Mexican-Americans Relationship to Mexico
When I was a graduate student in Boston in the late 1970’s, I was amazed at how entrenched being Irish was into the local community identity. One of the most important events of the year was of course the St. Patrick’s Day Parade when every local politician became Irish for day. There was open discussion on the street at how evil the British government was and always rumors about locals supporting the IRA. Most of the talking was done by people whose ancestors had come to the United States more than 100 years before and they had no first hand knowledge of Ireland at all.
This has always contrasted in my mind with way Mexican Americans relate to Mexico. Mexican-Americans do take great pride in our Hispanic heritage in terms of language, literature, music, food, and family traditions. But at the same time we have always kept a distance from being Mexican. Specifically, before anyone gets excited, I am referring to the concept of being an advocate for the so-called socialist movement of Mexican nationalism. Growing up we often heard the phrase “De Aqui or De Alla” referring to whether someone was Mexican-American or Mexican. Just like the Irish we have had to prove ourselves in the past to be true Americans but unlike the Irish we seem to take no real interest in the internal affairs of Mexico. I must admit I sometimes watch satellite Aztec television from Mexico City with my father and see political discussions by reporters, so-called philosophers, and politicians debating what the peasants think. To be honest it feels like we are watching another planet. What has evolved is two peoples with relatively the same cultural and lineage but two vastly different concepts of government and expectations of government.
Is this because we feel that the government of Mexico is so corrupt that it is hopeless or is it just that we feel so American that what happens there does not matter. In the late 1990’s, Mexican reformers where concerned that Mexicans living in the United States who had dual citizenship would be a threat to the traditional ruling parties if they voted in Mexican elections. The reality is that Mexicans living in the United States even if given the chance to vote in Mexican elections do not participate in significant numbers. Is that because they feel they cannot make a difference or is it because they believe they have joined a greater cause in being American? When you think about this, the complaints that some have that the United States will someday become like Mexico because of immigration seem ridiculous. Its clear that Mexicans come to United States to be Americans not Mexicans.
This raises the question to what extent should Mexican-Americans care about what happens in Mexico or other Latin American countries. Will caring about what happens in Mexico make us any less American?Is the way Jewish Americans for example have influence over Israel something that Mexican-Americans should copy?Should Mexican-Americans try to influence Mexico positively or just be concerned with our own domestic issues?
Lets not forget that in Mexico and other Latin American countries there are many who call immigrants to the United States as traitors or worse so it is possible that even if Mexican-Americans wanted to be involved they might not be always welcomed. Do we have any right to influence Mexico or do we have to duty to try? If we try we will be Imperialist Americans or just global citizens trying to help our neighbors.