Mexico

Betsy Rodriguez ESOL Standards Carolann Downs 2,8,12 EEX 4601

Behavioral Multicultural Resource Guide

Mexican students contribute more than one percent of the ELL population in Florida. About 29.2 million residents of the U.S. are of Mexican origin. (2007) These residents constituted 10 percent of the nation’s total population and 64 percent of the Hispanic population; the number of Mexican Americans 25 years or older that have a bachelor’s degree or higher is about 1.3 million. And there is a 22 % poverty rate for Mexican Americans and the average household income is about $39,742.00.

GOVERNMENT:

The official name of Mexico is Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Mexico City is the capital which is the Federal District, where the branches of government are located. The official language of Mexico is Spanish and it has over 66 Indian languages. The local currency is the Mexican peso. There is no official state religion in Mexico as the constitution guarantees freedom of religion, though the major portion of over 90% profess to be Catholics

GEOGRAPHY: Mexico straddles the southern part of North America, with coastal plains along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts rising to a central plateau. Northern Mexico is desert like, while the south is a mountainous jungle containing Mayan and Aztec ruins.

Most people live in the densely populated waist of the country, including the cities of Vera Cruz, Mexico City, and Guadalajara. Most Mexicans are of mixed Spanish and Indian descent, but about 30 percent are Indian—and millions still speak Indian languages in the southeast.

BEHAVIORAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: It is important to note as an educator in Florida you should not assume all ELL students from Mexico speak Spanish as there are 66 Indian languages in Mexico.

ECONOMICS: The nation is blessed with abundant minerals—notably silver, copper, sulfur, lead, and zinc—advanced technology, and a huge workforce. It profits from its maquiladora border industry: products are assembled at mostly U.S.-owned plants, and then sent to the U.S. and elsewhere.

The foreign plant owners gain from the lower cost of doing business in Mexico, and Mexicans gain jobs. However, many poor Mexicans try to cross the border for jobs in the U.S.—an estimated five million Mexican immigrants are in the U.S. illegally.

HISTORY: September 15th and 16th the Mexican Nation and the world celebrate their independence from Spain. Here in the United States we are all under the impression that May 5 (Cinco de Mayo) is the big day for Mexicans but NO it is not; although May 5th the Mexican did win an important battle against the French on May 5th 1862. September 15 and 16 Mexicans decorate their homes and place flags in their windows and cars on celebrate their Independence from Spain.

On the evening of September 15th they have a special meal called pozole and bunuelos for dinner and get together with their families to give the Independence Day Cry at home. The Independence Day cry is done in remembrance of Father Hidalgo who on September 16, 1810 started the Revolution that was to lead Mexico’s independence from Spain. Father Hidalgo rang the bells at his church called Dolores; his famous line (cry) “Mexicans, Long Live Mexico!” He rang the church bells and called on the people to take up arms. It is the Mexicans most important national holiday. It is a tradition in Mexico on this date every year, that the Governor or President gives the Cry of Dolores. As educators it is important to respect and to acknowledge important dates in history for our students from Mexico. In the United States we celebrate our day of Independence the 4th of July with the same pride the Mexicans celebrate their Independence Day!

Day of the Dead in Mexico is November 1st – 2nd. This is a happy time for Mexicans to remember the people who have died. The family make alters in their home that contains favorite food, drinks, items, and pictures of their loved ones who have died. The whole family marches to the graves of their ancestors and hold all night vigils in the cemetery. This holiday is very unique in the world. According to this tradition on this night their Mexican ancestors’ souls will come to your house to share the dinner you have cooked especially in their honor.

The Mexican holiday “Dia de la Raza” (Day of the Race) celebrated on October 12 is Columbus Day. Christopher Columbus arrived in Mexico thinking it was “The New World”. This began Mexico’s unique blend of Spanish and native cultures. This holiday celebrates Mexico’s rich, indigenous heritage and recognizes that Columbus did not “discover the Americas”.

These are just some of the important holidays that Mexicans enjoy. It is important to know about them as a teacher in the U.S. you should take interest in your students traditions and celebrations.

Mexico’s Education System is organized as follows:

Preschool and Primary Pre-school: Federally Funded programs for children ages 4-5. Primary: Schools with grades 1-6 and at a least one teacher per grade. Multigrades: One-room schools with one teacher for grades 1-6 or multi grade schools with several teachers, each teaching more that one grade. Middle Grades (Grades 7-9) Secondary: Schools that enroll most non-rural students, including those who are college-bound. Technical: Schools that provide vocational training for non college-bound students. Telesecundarias: Rural schools offering a televised curriculum, which enroll a majority of rural students. High School (Grades 10-12) Preparatory and Bachelors: Schools for college-bound youth, where students must choose one of 4 professional areas: physical-mathematics, chemical-biological, economic-administrative, or humanities. Technological and Comercios: Schools for students who have a particular vocational career in mind.

CONFLICTS & MISUNDERSTANDINGS:

Throughout primary school the teachers and texts emphasize Spanish and mathematics, and also include geographic and ecological knowledge. The students’ texts include a straightforward, in-depth curriculum about health and human sexuality. This is not the norm for United States students ages 1-6. The U.S. student’s texts for ages 1-6 are not straightforward about health and human sexuality. This might lead to confusion with your students from Mexico and conflict within the school system in the U.S.

Another source of conflict can be that Mexican students are not grouped according to their ability because they are a collective society (believing in group work) and the U.S. students are individualistic. Parent of Mexican students may feel confused about the U.S. system of grouping their children by ability.

Mexican students are accustomed to seeing and producing art, because all students take courses in the arts (2 hours/week). Though, a focus on the arts may help U.S. teachers engage their ELL students, Mexican students should not be tracked into art and vocational classes. This will cause conflict in terms of expectations of the parents of ELL students with the school system in the United States.

In Mexico, children are in school for 4 hours a day, and some urban students work in the morning and attend school in the late afternoon. Your students from Mexico may feel overwhelmed because of the longer hours in the U.S. school system. (COVERT) Student may by sleepy or cranky.

Mexican students are expected to show respect to their teacher. Parents usually assume that teachers will make the best decisions for their children, and it is not the norm for parents to intervene in school matters unless asked. Here in the United States classrooms are strictly timed as well as lunch time and after school sports. (COVERT) In Mexico the students are in school for 4 hours a day, and some urban students work in the morning and attend school in the late afternoon. Take this into consideration if your students seem tired when they first come to your U.S. classroom.

The students are also accustomed to a more laid back atmosphere and may be confused by the lack of social interaction or limited social interaction in their U.S. school system. The classrooms in Mexico often engage in a lot of group work. (OVERT) The students in Mexico are accustomed to a lot of social interaction. In the U.S. school system the ELL student may feel confused about limited group work and strict social interaction rules in the classroom. Explain to the students that they will be doing group work as well as individualized work and when it is appropriate to have social interaction with their classmates during class time.

Students in Mexico must show respect to their teachers. They do not question the teacher’s authority. In the U.S. classroom your ELL student may be confused when they see a student speaking disrespectfully to a teacher. (COVERT) A U.S. student feels comfortable about questioning a teacher about and idea or an answer to a question whereas a Mexican student will feel uncomfortable or confused about this practice. Let your student from Mexico know that it is okay to respectfully have a difference of opinion then that of the teacher’s point of view.

The extended family is of crucial importance to most Mexicans. Grandparents are revered for their age and wisdom. Often three generations live in one house. Mexicans tend to be more formal than people in the United States when meeting friends or new people.

Parents of most Mexican students will not question educational decision made by educators in Mexico. Parents in Mexico’s rural towns are used to visiting their children in the primary grades often. In the United States it is common for teachers and administration to contact the parents of their students to advise them of educational strategies and ask parents to be involved in the educational process of their child. Mexican parents may be conflicted by this U.S. norm in that they feel the educators should know what is best for their child. (Covert) Mexican parents will probably hesitate to contact teachers or come to the school unless they are invited. Call or send home a welcome letter in the family’s native language first; find out if the parents do speak Spanish. In the note let them know about things in the community that they might find helpful.

There are several traditions guiding Mexican family life. Mexican family traditions play a critical role in assigning gender roles to the men and women of the family. The home is the domain for the women, who are the mothers and the wives, while the workplace defines the domain for the men. Men are the chief head in their family and important decisions concerning money matters is strictly left to them. The women in the family, the mother, generally must be good housewives and take care of the household and children. Until marriage, the girls are under the strict surveillance of the family.

As an educator it is important to remember when meeting the parents of your ELL student you should find out the other family members and extended family members that play important roles within the family. The behavior code of men, known as machismo, is imposed by the Mexican family traditions. Typical traits of machismo include display of confidence, control and pride. (COVERT) This may cause some conflict with U.S. educators who need to remember to contact the head of the household first, the father, when calling about issues concerning students in their classroom.

(OVERT) Mexicans practice a custom of public hugs or embrace. It is a gesture of friendship practiced at the end of knighthood ceremonies during the middle Ages. It is a greeting of choice between friends. The higher the social class, the more often people greet each other with hugs, followed by a handshake. Most Mexicans feel that they cannot truly be close to a new friend or business acquaintance until they join in the hug ritual.

Please remember that this does not mean Mexican ELL students will come and hug you. Mexican students are taught to respect teachers, elders, and parents and they will offer you a handshake before they would ever dare hug you!

We picked out the following books that you can incorporate into reading/language arts to introduce your students of the Mexican Culture:

The Spirit of Tio Fernando by Janice Levy. Carolann picked this book because it introduces children to one of the Mexican biggest traditions, “Day of the Dead”. The book also comes in English and Spanish so the whole class can enjoy. Off We Go To Mexico! By: Laurie Krebs, Christopher Corr Betsy picked this book because younger children will enjoy the colorful pictures and easy reading format.

Stories from Mexico, by Genevieve Barlow for adolescent readers. Betsy picked this book because it is a great way to effectively discuss Mexican legends with the entire class including your EL students because the book has both Spanish and English translation on facing pages. Frida, by Jonah Winter and Ana Juan Carolann loves art so she picked this book for children ages 5-9 because Frida is a famous Mexican artist recognized worldwide. I think we can tap into the Mexican student’s artistic and cultural knowledge with the use of this book. Many young students can relate to Frida Kahlo’s vibrant and determined personality. BIBLIOGRAPHY Annotated Works Cited

Eileen N.Whelan Ariza, Carmen A. Morales-Jones, Noorchaya Yahya, Hanizah Zainuddin. Why TESOL?. 2000. Dubuque. Kendall/Hunt

Faces, A Cobblestone Publication December 2000, Volume 17, Number 4 Lynn V. Foster. A Brief History of Mexico. 1997. New York. Facts On The File, Inc.

William Goodwin. Mexico. 1999. San Diego. Lucent Books. Inc.

McLaughlin, James, H. “Schooling in Mexico: A Brief Guide For U.S. Educators”. ERIC Digest. http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-4/mexico.html

R. Conrad Stein. Mexico, Enchantment of the World, Second Series. 1998. Canada. Children’s Press.

Talking About Mexico, http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/about/html/home.htm