luxury cars."

Free Trade?

Marco is not much older than NAFTA, which took effect in 1994. Mexicans thought that the treaty would bring new factories and needed jobs. But few such jobs have materialized. According to Mexico's Social Security Institute, the country's average daily wage is about $20. Many people earn much less.

Roughly 400,000 Mexicans a year illegally enter the U.S. to work. They are searching for greater opportunities. One economist estimates that an average Mexican man can increase his hourly wage from $2.30 to $8.50 by moving to the U.S.

Crossing the border illegally holds little attraction for Marco's family, even though they struggle to get by. Marco's father, who works as a driver and handyman for a wealthy family, says that options are limited for undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

For Marco, education is the key to getting ahead. After he finishes college, he will face an extremely competitive job market. That is why his parents are so excited about his chance to study in Canada, where he will be immersed in the English language. They believe that a year there will give Marco an edge.

"It will be a letter of introduction," said his mother, who is a secretary. "He will be on a different level from the rest in his school."

Still, for now, Marco thinks his future will be more promising outside Mexico. "I feel there are more opportunities abroad," he said. "Look at how this country is. There are no auto plants that are [Mexican-owned]."

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New Responsibilities

Recent events have worsened wide divisions in Mexican political life. In July 2006, conservative candidate Felipe Calderon just barely defeated leftist AndrOs Manuel Lopez Obrador for the presidency. Lopez Obrador led large-scale protests, charging that the election had been stolen. Since then, he and his supporters, including many of the poorest Mexicans, have continued to hold marches. Among other issues, they blame NAFTA, which Calderon supports, for harming Mexico's farmers and causing rising food prices for consumers.

Another problem Mexico faces is drug- and gang-related violence, especially near the border with the U.S. Marco's brother, Ricardo, 19, was expelled from high school after he joined a gang and left home. "I became what's called a 'hooligan,'" Ricardo admitted. "I fell in with some bad friends and took the wrong path."

Eventually, Ricardo returned home to the bedroom he shares with Marco. But now Ricardo has a new responsibility. In April, his 16-year-old girlfriend gave birth to their baby boy.

During the summer, Marco counted down the days before he would leave for Canada. He was carrying a big responsibility but seemed to wear it lightly. "I know that I can do this," he said. "You just have to put your mind to it."

Words to Know

* norteno: a fast-paced folk-dance music popular all over Mexico.

* NAFTA: the North American Free Trade Agreement, between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Its goal: to lift trade barriers among those countries.

Think About It

1. Mexican culture is a mixture of what two major influences?

2. If you were Marco, would you stay in Mexico and work to build your country's economy? Explain your reasoning.

RESOURCES

* INTERNET

* Mexico. Background. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi /world/americas/country _profiles/1205074.stm

* Mexico for Kids. Created by Mexican government; info in several categories. elbalero .gob.mx/index_kids.html

* BOOKSHELF

* Mexico: Facts and Figures, Ellyn Sanna (Mason Crest, 2002). Grades 6 & up.

* DVDs/VIDEOS

* Canciones de Mi Padre (Songs of My Father), Linda Ronstadt (DVD & VHS). Traditional Mexican song and dance (Warner, 2004).

* Video Visits: Mexico--Mexico City, Guadalajara, Cuernavaca, Oaxaca (DVD). Includes tour of Mexico City. (Questar, 2003).

By Elisabeth Malkin in Mexico City