The stereotypes of the Mexican culture are perceived by many Americans to be negative. One perception is that men can be aggressive, disrespectful, and abusive toward the women in their lives. Also, that many Mexicans are uneducated, resulting in the participation in gang violence or drug cartels. In addition to the lack of strong educational values, the idea of poverty and less lucrative lifestyles can be present in the Mexican culture. Also, women can be seen as overpowering and the central control of the family. This stereotype of the strong female power in the home leads to important familial values and morals. A widespread stereotype is the how important the family is in the Mexican culture.
My expectations for the Mérida 2010 trip are to experience genuine Yucatán culture, absorb the Spanish language, and travel to historical locations. I want to appreciate the vibrant culture that Mérida has to offer through my experiences. My biggest expectation for Mérida is to travel and live a completely different lifestyle. I think it will be a change to my current lifestyle to have servants to provide hospitality, but also a new learning experience. I also want to enjoy the climate the Yucatán offers and gain new friendships with fellow Ohio University Students.
This program has exceeded my expectations of what a study abroad program can offer. I have truly experienced Yucatan culture and have developed relationships with many people in Merida. I have been able to travel to historical locations and have seen how other cultures live. My relationship with my Mama in my house has exceeded my expectations because I feel as though I have made a comfortable connection with her. The excursions definitely exceeded my expectations because they made the traveling experience easier and fun. If any student were to travel separately to those historical locations, they would have not had the same amazing resources we had. The travel guide provided information about everything we saw and the meals were arranged ahead of time. My personal experience with the excursions and traveling made my experience in Merida better than I could have imagined. After this trip, I have gained an appreciation for how another culture's daily lives.
The stereotypes I have gained through the program since I have first written them have changed. I still believe that women are the central controllers of the family because I lived with a strong woman who controlled my entire house. Also, the negative outlook many people have about Muchachas in the house has definitely changed for me. I developed friendships with my muchachas and they were able to provide amazing food and comfort in my home, even though my experience is probably different than other families. The food surprised me because it is completely unlike any Mexican restaurant in the United States. I enjoy the Yucatecan food far more than traditional Mexican food as well. I still believe than most Mexican men are aggressive toward women in general, but they are not as much of a threat as many seem to think. My stereotype of Mexicans after this program is how they are generous, caring, and willing to develop relationships with anyone. I have a positive outlook on the type of people in the Yucatan after this program, but I still believe that the people in our region are different than the rest of Mexico.