Mexico

=__Mexico: An Equal Country?__=



Mexico has shown quite a number of changes during the Cold War era. Spanning from 1945-1990, there have been countless economic, social, and governme ntal changes. Mexico had trouble maintaining the general happiness and loyalty of their people, which led to revolution and social outcry.

Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, was the first president to ever visit Mexico. In 1947, Truman [|spoke] to President Miguel Aleman and the people of Mexico. Truman promised "Our two countries will not fail each other." But during the Cold War, many US writers were exiled into Mexico, author Rebecca M. Schreiber tells her story and observations in the book "//Cold War Exiles in Mexico//" She states "The Cold War culture of political exile challenged American exceptionalist ideology and, as Schreiber reveals, demonstrated the resilience of oppositional art, literature, and film in response to state repression." The McCarthyism in America drove out said artists, these artists whether they were painters, songwriters, or poets; it was usually them being accused of being communist.



The Bracero Project in Mexico was originally drafted in 1942, got turned over, and then revived in 1951. The Bracero Project allowed Mexicans to enter the US to provide cheap labor mainly in agriculture. Many people argued it was slavery but the government said the workers were getting paid. Although true, the workers were getting paid very little in return for their work. An [|Alien Laborer's Permit], was required to enter the United States. Arguments over slavery in Mexico damaged relationships with countries other than the United States of America. Countries viewed Mexico as cheap and corruptible, which poorly reflected Mexico's rich history.



Women gained the right to vote nationally in Mexico in 1947. Although "Women were permitted to vote in some local and state elections at an earlier date.” Afterwards, their right to stand for an election was granted in 1953, which is the right to run in an election for any position available. Before 1947, women faced a lot of discrimination in Mexico especially from richer and powerful men, and even some more of the wealthier women would discriminate against them.



The Tlatelolco Massacre, October 2nd, 1968. The massacre took place in The Plaza of the Three Cultures following a protest by students and civilians on repressive government policies. Security forces shot at the unarmed protestors and killed hundreds, marking what people call "The lowest point in Mexican History". This was not the first country to face similar massacres due to protest, it didn't effect surrounding countries as much as it did Mexico. The families and friends of the victims stood in social outrage against the Mexican police force and government, almost sparking social revolution.



September 19th, 1985, Mexico City, Mexico. On this day, a whopping 8.1 magnitude earthquake rattled Mexico City at 7:18 in the morning. This earthquake killed 10,000, injured 30,000, and left thousands homeless. The quake took place [|250 miles west of Mexico City], but unstable roads caused even more violent shaking and widespread damage. Mexican government was slow to respond, and while they provided aid, it took too long to arrive. This led Mexican civilians to question their government's preparedness and readiness for similar events, causing unease and fear throughout the country. Mexico City, unfortunately, is the most populated city in Mexico.

Excavation of [|Templo Mayor] October 2nd, 1968. Templo Mayor was built by the ancient Aztecs, in the main city of Tenochtitlan (current day Mexico City). After its excavation in 1968, several objects such as pots, shrines, and art were found. Historians have made connections which tell the stories of the ancient Aztecs, and caused rejoice throughout Mexico as they learned the stories of their heritage. The civilians of Mexico were a proud people; they had new belief in their government and themselves. Although the only ancient civilization to be found was Aztec, there are more things to find and more stories to tell.

1968 Summer Olympics, October 12th to 27th. The 1968 Summer Olympics were held in Mexico City, making it the very first Latin American city to host the games. The Mexican government was hoping that it would take attention away from the Tlatelolco Massacre, which occurred just 10 days prior. One very significant event that happened during the games was "The Black Power Salute". Track and Field legends Tommie Smith and John Carlos both participated at the games, with Smith winning gold and Carlos winning bronze, and once the National Anthem started playing; they bowed their heads and put up a hand with a black glove on it. They were trying to symbol that there was a problem in America; there was trouble with discrimination against African Americans, and just racism within itself. This act came at a cost, they were suspended from the US team, and were sent home, upon returning home there were countless death threats aimed at them. Carlos is quoted as saying "We knew that what we were going to do was far greater than any athletic feat. [Norman] said, 'I'll stand with you'". Norman is referring to Peter Norman of Australia, who was the silver medalist standing with them on the podium. They expected him to see fear out of this, but no, quite the opposite in fact, "I saw love."

= = =Mexico's Globalization:= = = Social: The Mexican people seem to know what is right and are willing to fight to prove it. After the Tlatelolco Massacre the friends and family of the victims stood up in outrage, thinking how could people who have sworn to protect us, kill their own people so savagely? Keep in mind these were unarmed protestors too. This is a clear example of an abuse of power, shedding more light on why they call it, "the lowest point in Mexican history." Along with the massacre we have "The Bracero Project". The Bracero Project in short, is that Mexican Government allowed Mexican workers to go to America to work for a very low wage, and the people called it slavery, nearly prompting revolution.

Economic: Mexico had its ups and downs with it's economy. The Bracero project although basic denial of human rights brought in a lot of revenue for Mexico, making the government skyrocket. One thing that brought the economy to a screeching halt was the Mexico City Earthquake in 1985, it cost $3,000,000,000 in damage and destroyed countless buildings and other structures were demolished. This tragedy killed the economy as well as the hopes of a new Mexico.

Governmental: Truman's visit to Mexico inspired a bond between the two countries, yet they'd soon find out that they were a safe haven from McCarthyism in America as Mrs. Schriber described in "Cold War Exiles in Mexico." But after this, most countries saw Mexico as a good place, saw them as protective and caring but Barcero Project changed all that. As soon as the other countries knew what the Bracero Project entailed Mexico was viewed as corruptible, desperate, and cheap. Once you're seen as that people don't want to associate themselves with you, and that was the very last thing Mexico needed at this time.

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