OU Mayab: Participants: L-Z: Casey Potts

Expectations

I expect the same thing from myself living in another country that Americans assume of other people when they are living or visiting this country. I am not going to selfishly expect people to "bend" towards me and speak English to me. I am going to honor the people that I encounter on this trip by speaking their language, dancing their dances, and eating their food.

I expect that when I return, I won't have to say the following phrases as often: "Repita por favor?" "Que?" "Que dijiste?" "No entiendo."

I expect to learn as much about the people and culture of Merida and its surrounding areas within 11 weeks as possible.

I expect to get sick, and not because of too-much tequila. When I am sick, I will take solice in the fact that at least I am not in Ohio during the winter. I also know that I love Mexican food and that I like to try different things.

I expect to respect the culture of Mexico, to be myself, and to develop lasting relationships with the people of Merida. Hey, I want to come back you know!

Stereotypes of Mexicans

Unfortunately, in the United States we live in a judgmental society. I do not agree with any of the following stereotypes but for the sake of this assignment and the class, I will try to be as open-minded and honest as possible. Through my experience in 33 years of living, the majority of those occurring in Ohio, the following stereotypes about Mexicans may still exist in “discreet” conversations in the watering-holes (bars) and other locations across the United States:

Some Americans think that many Mexicans that live in the U.S. or Mexico:
· Wear a sombrero 24 hours per day, which covers their face, as they take a siesta sitting up against a cactus wearing white pants, sandals, and a colorful overthrow blanket (reference the tourist symbol of Mexico that appears on T-shirts, stickers, postcards, Halloween costumes, etc.)
· Can’t, don’t, or won’t speak English.
· Have illegally crossed the U.S./Mexican border or the Rio Grande River. (Hence the offensive and highly-inappropriate slang word “wetback”.)
· Who live in the United States work at McDonalds or Wal-Mart, work as maids in hotels, or work as landscapers or on construction sites.
· Take a 2-3 hour siesta (nap) everyday and therefore are lazy.
· Get drunk all day on tequila, margaritas, and corona!
· Drive around with 6-8 people in a small car or truck and live in a house with 25 other Mexicans.
· Work 2 or 3 jobs in the United States, collect cash monies (under the table) and therefore do not “pay taxes”, and then send that money back to Mexico to help their families, hence creating a negative effect on the American economy.

I am sure there are many more ignorant stereotypes. These are just a few and again, I would like to stress that I DO NOT AGREE with any of them. I think that they are horrible, inaccurate, offensive, and ignorant. Yet some of them continue to exist. I understand why some people might claim that some of these are true; yes there are landscapers and food-industry workers in this country that are Mexican (legal and illegal). But to assume that all of these are 100% applicable to all Mexicans is completely ignorant. Some of my best friends are from Mexico and they have enriched my life for the better. I only hope that I can help open as many minds towards this wonderful group of people as possible and share my joy of Mexican culture with others.

What have I learned from living in Merida, Mexico for 3 months? Well, there is a guy who passes by my house on a bicycle honking a "squeeky" horn and sells delicious donuts everyday. Thats a plus. You can't drive 30 minutes in any direction without bumping into a breathtaking set of Mayan Ruins or falling into a beautiful cenote. The Mayan ruins here are absolutely spectacular. The curbs on the sidewalks are sometimes more than a feet above the street and reak havoc on joggers. Burger King tastes better here. (Don't fight me on this, ask anyone.) Everyone knows at least a few words or phrases in the Mayan language. People go to parties to dance and be merry, not just to get drunk. The Mexican states of Yucatan and Campeche have a rivalry going not unlike that of the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines (complete with dirty jokes about one and the other). Yes, some people do take siestas, but they also work until 8 or 9 at night. I have lived here 3 months and not once did I see a single person wearing a sombrero (other than a gringo trying one on in a store). People like to discuss which foods are better here, panuchos or salbutes (PANUCHOS CON FRIJOLES!!!)? Frijol con puerco or puerco pibil? Michelada or chelada? Horchata or Jamaica? The culture here is so beautiful and prevalent that you can cut it with a knife as if it were a thick fog right in front of your face. The public transportation here is amazing. There are always buses and taxis available. I did not get diahrea (contrary to popular misconceptions). The birds sound different, almost louder. There are more OXXO's (7-11'z) in Merida than there are Starbuck's and Mcdonald's in Ohio combined. The descendants of the Mayan people did not vanish off the face of the earth, they make up an enormous part of the Yucatan Peninsula (and other areas). I have an extended family now that lives in Merida and Xhualtez. I now have an elevated respect for people from other countries and for people that speak more than one language (or a language different than my own). I learned that it is possible to learn a new language after the age of 30, and how amazing and diverse the people from Mexico are. I also learned that "Mexican food" in the United States just doesn't compare to the food in Mexico, especially in the Yucatan. But the most important thing I learned from my trip to Mexico is the importance of family and how much I miss my family and friends back in Ohio, and how much I am going to miss my familly and friends that I met in Mexico. Si pudiera hacerlo de nuevo, lo haria sin duda. Nos vemos muy pronto.

Ohio University

Programa Mayab

Winter Quarter - Merida, Mexico