2. Mexican Cuisine Mexican cuisine dishes are typically consisted of corn and beans. Corn, Mexico’s staple gain, is eaten fresh, on the cob, and is a ingredient in most dishes. Most of the corn, however, is used to make masa, which is a dough for tamales, gorditas, tortillas, and other items with a corn base in them. Squash and peppers also are a key ingredient found in a lot of dishes as well. The most commonly used spices in Mexico culture are chile powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, garlic, and fresh onion. Continued…..
4. Mexican Government The U.S. of Mexico is governed by a congressional system where the President of the republic is both head of state and government. Mexico is a multi-party democracy where voters nationally select a President to serve a six year term, which is non-renewable.
5. Recreation in Mexico In the past bullfighting was the most popular spectator sport. Still this day many Mexicans attend bull fights. For this reason, the large Mexican cities have bullfighting rings. Mexico city has the largest bullring, seating 55,000 people.
6. Soccer is now the favorite sport for most Mexicans, followed by baseball. Additional sports played in Mexico are golf, horse racing, swimming, tennis, and football. Mexicans also love to dance and go to nightclubs, or discos, and entertain friends and relatives. One of their favorite, and custom dances is the Mexican hat dance.
7. The Mexican hat dance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qRQrNm8PTs&feature=email
10. Day of the Dead holiday Mexican culture is filled with a lot of holidays. One of their most important holiday is the two day celebration of the Day of the Dead on Nov. 1st (all saints day) and Nov. 2nd (all souls day). Costumes are a big part of the Mexican culture, as is Mexican traditional clothing as well. During the Day of the Dead, Mexicans families gather, remember, and honor loved ones who have passed. The costumes worn on this day are made of bright colors which people wear as they dance in the streets. They build private alters, honoring the deceased, and use sugar skulls, marigolds, and the deceased favorite foods to decorate the alters. This two day holiday is a huge celebration.
12. Mexico Climate The coasts are hot and humid and can be subject to hurricanes during hurricane season on Yucatan (Cancun) and the Peninsula Baja peninsula. Baja Cancun Continued….
13. Inland weather is warm and spring like year round, although it can become cooler during the months of Dec-March. The hottest months vary by region, except Cancun which is hot.Rainy seasons are May-Sept, and sometimes extends into Oct. Rainy storms usually arrive late in the afternoon and come along with thunderstorms and lightening. It will start to downpour before passing and then it will leave the evenings dry and cooled off.
15. Mexico family The Mexican family not only includes the immediate family but also the extended family members as well. For the Mexicans it’s a way of living, providing socialization, substance, and self awareness. The family’s unity has respect for the parents, religious beliefs, strong work ethics, and a sense of loyalty, are values that are deeply rooted within the Mexican culture. The unity allows the family to grow together, with strength. Mexicans regard relationships as the most important thing in life, next to religion. Continued….
16. The woman’s religious belief is that they believe that their children are gift’s from god. Furthermore,that it is the woman’s job to rear the children at home, and budget the money, while The father would go seek work.
17. Education in Mexico It’s mandatory for kids from ages 6-18 to attend school. However, the economy itself sometimes makes this difficult. As a result many families have their children work rather than attend school. The schools also lack investment in education. Unfortunately, this will lead the future with a huge amount of uneducated Mexicans.
18. USA Today article by: Chris Hawley Better education= better jobs MEXICO CITY — It was early afternoon and 312 students at Estado de Mexico Primary School in the Mexico City suburb of Tultitlan were just beginning their school day. Some students had been working all morning at their families' businesses, Principal Juan HumbertoBenítez said. "How many kilos of tomatoes do you sell in a day?" he asked 11-year-old Pedro Miguel Martínez, who works in his family's vegetable distributing company. "About 120 kilos," or roughly 265 pounds, Martínez answered immediately. The principal chuckled. "The ones who work," Benítez said, "are really good with numbers." Their exchange helps illustrate the challenges and the promise of Mexican schools, where many students must balance education with their family's economic needs. The poor quality of public education here has become a growing concern as Mexico embarks on a new push to modernize and create better paying jobs that could slow the flow of migrants to the USA. Test scores in Mexican schools rank below some other developing nations, and dropout rates compare poorly with those in the USA. Last month, President Felipe Calderón called for an overhaul of Mexico's school system. "We need a reform that gives Mexico the right conditions to educate its students," Calderón said in a speech. Article continued……..
19. At a recent teacher training session in Mexico City, many educators said change will be difficult. "It's not just the quality of the schools, it's the economy," said Susan Espín, a sixth-grade teacher. "Out in the countryside, attendance is poor because the kids have to work to support their families. In the suburbs, you have 40 or 50 kids in each class because the population growth is so intense." Over the long term, the deficiencies of Mexico's schools could have serious consequences for the United States, said George Grayson, an expert on Mexico at Virginia's College of William & Mary. Poorly educated immigrants take longer to assimilate and lack the skills that U.S. companies need to compete, he said. At many Mexican schools, there is a morning shift and an afternoon shift, each about five hours long, compared with the seven or eight hours that American students spend in school. No lunch is served, but children get a free box of strawberry-flavored milk and snacks. The Mexican government spends one-seventh what U.S. schools spend per student: $1,522 a year, compared with $10,071. "We don't have the things that they have in the United States that allow the students to spend all day at school: the playing fields, the cafeterias, the showers, the specialized attention," said IsmaelVidales, a researcher at Mexico's Center for Advanced Studies and Research in Pedagogy. Only 47% of students who enter vocational high schools graduate, according to Mexico's National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Information Processing. In college-prep high schools, the graduation rate is 60%. In the United States, 75% of all high school students graduate.
20. The make-up of the culture influences the Mexican communication in several ways. One it provides closeness in the families and in church, allowing them to get along and understand each other and each other’s beliefs better, which allows communication to flow. Second, Mexicans tend to place more emphasis on people and relationships than to the strict devotion of set schedules in social situations. Thirdly,Mexicans are comfortable standing close to one another while talking. One to two feet is normal. It can be considered rude to back up or away from someone while they are speaking. This allows Mexicans to create a closeness as well.
21. Just some fun stuff to know e. Hi, I’m Josie Click here
22. References Kirkwood, Burton (2000). The History of Mexico: Westport, CT: Imprint of Greenwood Publishing, Inc. http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-04-30-mexicoschools_N.htm http://www.culturecrossing.net/basics_business_student_details.php?Id=14&CID=134
