resource guide for project guanajuato summer trip

2011Project Guanajuato Resource Guide, 1

Table of Contents:1. Welcome2. Trip Reflection Essay by Kaylee Baker 3. Project Guanajuato Quick Fact Sheet4. Questions about the trip5. Packing List6. Advice from Former Participants 7. Community Outlines8. Examples of Lesson Plans and School Schedules9. Guanajuato, Mexico 10. la Fundación Comunitaria del Bajío (FCB)11. Culturally Sensitive Photography 12. Annotated Bibliography 13. Scholarly articles 14. Contact List


WelcomeCongratulations on your acceptance as a summer intern with the Mexican nongovernmental organization (NGO) la Fundación Comunitaria del Bajío. Prepare to spend your summer in an amazing place with incredible people who will teach you ab0ut humility, immigration, the importance of family, development, education and loving the world. Whether you spend your summer in El Gusano or Trancas, you are guaranteed to learn valuable perspectives from the residents of these ranchos. You will then be able to bring these perspectives back to the United States and have intentional conversations.

This resource guide serves as an instruction, advice and preparation book for your trip. Members of Project Guanajuato 2010 are elated to see what you accomplish this summer. Welcome to the Project Guanajuato Family


Trip Reflection Essay By Kaylee Baker, 2010intern, El Gusano

“Le gusta Ud. aqui?” was a question we received from most of the residents of El Gusano. Many people seemed surprised when we said yes. It seemed a lot of El Gusano natives expected us “busy, restless” Americans to find El Gusano less than satisfying. That was hardly the case. “Es muy tranqilo y descanso en esto rancho,” we would reply. El Gusano taught me how to be still, to live in the moment, and to appreciate the basic, more important things in life, like relationships with friends and family. It allowed me to view the life I believe we were created to live – a life without the pressures to be the very best at something, without frivolous consumption and where time passes at a speed that allows one to meditate on his or her day and debrief on its positives and negatives.

Working with la Fundación Comunitaria del Bajío allowed me to experience the hardships of “international development.” In theory, the Fundación’s attempt at rural development is successful. Adriana Cortés Jiménez, the founder and leader of the Fundación, was born and raised in Mexico. She has developed strong relationships with the members of the communities the Fundación works with. This enables her to create development projects community members want to accomplish, for her background deters her from creating project ideas from an ignorant, unrelated perspective and promoting them against people’s will. International development projects have become a trend amongst American college students, who hope to gain a “summer experience to remember” that they can boast to their friends about or slap on a resume. While still in America, a dreamy summer abroad seems appealing, but once a person steps foot on international soil and begins enforcing projects he or she planned with his or her American mind, he or she will realize forcing ideas onto a community he or she is unfamiliar with is not the rewarding, trendy experience he or she thought.

Although working for an NGO located in Mexico, founded and ran by a Mexican who has solid relationships with community members and connections to important people and programs sounds as if completing “projects” or providing economic opportunities in rural communities would be simple, it is not. As interns last summer, we developed strong relationships with many community members. Despite this, though, because we did not grow up in El Gusano , it was often hard to gain trust from community members, even though we were given directions from Adriana. I often felt like I was imposing on the community. I felt some people assumed I thought I was superior to them because I am from America, am white, store unnecessary foods in refrigerators and have money to buy snacks or


international phone cards from local tiendas throughout the day. At the beginning of our stay, these feelings kept my group and I from accomplishing anything. “Let’s hold computer classes!” we said one day. After only a few poorly attended classes, we decided the reason for low attendance was that nobody wanted to learn how to use spreadsheet or word processing – we were haughty Americans trying to Americanize a community that was perfectly fine before we arrived – what were we thinking?! We then stopped the classes. Meanwhile, in Tamaula, another community UNC-Chapel Hill students worked in that summer, Colleen, Tomás and Caroline taught computer classes. Only a few people showed up each day, but they continued to hold the classes none the less. Eventually, the same couple of students kept coming and they soon learned important computer skills they were excited about and would pass on to members of their family. Lesson learned? Stick with something. We had assumed that residents of El Gusano were just as excited about learning as Carolina students, which was not the case. Our paranoia about Americanizing a town deterred us from realizing that some people may actually want to learn various skills we have to offer, just as we were eager to learn the skills they offered us.

Another problem we had was our assumptions that things would be accomplished instantly and that we would receive an overwhelming amount of gratification for our work. In America, we are used to instant gratification and constant feedback from our friends, professors and peers, feedback that would flow our way without us asking for criticism or praise. In the communities, we almost expected people to share with us their opinions of our work. Although we did not receive instant praise or critique, over time, we were able to critique ourselves. A lack of instant gratification was humbling, and self-evaluation allowed for self-reflection.

At first, we allowed speed-bumps to keep us from accomplishing anything. Eventually, though, we got it together. We learned the most important way to gain trust from community members, allowing for accomplishments of tasks, were relationships and determination. After a couple of weeks, we stopped letting our “failures” disappoint us. We spent more time with people on individual basis, fostering friendships, which led to intentional conversation. People opened up to us, and us to them. People communicated their needs with us, and we communicated them with the Fundación, who would find the resources to help solve the problems. We eliminated the pressure we put on ourselves to be 100% productive every day, and used down time to simply enjoy the company of El Gusano’s incredible people. During productive times, though, we focused on little tasks, like organizing soccer tournaments, talking with one child at a time, playing tag, walking along the creek, cleaning the community center, helping our host families with chores, reading to the kids, creating lesson plans and sharing stories. We threw out the need to fix all of El Gusano’s “problems” in our six week stay. This led to not only a successful liaison experience and new friendships, but a


positive, incredible summer. The experience we had was what we made it. If we had a bad day, it was due to our attitude. Good days resulted from looking beyond our own noses, taking initiative, loving others and filling the day with acts of kindness and good company. I now feel as if I have a home in Mexico. In fact, Jacob, another UNC-CH student who worked in El Gusano, spent the first part of his Christmas break in El Gusano. I plan to return to El Gusano the Spring of 2012.

Ultimately, Project Guanajuato connected me with the Mexican community. It allowed me to put a face on “the topic” of immigration. My class studies of immigration, statements from the media, and small talks with people about the “immigration issue” in America is no longer facts or ideas, it is faces. I have gained a valuable perspective on immigration, development and relationships that I will continue to carry with me and share with others.

Project Guanajuato Quick Fact Sheet About the Trip:

Project Guanajuato is a summer community development experience and internship for UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate students, although there is a separate sixth month internship offered for graduates. The program takes place in the immigrant sending region of Mexico on small ranchos in the state of Guanajuato, México. It was started in 2007 by student who participated in the APPLES Global Course INTS 390: Latin American Immigration Perspectives taught by Professor Hannah Gill and became a part of Campus Y’s Nourish International. This project, now in its fourth year, is a collaborative effort between UNC-CH students, the Mexican Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) la Fundación Comunitaria del Bajío (FCB) and the Latino Migration Project at the Institute for the Study of the Americas at UNC-CH.

Each summer, a team of undergraduates spends between four and six weeks working as community development liaisons to la Fundación Comunitaria del Bajío, run by Adriana Cortés Jiménez. Students live in the communities of El Gusano and Trancas, each of which experience high levels of emigration to the United States. The Fundación aims to create economic and social opportunities for people in the communities so they do not feel that migration is their only option for survival.

In 2011, students will help teach English, recreation, arts and/or dance classes at local elementary and high schools.


A brief history

It all started with a 52 hour bus ride from Carrboro to Guanajuato. Sarah Plastino (’06) and Hannah Gill traveled to Mexico in the summer of 2006, where Plastino would later meet Adriana Cortes Jimenez, director of the Fundación Comunitaria del Bajío. Plastino had taken a course on migration taught by Gill, and realized the value of adding an international travel component to the course so that students could understand the impacts of migration in sending communities. With the help of the APPLES Service Learning Program, INTS 390 became APPLES Global Course Guanajuato.During the first course trip to Mexico, students saw first-hand how people live in these rural villages, where family separation from migration presents a number of financial and educational challenges for community residents. It was through these interactions that Carlos Toriello (‘07), a Guatemalan native, was motivated to support the Fundación’s community development efforts, which focus on youth leadership and micro-credit enterprise programs. Working with Nourish International, an organization that sends students around to world to help eradicate poverty by empowering communities, Toriello secured a $15,000 fund for UNC-CH students to create a community center in El Gusano, a rural community in Guanajuato. Trip leaders, Sandra Hinderliter (‘09) and Tatiana Brezina (‘11) recruited a team of 6 students to spend June in El Gusano, working with residents to complete community needs assessments, and teach English and recreation classes at the local school. Project Guanajuato was born. In 2008, Shaw Drake, Ian Smith Overman and Brittany Peterson continued work, followed by a 2009 team led by Caroline Wood (‘11)and Jacob Newbauer (’11). Thanks to the hard work of student interns, community members, and staff of the FCB, the project expanded to two other communites in summer 2010, Trancas and Tamaula. In summer 2011, Project Guanajuato will celebrate its fourth year of operation and will send students to Trancas and El Gusano. The Mellon Foundation will establish a six-month internship for a graduating UNC-CH senior to serve as a liaison between the Foundation, local community residents and UNC-CH students.


QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRIP:

1. How much will the trip cost me? Roughly $1,500, including airfare, home stay, food and personal expenses.

2. How much cash should I bring? This is up to you. Keep in mind that your bank will charge you every time you use an ATM, and there are no ATMs in the communities and that you will have to pay your host family in $150 pesos (about $12 USD) in cash each night. You will want to be aware of your cash as you travel and obviously don’t ever let it be visible. You can exchange your US dollars for pesos when you get to the airport in Mexico. It is smart to carry $100 USD in cash (exchanged for pesos) for emergencies.

3. Do I need to talk to my bank at all?


Yes! Be sure to go to the bank before you leave and tell them that you will be using your card abroad. This way, they can keep an eye on your spending for any sketchy occurrences. Your bank will tell you how much it charges for international ATM transactions, etc. You should also inform your credit card company you will be out of the country.

4. Do I need to speak Spanish?There are very few people in the communities that speak English. If you feel your Spanish skills need improvement, seek out opportunities to practice your Spanish in the semester before you go. It is much easier to connect with community members, establish relationship, exchange ideas and learn if you can communicate in Spanish

5. When and for how long with I be in Guanajuato? Generally six weeks, although this will depend on your trip leaders.

6. What is the time difference in Guanajuato? The Mexican state is two hours behind US Eastern Standard Time.

7. What should I pack or bring with me? See packing list on page 12.

8. How do I greet people? Say “hola,” “como está?” or, if meeting a person for the first time, “mucho gusto” with a smile and kiss the person on his or her left cheek. Often times, you hold the hand of the person while kissing him or her. If you see someone in passing, a polite nod of the head and “hola” is appropriate.

9. Can I drink the water? You should avoid this. You will drink bottled water from a jarafon that can be purchased in Dolores Hidalgo or Irapuato. If you run out of store-bought water, you can boil the community water (at least 10 minutes is recommended) and refrigerate it for later.

10. Are there any kind of stores in the communities? Usually there are only tiny tiendas that carry essential items like processed foods, fruits, bread, chilis, treats, candy, cleaning supplies and toiletries. The stores are owned by residents of the town.

11. Can I take pictures whenever and however I want? See article “Culturally Sensitive Photography” on page 25.

12.Should I bring my cell phone?


If you bring your cell phone, you should only use it during travel/in private. It is possible to get an international plan, but it’s not necessary, nor recommended. Talk to your provider and ask them about fees/costs/charges for using your phone specifically in Mexico, but keep in mind you will have limited to no service in the communities.

13. How will I communicate with the Fundación and the other community?

Your trip leader will buy and phone card from a local tienda and use community members’ landline phones to call. Also, you will sometimes visit Dolores Hidalgo, which is about 30 minutes away from your community, or another local city to use the internet café. Your leader might also decide to get a local cell phone.

14. Is this internship paid?

No, but UNC has a number of summer funding opportunities that your trip leaders can connect you to.

15. Who will I live with?

You will be placed with a homestay, which usually consists of a family that lives in the community. You will often have your own room or share with another UNC-Chapel Hill student. Living with a family allows you to establish a close, trusted bond with community residents.

16. Is alcohol allowed on the trip?

You are not allowed to drink alcohol while in the communities. This is out of respect for community members and to act as a positive role model for others. In small rural places, consumption of alcohol is viewed in a negative light, and alcoholism and depression can be a problem for families separated by migration.

17. How do meals work?

Your host family will provide three homecooked meals a day for you. Meals range from cheese enchiliadas, to homemade tortillas, to lentil soup, to nopales and carrots, to atole and pan dulce, to chicken and mole. The cost of these meals is included in your homestay cost. You can buy snacks from local tiendas.

18. How much is my homestay?


$150 (pesos)/night. A suggested option is paying your homestay $2,100 (pesos) once every two weeks. This will enable you to get money from your ATM when you go into the city instead of carrying around a lot of cash.

19. How many pesos is one U.S. dollar?

Roughly 12.5 pesos is equal to one dollar. This number fluctuates daily, though, but tends to stay around this conversion.

20. How do plumbing, toilets and showers work?

You will have access to a toilet and shower, although your toilet may be located in an outhouse. Keep in mind you need to bring your own toilet paper because Americans tend to use a lot of toilet paper, which can be very expensive for your hosts. Also, after using toilet paper, throw it in the trashcan located next to the toilet rather than flushing it. This will prevent plumbing problems. Your hosts will then most likely burn the used toilet paper.

21. How does health insurance work?

Travel medical and international health insurance plans are mandatory. Low-cast options are available for purchase at the following website: http://www.hthtravelinsurance.com/index.cfm?link_id=24886&gclid=COOx-oLK36UCFUHr7QodwG-d0Q.

22. Do I need a visa?

No.

23. What should I do about important documents?

Be sure to make multiple copies of your passport, social security card, birth certificate and HTH and place them in different places in your travel bags.

24. Should I register my trip with the US (or my home country) embassy before I leave?

Yes! Visit usembassy.state.gov to do so. If any threatening event or major problem happens while you’re in Mexico, the embassy will be aware you are in the country and can potentially help you.

25. Are there any safety precautions I should take:

http://www.hthtravelinsurance.com/index.cfm?link_id=24886&gclid=COOx-oLK36UCFUHr7QodwG-d0Q

http://www.hthtravelinsurance.com/index.cfm?link_id=24886&gclid=COOx-oLK36UCFUHr7QodwG-d0Q


There are a lot of loose animals in Mexico, including dogs, cows, donkeys, goats, chickens, cats, etc. Avoid petting them before they are completely accustomed to you. Even then, be careful.

Be aware of your surroundings when riding in buses and taxis.

Do not participate in local protests.

Do not walk around by yourself at night

Avoid wearing flashing jewelry.

Only carry money with you when it’s completely necessary.

If you are ever in an uncomfortable situation, avoid speaking English and stay in a large group.

26. Do I need to get any vaccinations before I leave?

a. Visit http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/mexico.aspx for information on necessary vaccinations.

b. Set up an appointment with the international Travel Clinic through Student Health Services prior to the trip for more information about prescriptions and immunizations: http://bit.ly/dGvIOk

27. What will I do each day as an intern?

See community outlines on page 16.

28. When and where should I buy my plane ticket?

As soon as possible. Use www.studentuniverse.com to find cheap flights. After you type in your flight information you can click the “compare prices” option in the top left hand corner of the screen to browse price options with other airlines.

29. What airport should I book my ticket to?

In the past, students have found it cheaper to fly to Juárez Internacional airport (MEX) in Mexico City and take a bus to Guanajuato than fly to Leon/Guanajuato (BJX) in León.

http://www.studentuniverse.com/

http://bit.ly/dGvIOk

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/mexico.aspx


30. How many hours will I work per day?

This varies daily. There will be a little bit of free time each day, though, and a lot of times your work will not feel like work because you will be interacting with community members who will become your friends. See the “community outlines” on page 16 for more details.

31. Where is the office located?

See “La Fundación Comunitaria del Bajío” on page 24 for more information.

32. Will I work with other volunteers besides UNC-CH students?

Yes. Mexican university students are required to do a summer of community service. The Fundación works with students from la Universidad Iberamericana, la Universidad de Guanajuato de Irapuato, and other American universities. You could work along with students from these institutions to accomplish the Fundación’s goals.


Packing List:These are simply suggestions; you do not have to bring everything on this list.

Bookso You have free time before you go to bed, since the

communities tend to die down around 10 p.m. You also have free time in the mornings before breakfast and sporadically throughout the day – books are a great way to clear your mind and can be enjoyed while lying in hammocks, by the river, or with the residents.

Gifts for your host familyo You may not know the age and gender of all the people

you will be living with until after you arrive in Guanajuato, but it’s a great idea to bring gifts despite this. Bring gifts for boys, girls, men and women. Some suggestions include UNC-CH merchandise like mugs, t-shirts, pens, hats, etc., soccer jerseys, toys, Spanish/English children’s books, Spanish teenage novels, candy, kitchen supplies, etc.

Spanish/English dictionary Laptop

o This is optional and many people opt not to bring a computer. You will most likely not have internet access; however, a laptop will allow for quicker journaling, lesson planning and watching movies. Do not forget to bring your laptop cord and try to use your laptop strictly in your room. Do not forget your laptop chord!

Agenda/planner Notebooks/Journals

o Helpful for recording bulleted activities, lesson planning, journaling, etc.

Your resource guide. And any other books on migration, Mexico, etc.

Reusable water bottleso You will drink water from store-bought jarrafones, or

giant water jugs and you will need something to pour the water in. Often times, if you run out of water in the jarrafone, you can boil the community water and pour it into your personal bottle.


Photos of your family and friends from the states to show your host family or to give to your host family.

Family is extremely important in México, and your host family would love to see your family and would be honored to receive a picture of them to keep. You could also consider bringing a frame to put the picture in.

Watcho You will not have your cell phone on you for every

second of the day like you do in the States because it is expensive to make calls back home and local calls in Mexico. Also, some communities do not receive cell phone service.

Dirty clothes bag 2 towels A hand towel, for washing your face, etc. Alarm clock A way to store your money (wallet, etc.) Running/Tennis shoes/sneakers Pillow, if you have trouble sleeping on hard pillows or pillows

filled with clothes Sunglasses Flip flops/shower shoes Flashlight Ipod/MP3 player and carger

o This is optional, and is suggested to use only while traveling or falling asleep. Not to be used in the communities.

Headphones Camera Shower shoes Working boots, if you have them Nice shoes for going out in Guanajuato City Long, cotton skirts

o It is important to be aware of the type of clothing you’re wearing. Clothes that are more conservative are preferred.

Long shorts Baseball cap Voice recorder if you wish to conduct interviews or research Clothes susceptible for outdoor work Nice clothes for going out in Guanajuato City In addition to regular toiletries/specifics about toiletries:

o Cleansing o Sunscreen


o Aloe o Bug spray o Personal first-aid kit o Hand sanitizero Anti-itch cream o Ibuprofeno Prescription medicineo Sudafedo Cough medicine o Allergy medicineo Benadrylo Gas-xo Cipro antibioticso Tums/Rolaidso Alka-Seltzer

Advice from Former Participants1. Take this opportunity to learn as much Spanish as you can, and be

confident in speaking it. 2. Be patient.3. Listen.4. Make life-long friends—both Mexican and American.5. Make a difference – cliché, but there is a reason why it is. 6. Journal every day, even if it’s just “I need help,” “today, I drank

water” or “hola, adios, bye, time for bed.” 7. Be aware.8. Pay attention to everything – weather, the color of the bedspread, the

accent of your host mom, the way people smile, the speed at which people walk, the difference in the taste of food from day to day, the reason for people’s passions, etc.

9. Really listen to people when you first meet them and try to remember their names. If you are able to remember peoples’ names the first time you meet them, you will be able to establish a trusting first impression and eventually a relationship, which will lead to open conversations.

10. Pay attention to directions.11. If someone has a problem, avoid solving it with your first

instinct. This rule does not apply in all situations, though.12. Don’t worry – worrying is for the fast life. 13. Embrace Others. Embrace their culture. Embrace their love.

Embrace their hate. Embrace their goals. Embrace their knowledge. Embrace their ignorance. Embrace their way of life. Embrace the similarities they share with you and they will embrace you.


14. Be culturally sensitive. For the first week or so, be a listener rather than a talker.

15. Try new foods16. Learn domestic skills.17. Be humble. 18. Try to understand perspectives that are unfamiliar. 19. Smile a lot. 20. Get out of your comfort zone. 21. Be thankful. 22. Learn more about immigration. Establish good relationships so

that you feel comfortable asking people about their family members’ migration journeys.

23. Come up with new ideas for improving the Fundación.24. Be a patient teacher/tutor to the students of primaria,

secundaria and prepa.25. See improvement in the students’ studies26. Become educated about community issues, such as water,

migration, lack of resources, transportation, etc. 27. Be a gracious guest 28. Form friendships with the youth and children29. Stay in constant communication with the Fundación. Ask

members questions before a problem gets out of hand 30. Keep in contact with group members in other communities and

seek advice from them. 31. Adopt your own individual project in addition to contributing to

projects with your group members – this will give you something to work on with during free time.

32. Bring any kind of lesson plans or learning materials that might help in your teaching.

33. Be patient. 34. Talk to people, don’t wait for them to approach you. 35. If you are invited to any kind of get together by a community

member, attend and use it as an opportunity to foster relationships. 36. Begin foster relationships early in the summer. Knock on

people’s doors and introduce yourself, or throw a party for residents at the end of the first week.

37. Address people with “usted,” until they address you with “tú.” In the past, students have found that many older community members will call address students with “usted” and is polite to address them the same way.


Community Outlines: The following are derived from interns’ experiences from

Summer 2010. More detailed versions of these lists can be found in interns’ final reports, which are archived and available to you

through googledocs.

*Note: Each group visited Michoacán for a four day weekend with other students from Mexico and the United States that worked for the fundación in the summer. We were able to observe some of the Fundación’s development projects, including hostels it built in order to bring money into various towns’ economies.

El Gusano: Kaylee Baker, Ana Laura Medrano and Jacob Newbauer

Positives:


Interns established strong relationships with people in El Gusano. Jacob established a mini market with our friend Peke from El Gusano. He

bought her florecitas, headbands and bags and he is selling them on campus.

Interns taught math, motivation and English classes to the kids in the secundaria.

Interns were able to take three girls from the community to Guanajuato City for the first time.

The Fundacion provided the kids with soccer jerseys, which they loved. Held soccer tournaments between neighboring communities

Activities/Events:

Interns threw a huge end-of-the summer “thank you” party for the residents of El Guano.

Interns printed 600 pesos worth of pictures for the kids and we provided supplies for them to make picture frames for these pictures.

Interns implemented fútbol tournaments between neighboring communities. Interns participated in a meeting with community members and a

representative from “Oportunidades” and hear what the government wants to implement in El Gusano

Interns held arts and crafts days, computer classes, went to the river with kids, helped residents with cooking and chores, picked alfalfa, read to children, held movie nights.

Interns visited Dolores Hidalgo with residents.

Challenges and Lessons learned:

Because communication with the Fudación was a struggle due to no internet and limited phone availability, interns had to make many decisions for themselves rather than consulting with the Fudación. They ended up making lists of questions or challenges and discussing them with José Luís when he came to check on things.

The teachers in the primaria did not need interns to help them teach. Therefore, interns consulted tteachers in Capulín, a nearby rancho, who wanted the interns to help students with English pronunciation.

Although the interns’ motivation, English and math classes were fun and the kids learned a lot, the information will not stick with them because after the interns left, nobody was available to sustain the students’ learning. This problem is fixed now, since a graduate intern will work in the community for six months. Also, seek out adults or create a program to assist them with assisting their children in learning.

Many of the textbooks had major errors, misspellings and incorrect information. Instead of using them, interns used their own knowledge


and created new lesson plans. In addition, Colleen, an intern from Tamaula, is sending in corrections of the book to the Mexican government which issued the books.

Interns would buy soccer balls for the kids, but they would get holes in them very easily and deflate. To fix this, interns bought multiple soccer balls and if those broke, played tag or basketball with the kids. Bring a patch kit for soccer balls.

Interns did not initially introduce themselves to community members by knocking on people’s doors. Interns made friends through the community center and teaching, but would suggest for people to knock on doors early on in future summers.

Trancas:Marissa Garcia, Kimzey Ellis and Amelia Moore

Positives Held nightly futbol games which attracted a lot of kids and allowed the

interns to get to know students The relationships with the children led to relationships with the families Held bond fires often, which led to strong relationships witch community

members Threw a farewell party at the school with games and a soccer tournament.

Challenges/Lessons Learned: It was hard to get to know communities members at first because interns

lived in a empty house rather than with a family. Interns made up for this, though by reaching out to adults through the kids they taught at school.

School was not a good place to meet kids because interns were too busy teaching to really get to know their students. To try and meet people outside of school, interns held bonfires and daily soccer tournaments.

English classes were difficult because there were a large variety of intellect levels amongst the students. Perhaps splitting up students according to levels would have worked better.

Make an effort to have meals with community members. Visit families with frequency if you are feeling isolated.

Interns ate their meals at the hacienda there instead of with families, making it harder to interact with community members. Buy food and offer to make it with a family at their house, or bring them dessert and engage in conversation.

Interns often felt like they were not making a difference by teaching because when they left, teachers who did not have as much knowledge would teach students. Hold a program or class for teachers.


Examples of Lesson Plans and School Schedules

Created by interns in Trancas:

Horario escolar:8am- 11am: Clases de inglés (una hora cada clase)11am-12pm: Actividades deportivas (volibol y basquetbol) 12pm-1pm: Clase de inglés en la primeria (lunes, martes y miércoles)


1pm-2pm: Almuerzo 2pm-3pm: Regulización (inglés, español, ciencias, historia, formación civica, geografía y matemáticas) y clase de computación

Clase de inglés:3 grupos en la primaria, aprox. 25 estudiantes cada clase. Edades entre 6 y 12.6 grupos en la secundaria, aprox. 25 estudiantes cada clase. Edades entre 12 y 16.

Currículo de la primaria:Semana 1: (24 mayo-28 mayo)Materias: alfabeto, números, presentación, edad. (Repaso)Actividades: cada estudiante se presentó a la clase. (Nombre y edad).

Semana 2: (31 mayo- 4 junio)Materias: colores, alfabetoActividades: canción del alfabeto

Semana 3: (7 junio- 11 junio)Materias: partes del cuerpo y geografía de México y América del NorteActividades: baile de “Hokey Pokey”

Semana 4: (14 junio- 17 junio)Materias: figuras, colores Actividades: dibujos de figuras y colores

Semana 5: (22 junio- 25 junio)Materias: canciones y el alfabetoActividades: canción “Bingo” y canción del alfabeto

Círculo de la secundaria:Semana 1: (24 mayo-28 mayo)Materias: el alfabeto, los numeros, prentación, edad, partres del cuerpo, vocabulario del salónActividades: presentación de nombre y edad de cada estudiante, juego “Simon Says,” juego “ahorcado”

Semana 2: (31 mayo- 4 junio)Quiz: partes del cuerpo, vocubalario del salónMaterias: días de la semana, meses del añoActividades: preguntas para todos los estudiantes:• “what day is today?”• “what day was yesterday?”• “what day is tomorrow?”• “when is your birthday?”


• “when is Christmas, Easter, etc”

Semana 3: (7 junio- 11 junio)Quiz oral: meses del año y días de la semanaMaterias: la hora, las direccionesActividades: los estudiantes dibujan relojes en el pizarrón, juego de direcciones (una persona tiene los ojos cubiertos y los otros estudianes le dan direcciones a la meta)

Semana 4: (14 junio- 17 junio)Quiz oral: la horaMaterias: vocubulario de la ropa, la familiaActividades: juego “Hot Potato” la persona que queda con el balón tiene que contestar una pregunta

Semana 5: (22 junio- 25 junio)Materias: vocubulario de los animales, lugares donde viven, que comen, que hacenActividades: juego “20 Questions”- pensamos en un animal y los estudiantes tienen que adivinar usando el vocabularioLos quizes: Cada semana dimos un quiz sobre las materas la semana anterior. Los estudianes que sacaron la mejor calificación ganaron dulces. Apuntamos las calificaciones y al final del curso los estudiantes que habían sacado las mejores calificaciones ganaron premios (una botella de agua con dulces, lapizes, plumas, plumones, gomas, esmalte, etc.)

Created by interns in Tamaula: The interns taught math and science Each of the three interns taught English from 1-2 on the weekdays.

Caroline taught prepa students, Tomás taught secundaria students and Colleen taught

Tomas: Secundaria English: Wrote a conversation on the board everyday that his students had to practice saysing.

Caroline: Prepa English practiced pronunciation and vocabulary: o I like, I love, I do not like, I hateo Food vocabularyo House vocabularyo Conjugation of verbs in presento Basic phrases

Colleen: Primaria English at the telesecundaria (12-14 year olds). Some of the vocabulary that was taught included:

o Fruits and vegetableso Animalso Things in the house


o Things in the bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitcheno Verbso Grammar for the verb “to like”o Food and drinko Common phrases

In the classes, interns taught students vocabulary and other things, using the whiteboard, and they took notes in their notebooks. A lot of the time, the interns and the students played games, like lottery and “Pictionary,” to review the lessons. During the five weeks, I gave them two exams, and between the two, I could already see that the students improved.

“Typefaster” computer classes every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30


GUANAJUATO, MEXICOBackground information on Guanajuato:

Location: This state is in the central highlands of México. The states of San Luis Potosí is to the north, Querétaro to the east, Michoacán to the south and Jalisco to the west. It covers an area of 30,589 square kilometers

Largest city: León

Mexican Flag: It has three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; Mexico's coat of arms (an eagle with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus) is centered in the white band; green signifies hope, joy, and love; white represents peace and honesty; red stands for hardiness, bravery, strength, and valor; the coat of arms is derived from a legend that the wandering Aztec people were to settle at a location where they would see an eagle on a catus eating a snake; the city they founded, Tenochtitlan, is now Mexico City

Elevation: 6,550 feet above sea level

Name: Chosen by the Tarascan Indians, translates in English to “place of frogs.”

Population: 4,893,812 people (2005), 60 percent under 30 years of age, 42 percent live in the urban areas of León, Irapuato and Celaya

Life expectancy: 75 years

Literacy Rate: 88 percent

Brief History: Guanajuato was one of the first areas colonized by the Spanish in the 1520s and its colonial architecture, complete with plazas and tiny alleyways, can be seen today in its capital, la ciudad de Guanajuato.

Famous people from Guanajuato: Vicente Fox, Diego Rivera, José Alfredo Jiménez

Goods: Today, Guanajuato’s mines are still among the richest silver-producing mines in the world. In addition to silver, the state also mines tin, gold, copper, lead, mercury and opals. The state also leads the country in shoe production and various farm products such as lettuce and potatoes. The state’s major exports are motor vehicles


and autoparts, footwear, leather gods, chemicals, electric machinery and materials, fruits and vegetables.

Currency: Mexico uses the peso. One US dollar is roughly equal to 12.5 Mexican pesos, although this number fluctuates many times daily.

Guanajuato City: o Population: 70,798 people o Founded: 1554 and designated a city in 1741; originally built

over the Guanajuato River, which flowed through tunnels underneath the city. After years of having to raise buildings to prevent flooding, engineers built a dam and redirected the river into underground cavern. The tunnels were lit and paved with cobblestones for automobile traffic, and this underground road network carries the majority of traffic during the city today.

o History: It played a key role in the Mexican War of Independence because it is the capital of the State of Guanajuato in which Miguel Hidalgo started the independence movement

o Attractions: The statue El Pípila, the statue Cristo Rey Del Cubilete, Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera home, the mummy museum

Dolores Hidalgo: o This is the city that Trancas and El Gusano residents travel to

for supplies. Students can travel here to use internet cafes, buy items for their communities, buy supplies for themselves and to take their residents for fun. Residents often travel here to sell their own items, often their source of income (in addiction to remittances), such as coffee, homemade crafts, food, etc.

o Name:Named after the revolutionist Miguel Hidalgo

o Population:54,843 people

o Location: North-central part of the state, 20 minutes from El Gusano and 20 minutes from Trancas

o History:It is from the center of the city, in the plaza, where Hidalgo uttered his famous cry for the independence of Mexico (Grito de Dolores)

o Attractions:Ceramics industry, which provides income to well over half the town’s population; Father Hidalgo’s historic church; shrimp and tequila ice cream in the town square; festivals; bicentennial celebrations

Irapuato:


o Get information from Colleen

la Fundación Comunitaria del Bajío (FCB)

Mission: To encourage and promote local development, with the participation of civil society, linking the various sectors and mobilizing resources for community welfare.”

Vision:To “Promote social change toward equity and justice by developing people and building self-managing communities.”

Founder: Adriana Cortés Jimenez, the current head of the Fundación who you will work under this summer.

Location: The address is listed under contact information. The fundacion is headquartered in Adriana’s house, which has been passed down for generations. When you visit the headquarters, you will sleep in the numerous guest rooms.

Summary:The Fundación has brought together the human and financial resources of the corporate sector, municipal and state government, and over a hundred nonprofit organizations and universities to tackle some of the major social and environmental problems facing the community. The foundation has also had a measurable impact in the areas of drug prevention, child nutrition, environmental sanitation and the support of families of migrants to The States. It provides us with a good example of cross-border cooperation, having established a partnership with the Center for International Understanding and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Under these collaborations, policy leaders from North Carolina and other parts of the US visit Guanajuato to gain a greater understanding of the factors that are fueling immigration to the US and an appreciation of the conditions of the sending communities. Students are able to gather


migrant perspectives and bring them back to the U.S., increasing awareness about migration and the importance of human rights.

Culturally Sensitive Photography by Jim KaneLike Travel Itself, Photography Builds Bridges

When I think of travel and photography it is difficult to separate the two. For me photography helps to capture and transmit the sense of place that makes the destination special. Through the personalities of its people, a country comes alive, both in person and through photography.

Inevitably, the question arises “How do you know when it is alright to take photos of people in other countries?” After all, there are major cultural differences in how being photographed is perceived and often an economic disparity between photographer and potential subject.

The answer is that responsible photography is very much like responsible travel. With a thorough knowledge of the place you’re visiting, a genuine interest in sharing and not just taking, an alert intuition, an open mind, enough time, and a little luck, photography abroad—just like travel itself—can be a vehicle to build bridges.

By following these eight guidelines while abroad your photographic efforts will become more rewarding for photographer and subject alike:

8 Photography Guidelines

A dignified member of the Good Death Sisterhood marches during the organization's annual celebration in Cachoeira, Brazil. Photo: Jim Kane


1. Be informed. Invest time before traveling to research the customs and photography mores of the place you will visit. Customs vary not only by country but by region and religion as well.

2. Get comfortable with yourself. Self confidence, an open attitude, and a genuine smile are important wherever you travel. People will generally respond to you with the same attitude that you exude. Conversely, if you are nervous and “sneak around” with your camera because of shyness or insecurity, they will feel this and, worse, feel they are being used.

3. Communicate. It only takes a simple gesture and a smile for a subject in a foreign land to understand your interest in taking a photograph. You’ll immediately get a clear indication of whether they are a consenting subject. Not understanding the language should never be an excuse to photograph an unwilling person.

Learning some simple phrases related to photography in the language of the country in which you are traveling not only allows you to communicate more directly with your subject, explaining why you want to take a photograph, it shows your interest in learning at least some of the local language.

4. Take the at home test. You should treat people abroad with the same respect and courtesy as you would at home. If you find yourself questioning the appropriateness of a certain shot, ask yourself if you’d take the same picture in your home country without feeling awkward.

5. Spend time without shooting. Once while riding through rural Thailand on a moped, I stumbled across some kids playing ping-pong behind a temple. Wanting to capture this wonderful scene, I just stood there and watched the kids at play without touching the camera. After a few minutes I asked (through gestures) if I could play. This was met with smiles and a paddle was immediately thrust at me. Five minutes later I returned the paddle, smiled, and thanked them. Only then did the camera come out. Not only did I feel at ease taking the pictures, the kids were also much more relaxed with my presence.

6. Use an ice-breaker. Instantly showing people the photos you’ve taken of them can be a wonderful ice-breaker. The photography becomes less intimidating and more fun for kids and adults alike. They may even want to turn the tables and photograph you!

7. Give and take? One of the most controversial situations while abroad is the question of giving money to people you photograph. We’ve all been in situations where a once un-touched indigenous community becomes popular with camera-toting tourists. Soon, there is a bustling business in “authentic” photos for a dollar each and mobs of children running up to visitors shouting, “photo, Mister?” On the other hand, isn’t a person you’ve photographed entitled to some form of compensation? After all, you’re benefiting from their presence, personality, customs, clothing, etc.

Engaging people openly and sharing time, a story, or a drink together is often the greatest gift for both sides. However, if it is made clear that someone expects money for a photograph, the decision becomes not whether to pay, but whether to


take the photo. That must remain a judgment call that each of us needs to make on a case-by-case basis.

8. No means no. When someone objects to your taking a photograph you must respect them, even if you don’t agree with or understand their reasons. You are a guest and you must respect their decision.

One recent experience comes to mind. There’s a church in San Juan Chamula in Chiapas, the interior of which is nearly indescribable, because of the blend of customs the people have adopted. There are no pews, only two long rows of saints bordering a wide, straw-covered floor where scores of people sit in individual prayer areas and surround themselves with incense and colored candles.

As a passionate photographer, it killed me not to be able to capture and transmit this unique display of spirituality. However, there was no misunderstanding the stern and repeated prohibition of photography inside the church. For the people of San Juan Chamula photographing this scene and the people inside would have shown a terrible lack of respect.

So the interior remains unphotographed. And perhaps that’s not so bad. Now, in order to understand this wonderful and mysterious place, one must travel there, step inside, live and breathe it. Sometimes there’s just no replacing the real experience

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abrego, L . J . , (2006) . I can' t go to col lege because I don't have

papers": Incorporat ion patterns of Lat ino undocumented

youth. Latino Studies , 4 , 212-231.

Abrego explains that under the American educat ion

system, undocumented immigrants are able to receive a

free publ ic educat ion unt i l they graduate high school .

As ideal ist ica l ly posi t ive as this sounds, i t causes major

consequences for post -high school educat ions. Because

Photo: Jim Kane


immigrants are undocumented, they cannot get funding

or acceptances from univers it ies , despi te the level o f

intel lect they express throughout e lementary, middle

and high school . Even i f they do manage to get proper

documentat ion, they would be considered out-of -s tate

students because they are from Mexico, which y ie lds a

tui t ion too high for a lmost every rancho migrant .

Simi larly , in El Gusano and i ts neighboring ranch

Capul ín, students gl ide through primary and secondary

schools. When i t comes t ime to at tend prepa, or high

school , s tudents are often unaware of the opt ion’s

existence – the opt ion is not even on their radars. When

teaching a mot ivat ion class in Capul ín, UNC-Chapel Hi l l

students asked ninth graders , those in their last year of

secondary school , what they hoped to do af ter their free

educat ion ends. Answers ranged from work in the

states , to help mom in the k itchen to sel l chi l i peppers

in Dolores Hidalgo, the local c i ty . Only two people in

the c lass of about fif teen mentioned anything about

prepa, or h igh school . Prepa is expensive, which is an

obvious reason why many people do not even consider i t .

Ranch town residents experience what are almost the

same si tuat ions as undocumented Mexicans l iv ing in the


US hoping to attend col lege. They cannot afford to go to

prepa or a univers ity because of their past – they are

most l ikely undocumented or l iv ing below the poverty

l ine. Col lege, i f i t were poss ible at al l , would most ly be

an opt ion for men only , as they would most l ikely have to

endure the process a lone, resul t ing in a feel ing of

resentment from the women left behind.

Related journal entry excerpt from 2010 El Gusano

intern Kaylee Baker’s :

June 15—“We taught Engl ish today at Capul ín to a c lass

of shy k ids . Al though many students are not extremely

discipl ined, i t i s obvious they have an eager wi l l ingness

to learn new things. I a lso think many kids are t imid is

because they are not used to speaking in c lass . Jake and

I observed an Engl ish class the other day and the

teacher never asked the kids a quest ion, but rather

lectured them and gave them indiv idual work.”

June 16- “Jake and I co l lected the t imel ines from our

secundaria students today that they made in motivat ion

class. They al l wrote down where they want to be in five

years and we wrote comments on them. Most k ids plan

on staying at home to help their parents with work – the

gir ls want to have k ids whi le the boys want to own their


own animals . Only a couple of people mentioned

anything of cont inuing on to prepa, whi le many

mentioned they hope to migrate to the U.S. and find

work to support their brothers and s isters.”

Adams, Jr., J A. (2006). Bordering the Future: The Impact of Mexico on the

United

States. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

In chapter two, “La Frontera: The Border and Immigration,” Adams

timelines the causes, effects and impacts U.S.-Mexico border treaties,

agreements and operations from 1848 to 2005 have on both Mexico

and America. He points out that despite these reforms, successful

immigration law has yet to be created and is necessary, especially

considering Mexican immigrants are the fastest growing “majority

minority” in the U.S., expected to reach 24 percent of the population

by 2050. Adams emphasizes the importance of remittances, for the

ability to send US dollars home to a peso-based community is a

primary cause of migration. Guanajuato, Mexico, the state where El

Gusano is located, is one of the leading recipient states in the country.

The nicest house in the town, which has two stories and a fence, was

built from the remittances a family member sent to El Gusano from

the U.S. Mexico’s inability to provide the capacity to generate quality

jobs and its “deliberate nonengagement” in creating economic policy

reform is both evident and nonevident in El Gusano. The nonevident


cases are the exception, though. One member of El Gusano, Alama,

found a stable job working for the census while most of her peers

relied on remittance money for their main income. The government

does make efforts to provide programs and opportunities for its

citizens. For example, a program called “opportunidades” works to

organize development projects in small rural communities. The

program “tres por uno” was used to create El Gusano’s only road.

Related journal entry excerpt from 2010 Tamaula intern Colleen Cook:

May 27 – “Today I went to a junta by the campo in which José Luís

talked to the community about a 4H program. Other gringos are working in

communities in conjunction with FCB to implement the program.”

June 9 – “Today, Mirasol, an employee of FCB, held a junta with the prepa girls about

‘Conferencia Mundial de la Juventud 2010,’ which is a world development conference

for youth that will be held in August.”

Related journal entry excerpt from 2010 El Gusano intern Jacob Newbaur:

May 26 – “Yesterday, we went to a local government meeting. There was a list of issues

to tackle. The governmental representative, Patti, worked with the governmental

organization “Zumar,” or zonas urbanas marginilizadas. It was beneficial to see the grand

scheme of what El Gusano wants to fix. There seemed to be a bit of disconnect. There

was the woman from Dolores Hildalgo and the campesinas. One El Gusano woman said,

‘we talk and talk and nothing gets done.’ Not a fan of negativity. If we never converse

then definitely nothing will get done. We have to start the movement somewhere.”


Gill, H. (2010) . The Lat ino migrat ion experience in North

Carol ina: New roots in the o ld north state . Chapel Hi l l :

The Univers ity of North Carol ina Press .

In chapter three, “Bienvenidos a Norte Carolina: The Economic, Work

and Social Realities of Migration from Both Sides of the Border, Gill

explains a Mexican’s reasons for migration, pointing out the United

States’ need for immigrant workers. She argues the positive and

negative effects of Mexican immigration on both Mexico and the US,

while eliminating American ignorance of illegal immigrants’ tax

situations, for they pay sales taxes, social security taxes, property

taxes and income taxes. She tells individual immigrants’ migration

stories and explains the negative impact of immigration on families

left behind in Mexico. Natacha Ortega, a Carrboro resident originally

from Honduras, explains the role of Hispanic labor in the US:

“Hispanos build it, fix it when it breaks, and clean up the mess.” This

role in the workforce is learned at an early age in Mexico, as evident

in the Guanajuato towns of El Gusano, Trancas and Tamaula. Many

men from the towns are in the construction business. The women

who do not work for a living spend the majority of their days cleaning

their house and cooking. If they do work, they hand-craft items to sell

in town or run small convenient stores from their homes. If these men

and women decide to migrate north, they naturally work similar jobs

to the ones they are used to, comfortable and experienced working


back home. As described in the article, families in El Gusano

romanticize life in the north. One women in El Gusano pointed out

that life up north was worse than life in Mexico, but her opinion was

not of the majority. Mexicans understand that one hour of work in the

US is equivalent to about a day’s work in Mexico, as the article points

out, but they often neglect to consider that amount of money in US

terms. An earning of $6.50 an hour is a lot for Mexicans living in

Mexico, but it is barely enough to survive in the United States. The

pain that families left behind feel is real – Lupe, a lady from El

Gusano, “adopted” her grandson, Omar, because his mother (her

daughter) left him behind, for she was unable to bring him with her to

the states. Although in a loving household, Omar is missing out on a

relationship with his mother because she felt immigrating to the US

and sending money back to El Gusano was the only way to give her

son a prosperous life.

Related journal entry from 2010 El Gusano Intern Jacob Newbauer:

June 22— “We talked with the bordadores about selling headbands, handbags and

flowers for girls’ hair in the US. They are stoked! I’m so excited to allow these women

to enter the U.S. market without them having to migrate here. They can stay with their

families at home, but still make money.”

Illich, Ivan. “To Hell with Good Intentions.” Conference on InterAmerican

Student

Projects (CIASP).Cuernavaca, Mexico. April 20, 1968.


Illich explains that short, “do-good projects” conducted by Americans

in developing countries do more harm than good. He argues the

American mindset that “helping” others in foreign countries is an act

of praise only offends citizens of those countries. In essence, it is

pointless and wrong for Americans to feel they have a “civil duty” to

“save” the developing world. During Project Guanajuato, students

struggled with similar ideas. They worried that teaching computer

skills to residents was degrading, or walking around with an ipod in

their ears was shoving wealth in Mexicans’ faces or talking about

middle class, American things they love forced “the good life” on

those that cannot have it. Student interns had guidance from the

foundationFundación, though, which is based out of Mexico and run

by Native Mexicans. The development ideas in the community were

established by Adriana and the fundacíon. It encouraged UNC-CH

students to engage community leaders in decision making and to

establish leadership structures that would continue once the students

left. This alleviated the foreign characteristics that Illich describes

most Americans as having. Because UNC- Chapel Hill students were

able to work under Mexicans, the American way was not forced onto

Mexicans in the migrant towns. In the end, students learned that

relationships trumped all worries of unintentional Americanization of

Mexicans, for the establishment of a loyal relationship with native


Mexicans yielded a shared trust, bond and ability to converse openly

about issues such as White Man’s Burden.

*Excerpt from a related journal entry from Kaylee Baker’s journal,

summer 2010:

June 5 -- “We are supposed to live to help others, right? … How do we

give to other cultures? There are too many ethical battles. How is it

even possible to understand someone else’s perspective to get in their

frameworks to make decisions that benefit them rather than hurt

them? Sometimes I feel like a decision should just be made – there

will always be some kind of argument to an action, but its often better

to attempt to give than to never give at all.

Joseph, G.M., Ini t ia ls . (Ed. ) . The Mexico reader: h istory,

cul ture, pol i t ics. “Pedro P. , Coyote.” Duke Univers ity Press .

2002.

Judith Hel lman, the author of the chapter “Pedro P. ,

Coyote,” uses imagery to describe “a day in the l i fe” of a

Coyote or a Pol lero. The Pol lero charges high rates to

pol los , or Mexicos who hope to migrate to the U.S. , in

order to help them immigrate. The process is dangerous

and unrel iable . There is frequent ta lk of coyotes in El

Gusano, Trancas and Tamaula. The Mexican Universi ty

students , who UNC-Chapel Hi l l interns worked with at

the Fundación, expla ined the coyote’s role to the UNC-


Chapel Hi l l s tudents . Some people in the communit ies

wi l l ca l l their family members “wet-backs” as a praise-

term rather than a derogatory phrase. This is because,

in many rural Mexican residents ’ minds, successful ly

cross ing the r iver on the “natural” boarder between

Mexico and the United States is an accomplishment .

Because i t is so dangerous and r isky, most people do not

survive, especia l ly without a Coyote. Mexicans in smal l

rural areas v iew immigrat ion a lot differently than most

Americans. For example, many Americans do not think

about the hardships that immigrants go through to

physical ly cross the border , whi le many Mexicans do not

think about the economic hardships they wi l l face once

they cross the border . People in Tamaula, Trancas and

El Gusano are of ten open about te l l ing the immigrat ion

stories of their re lat ives , mainly male relat ives, but

somet imes, especial ly i f they immigrated recently , they

are t imid and wi l l ask to speak of a less touchy subject .

In Mexico, people refer to coyotes as heroes but in the

U.S. , people look down upon them. Because of an

extensive transnat ional migrat ion of networks, and

American infrastructures that are set up to receive

migrants , people are sent for frequently . Faith-based


organizat ions take in immigrants for spir i tuals needs,

nonprofits help immigrants find jobs. There is o f course

an industry for the creat ion of counterfeit documents .

Immigrants a lready have jobs l ined up for them before

they even cal l a coyote. Mexican immigrants migrate to

places where Spanish is spoken prominent ly , and they

find their own community away from home, l ike Fort

Worth. Despi te th is , though, there is st i l l a large

dispari ty of weal th between Mexico and the United

States . Even though $7.25 an hour seems a lot to a

Mexican nat ive, i t i s nothing for a Mexican l iv ing in

America. Only one percent of v isas go to people who

have low-ski l led jobs, most of the v isas go to high

ski l led European immigrants .

Journal entry excerpt from 2010 El Gusano Intern Kaylee

Baker:

May 27—“Today, Jacob and I vis i ted homes and ta lked to

community members about their famil ies . We hope to

create a family tree of the community and post i t in the

community center so everyone can have a v isual p icture

of their b lood connect ions, s ince pract ical ly everyone in

the community is re lated somehow. One lady we ta lked

to happi ly told us about her family members and shared


with us that a l l of the men in her family had migrated to

Texas. She memorized the date her first couple of sons

migrated, but could not remember the date of her other

sons’ migrat ions. Although she misses them al l , she

says she is very thankful for their decis ion to leave

because they send remittances that help feed the rest of

her st i l l growing fami ly .”

Massey, D.S. , Durant , J . , & Nolan, J .M. (2002) . Beyond smoke

and

mirrors : Mexican immigrat ion in an era of economic

integrat ion.

Incorporat ing stat is t ics about economic systems in

Mexico, this art ic le attempts to e l iminate incorrect

assumpt ions about Mexico-U.S. migrat ion by out l ining

the economic history of Mexico. I t touches on var ious

laws or treat ies such as NAFTA and IRCA. I t expla ins

the negat ive impacts that NAFTA has relayed on Mexico,

for the trade agreement benefits the wealthy at the

expense of the poor. The art ic le explains that

immigrants are of ten portrayed as desperate people

“fleeing endemic v iolence and poverty in the third

world,” a place that pract ical ly forces people to migrate

to survive. I ronical ly , the miss ion of the Fundación that


Project Guanajuato works with works to combat th is

portrayal by creat ing economic opportunit ies that a l low

immigrants the opt ion of s taying in Mexico rather than

migrat ing.

*This art ic le ’s annotat ion is based only on the prominent

history the art ic le out l ines.

Related journal excerpt from 2010 El Gusano Intern

Kaylee Baker:

May 28 – “We quickly ran and gathered outs ide, behind

the back of a bui ld ing. A representat ive from the

governmental organizat ion known as “oportunidades”

was there to expla in to the group of about 150-200

women that c irc led and surrounded me the numerous

rules to the process of gett ing money, loans and

scholarships from governmental organizat ions to

promote a better l i fe . Al l of these women turned my way

when the oportunidades representat ive asked about the

awkwardly ta l l and obviously non-Hispanic gir l , aka me,

in the middle of the circle . ‘E l la está quedando conmigo

en mi casa. El la es de Carol ina del norte y e l la no

ent iende Español . ’ The oportunidades representat ive

assumed I was try ing to apply for scholarships , as wel l ,

and the group of women was angry, for they assumed I ,


a “wealthy” American, was try ing to take money from

the Mexican government they wanted.”

Sandos, J .A, & Cross , H.E. (1983) . National labor

development and

internat ional labour migrat ion: mexico 1940-

1965. Journal of Contemporary History , 18 (1) , Retr ieved

from www.jstor .org/stable/260480

This art ic le out l ines the history of labor migrat ion

mainly between Mexico and the United States. I t

specifical ly detai ls the impact of the Bracero program on

both countries , re lat ing i t to the overal l economic and

development h istory of Mexico. The communit ies that

students in Project Guanajuato v is i t are considered part

of the “sending region,” the area in Mexico with the

highest out-migrat ion rates . The effects of the Mexican

Revolut ion, which occurred from 1910-1920, and the

Cristero Rebel l ion, which occurred from 1926-1929, are

st i l l ev ident in sending region states Guanajuato and

Michoacán. Students traveled to Michoacán for four

days to understand new development projects Adriana

Cortez is preparing there. Students stayed in hostels ,

which were scattered throughout the pueblos. The

hostels purpose is to br ing economy and market into the

http://www.jstor.org/stable/260480


underdeveloped communit ies , which were never able to

gain economic strength after the wars . The hostels

provide jobs for local res idents , a lso. One of the

famil ies that owns one of the hostels l ives both in

Michoacán and the Un i t ed S t a t e s . They s pea k Spa n i s h , Pu ré pecha

( t he i nd igenous l a nguage o f t ha t pa r t o f Mi choacá n ) and Engl ish.

Their oldest son, who attends high school in North

Carol ina, wants to attend UNC-CH after he graduates .

The money from the hostel is helping to support h is

educat ion. A working hacienda l ies in the middle of

Trancas, another community the Fundación works with.

Even though many haciendas were destroyed during the

revolut ion and their operat ions came to a hal t dur ing the

war, forcing out-migrat ion and poverty, smal l

communit ies such as Trancas are attempting to restore

hacienda l i fe and bring revenue back into the towns.

Related journal excerpt from 2010 El Gusano

internKaylee Baker:

June 19 - -“I woke up to a stream of gorgeous l ight

coming into my room – I went downstairs and talked to

the fami ly where I ate pan dulce and drank coffee. A

boy, a sophomore in h igh school , i s the nephew of the

people who own the hostel . He actual ly l ives in Newton,


N.C. and wants to go to Wake Forest or UNC-CH for

col lege. How cool . His fami ly is very c lose with

Adriana, and the boy said their fami ly owes their s table

financia l s i tuat ion to Adriana.”

Scholarly articles:

1. Abrego, L . J . , (2006) . I can' t go to col lege because I don't

have papers": Incorporat ion patterns of Lat ino

undocumented youth. Latino Studies , 4 , 212-231.


2. Adams, Jr., J A. (2006). Bordering the Future: The Impact of Mexico

on the United States. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

3. Gill, H. (2010) . The lat ino migrat ion exper ience in North

Carol ina: New roots in the o ld north state . Chapel Hi l l :

The Univers ity of North Carol ina Press .

4. Illich, Ivan. “To Hell with Good Intentions.” Conference on

InterAmerican Student Projects (CIASP). Cuernavaca, Mexico. April

20, 1968.

5. Joseph, G.M., Ini t ia ls . (Ed. ) . The Mexico reader: h istory,

cul ture, pol i t ics. “Pedro P. , Coyote.” Duke Univers ity

Press . 2002.

6. Massey, D.S. , Durant , J . , & Nolan, J .M. (2002) . Beyond

smoke andmirrors : Mexican immigrat ion in an era of

economic integrat ion.

7. Sandos, J .A, & Cross , H.E. (1983) . National labor

development andinternat ional labour migrat ion: mexico

1940-1965. Journal of Contemporary History , 18 (1) ,

Retr ieved from www.jstor .org/stable/260480

CONTACT LIST:For More information about your experience in Guanajauto, feel free to contact any of the group members from summer 2010:

http://www.jstor.org/stable/260480


El Gusano Interns: Jacob Newbaur (“Jacobo”), trip leader, Class of 2011

o 919.264.0697o [email protected]

Ana Laura Medrano, Class of 2011o 252.945.5706o [email protected]

Kaylee Baker (“Keli”), Class of 2012 o 919.819.2150o [email protected]

Trancas Interns: Amelia Moore, class of 2011


Marissa Garcia, class of 2012o 919.638.3040o [email protected]

Kimzey Ellis, Class of 2011o [email protected]

Tamaula Interns: Caroline Wood (“Carolina”), trip leader, Class of 2011


Colleen Cook, Class of 2012 (Colín)o 919.606.9361o [email protected]

Thomas Clay Vickers (“Tomás”), Class of 2011o 540.860.2842o [email protected]

la Fundación Comunitaria del Bajío (FCB) Mauel Altamirano No. 480-1

C.P. 36500 Col CentroIrapuato, Gto. México

Tel: (462) 624.5158; (462) 624.2590 Fax: (462) 624.2590 [email protected] www.fcbajio.org

Adriana Cortés, Head of FCB 0.11.52.462.626.0431

José Luís, Community Liaison

http://www.fcbajio.org/

mailto:[email protected]











[email protected]

Institute for the Study of the Americas http://isa.unc.edu/migration/peg.asp

Embassy in Mexico: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City Phone: 011-52-55-5080-2000 Email: [email protected]; Website: usembassy-mexico.go

Consulates in Mexico: Dr. Hernandez Macias #72, San Miguel de Allende Phone: 52-415-152-2357

Emergency Contact Hannah Gill Cell: 919-357-1927 Work: 919-962-5453 Email: [email protected]



http://isa.unc.edu/migration/peg.asp


resource guide for project guanajuato summer trip

Documents

partes del

ana laura

related journal

duke university

interamerican

developed

adriana corts

related journal