tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19933740.post4503485492345687082..comments2023-03-18T08:12:23.018-05:00Comments on Living Ethnography: The Diane Rehm Show follow-upDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936987045489514277noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19933740.post-91072743747498461512007-11-07T15:03:00.000-05:002007-11-07T15:03:00.000-05:00Debra, I agree with your sentiments about the time...Debra, I agree with your sentiments about the time constraints on the show, and I appreciate that factor.<BR/><BR/>Although I found your comments largely accurate, when combined with Caren Cross, I felt that too much weight was given to an image of expat life in San Miguel as a "happy-go-lucky" type of existence wherein the expats live richly, devote all their time to helping the impoverished Mexicans and largely exist in a "Disneylandia" in Mexico.<BR/><BR/>I was interested to hear either of the guests' thoughts on expatriation versus immigration, or to delve more deeply into the relationship, historical and contemporary, between expats and the local population. However, again, I appreciate that this was not the goal of Diane Rehm's show. <BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, I found Caren Cross' comments to at times be inaccurate and even offensive, but I recognize that she represents only one particular segment of the expat population in San Miguel. While explaining that expats do constantly interact with the locals in order to "help them", she deftly rationalized the lack of social intermingling between the two populations by explaining how Mexicans don't have friends outside of the families, an obvious gross generalization.<BR/><BR/>Similarly, while you, Debra, pointed out that expats, being wealthier, consume many more resources than Mexicans and that agriculture, regardless of the country in question, *always* consumes the majority of any region's water supply, Caren seemed to laughingly respond by laying all blame for San Miguel's water and other environmental problems at the feet of the "wasteful" and "rich Mexicans". What about the rich U.S. Americans who are largely responsible for the population boom in the first place in what was once a near ghost town?<BR/>Anyway, I appreciate your research Debra and always hope for more blog updates! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19933740.post-21399967985484210192007-11-07T11:51:00.000-05:002007-11-07T11:51:00.000-05:00It was only mentioned in passing on the show but I...It was only mentioned in passing on the show but I was wondering if you would have any information on how many young individuals (couples) (20-40)are moving to Mexico. Is there a community in SMA, and are many people coming with young children? Do you know of any other cities (except for Gdl and D.F) which are seeing the immigration on younger peoples from the North? Are there jobs available for academics in smaller cities?<BR/> My fiance is Mexican ( I met him in Mexico 6 years ago) and we have been living in Canada for the past two years. I hold a MSc from Mcgill University in Montreal and did my research in Latin America.<BR/> I have lots of friends abroad and in Mexico but am curious to know if many couples from Canada and the US have made the move and how there children manage with such things schooling in the public school system?<BR/> (It is hard to leave family isn't it?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com