Personal Finance Blog by Debit versus Credit

What I Learned In Mexico: Illegal Immigration

August 4, 2008 | Filed in: Miscellaneous | No comment

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Not nearly as hot a topic as it used to be due to the impending threat of recessionary fears; illegal immigration is still of prime importance and one close to the hearts of many U.S. citizens, especially those close to the border.  Who are these people coming to the U.S. illegally?  Why are they coming here?  Where are they coming from?  If I were to ask myself these questions just a few months ago my answer would be that they were people from Mexico coming to escape their poverty-stricken nation.  Now that I’ve been to Mexico on a foreign-exchange trip my answer is quite a bit different.  Not so much with who is coming, but more along the lines of WHY they are coming.  Why are these people coming, if not to escape poverty and to find a better life?

“Better” is Relative

It is true that these “aliens” are coming to find a better life.  It is not necessarily poverty that ailed them in their homeland though.  True they were poor by our definition of the word, but a closer examination must be made to realize the exact reason for their departure.  Although many of these people were quite possibly poorer than we can imagine they were still able to survive.  It is not the poverty that hurt them the most, but the social system that prevails so strongly in Mexico.  I do not mean to judge, and I do not mean to offend with any of the following comments.  I just want to point out what I’ve learned and hopefully teach others why things are how they are.

A Little Bit of Background Information

Just as the United States’ culture can often divide people into classes based upon their race and wealth as well, Mexico has a culture that divides by social classes and standings.  It has been this way since the formation of Mexico as a nation.  When the Spaniards came to Mexico they made themselves rulers over the natives.  Over time some of them bred with the natives creating what we know today as the Mexican people while some chose not to breed with the natives and to maintain a ‘pure’ blood.  This began the class system in Mexico, which is still functional today.  The native Spaniards were the highest class, the Spaniards born in Mexico just underneath, the mixed breed (Mexicans) just underneath them and finally the natives (or Indians) were at the bottom of this ‘totem-pole.’  With these classes also came the distinction between what each class is able to do.  The pure blood Spaniards were the only ones allowed to hold any government or religious positions – the highest positions one could have in Mexico.  The mixed blood Mexicans were the merchants and other various “middle-class” workers, while the natives were the lowest class and used mostly as peasants and for near-slave labor and wages.

A Primary Reason For Illegal Immigration From Mexico

These class distinctions still exist today, in various degrees.  Those in the lowest class and of little to no Spanish blood are almost never found in high positions and seem doomed to live in poverty and filth.  With these strong social classes in place it would be almost impossible for someone at the bottom level of this ‘totem pole’ to ascend to the highest heights.  These are people who know that nothing will ever change, unless they make it change.  To them, their only hope for change resides with us here in the United States.  They know that it is not so much class as it is hard-work and determination that either holds you down or propels you forward here.  And so they come.

Tags: Illegal Immigration, What I Learned In Mexico

What I Learned In Mexico: Business Negotiation

June 24, 2008 | Filed in: Business/Entrepreneurship | No comment

This is the first of several “What I Learned in Mexico” posts, all of which will have some relation to my study abroad down in Monterrey.  Today I’ll be focusing on doing business in Mexico and more specifically, business negotiation practices.  These business negotiation practices are custom-tailored for doing business in Mexico, but it’s important to note that there are several lessons in the post which can be applied to doing business anywhere in the World!

The Meat & Potatoes

I’ll get right into the good stuff… what I specifically was taught by my instructor at the Tecnologico de Monterrey.  Business negotiation practices are very different wherever you go, even between countries like the U.S. and Mexico.  There are several large differences between negotiation practices in the U.S. and negotiation practices in Mexico.  To make reading easier I’ll go ahead and list the most common negotiation characteristics and practices in a bulleted list (keep in mind these are very generic lists).

U.S. Business Negotiation Characteristics

• Superiority complexes are common, and as such they feel that everyone should speak their language (English, duh!)
• Direct and to the point - we do not like to waste time on informalities
• Quick to make decisions
• Aggressive and competitive
• Like to use social events to further business negotiations

Mexican Business Negotiation Characteristics

• Don’t always speak English and feel that if we want to do business with them we might try learning their language
• Feel strongly about developing trust and getting to know the other party before starting (and during) business negotiations
• Do not like to feel pushed or rushed when it comes to making business decisions
• Very cooperative with business associates when trust has been developed
• Do not wish to discuss business over social events and will probably be offended if you try

The Point Is?

I’m not going to get into any more details about the differences between U.S. and Mexican business negotiations as that’s not exactly the point of this post.  Rather I’m interested in the idea behind all of these differences and what I think is important to learn and accept if you plan on doing business anywhere outside of your home country (or even state or city).  I think it’s best if we remember the rule, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”  Even more appropriate would be to adopt as a general rule, “When you’re Roman doing business in Rome with an Italian, learn Italian negotiation practices.”  Here’s the punch line: Go the extra step to make your business counterparts and associates more comfortable and you will go far in your business negotiations.

It’s not a difficult idea but it is one that a lot of people have difficulties with.  Especially U.S. businessmen.  It may be stereotypical but I do believe that a superiority complex is far too common among our types.  If we are to succeed in the Global market we need to change and adapt.  We need to learn to do business in more ways than just our way.

Do you have any experience with doing business outside of your national market?  I’d love to hear any positive or negative experiences on the matter of global business negotiations.

Tags: Doing Business in Mexico, Global Business, What I Learned In Mexico