Cultural values
The culture of Mexico reflects the complexity of Mexico's history through the
blending of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican civilizations and the culture of Spain
during its 300 years of colonization. The dominant feature of Mexican
culture is social hierarchy and the strength of a unified family as can be seen
from its surprisingly low divorce rate. An extended family where several
relatives live in the same area or even the same house is not unusual, and it's
not uncommon to see the grown-up children who are single to still live with
their parents even though they are in the thirties. Loyalty within the
family is absolute, the father is the ruler whereas the mother is the heart of
the family. In recent years, these stereotypes have begun to break down as
they have been influenced by the US especially in the Northern states.
Genderism
Mexico is a country where a distinction between the roles of men and women
are still observed despite the feminist movement in the past. It is normal
for women to be opened the doors for and have their meals paid by men even
though they are just friends. What could be irksome for female travellers
are the men's piropos (supposedly compliments) with sexual overtone in
big cities. The best way to respond to such situation is to avoid eye
contact and ignore any compliments altogether. Generally, there is rarely
any problem the further you are from the cities especially in indigenous areas.
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is theoretically legal in Mexico as there are no federal laws
prohibiting such practice. Nevertheless, President Fox's right-wing party,
PAN, has been running anti-gay campaigns through the closing of gay bars in
Monterrey and passing and ordinance against "abnormal sexual behavior"
in Guadalajara. Religion and machiso are still the rule of the day, but
attitudes are changing, and there are a substantial number of gay groups and
publications in Mexico. Gay bars and clubs can be found in the major
resorts and US border towns such as Monterrey, Guadalajara, Veracruz and Oaxaca.
Language
Spanish is Mexico's official and predominant language. Of some 100 million
first-language speakers, Mexico has the largest population of Spanish-speakers
in the world. In addition, there are approximately 62 living languages
which are spoken among the small population of Indian descent.
Nevertheless, some of these languages (Nahuatl, Maya, Zopoteco o Diidzaj...just
to name a few) have lent words that are not found in the Spanish of Spain or the
rest of Latin America. Such words can be found primarily in the names of
common plants and animals. Even some English words such as tomato,
chocolate, avocado and coyote are used in the Mexican Spanish as well.
Although English is widely spoken in tourist areas, some attempt to communicate
in Spanish will provide you a much greater rapport and help from the locals.
Additionally, the Mexicans also speak relatively slowly compared with the
Spaniards.
Some basic Spanish words & phrases:
|
English
|
Spanish
|
English
|
Spanish
|
| Yes, No |
Si, No |
Open, Closed |
Abierto/a, Cerrado/a |
| Please, Thank you |
Por favor, Gracias |
With, Without |
Con, Sin |
| Where?, When? |
Donde?, Cuando? |
Good, Bad |
Buen(o)/a, Mal(o)/a |
| What?, How much? |
Que? Cuanto? |
Big, Small |
Gran(de), Pegueno/a |
| Hello, Good bye |
Hola!, Adios |
Good morning |
Buenos dias |
| Good afternoon/night |
Buenas tardes/noches |
How do you do? |
Que tal? |
| See you later |
Hasta luego |
Sorry |
Lo Siento/disculpeme |
| Excuse me |
Conpermiso/perdon |
How are you? |
Como esta (usted)? |
| Not at all, you're welcome |
De nada |
I (don't) understand |
(No) Entiendo |
| Do you speak English? |
Habla (usted) ingles? |
|
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Business etiquette
In Mexico, it is important to established cordial relationships in order to
do business. Haste and confrontations are not valued and will not get you
anywhere. Often meetings start a bit later than the scheduled time, but
you should be patient and always show respect toward your colleaques in public.
The name
Mexico is named after its capital city whose name comes from the Aztec city
Mexico - Tenochtitlan that preceeded it. The Mexi part of the name is from
Mexitli which is the name of the war god, whose name was derived from metzli
(the moon), and xictli (navel) and thus mean "navel" (probably
implying 'child') of the moon. So, Mexico is the best of the people of
Mexitli.
Music
The most famous regional music of Mexico is Mariachi. The Mariachi
music originated in the western state of Jalisco, and the term started to gain a
wide recognition as well as a developing popularity from 1852 onward. It
became known as the national music of Mexico after the 1910 Mexican Revolution.
The introduction of the Mariachi music in the United States in the 1970s by
performer such as Linda Ronstadt also contributed to the growing trend of
Mexican music there.
Art
Mexico is known worldwide for its folk art traditions which are derived from
a combination of indigenous and Spanish crafts. The most prominent Mexican
handicrafts are the clay pottery made in the valley of Oaxaca and the bird and
animal figures made in the valley of Tomala. Other Mexican emblems include
the colorfully embroidered cotton garments, cotton or wool shawls and outer
garments, and colorful baskets and rugs. Today, Mexican art has emerged
from being a mere imitation of European traditions prior to the Spanish
revolution and has developed into a unique cultural representation of the
Mexican culture. The mural and canvas paintings as well as photography
have become an embodiment of social and cultural expression which never fail to
invoke impression from international viewers.
Sport
Facilities for golf, tennis, sailing, surfing, scuba diving and deep-sea
fishing, as well as riding and hunting are provided at all the big resorts.
Sport fishing is especially popular in Baja California and the resorts along the
Pacific coast. Diving and snorkeling can be undertaken around the
Caribbean, with world-famous dive sites at Cozumel and on the reefs further
south. The Pacific coast is becoming a center for surfing, with the
popular spots being Baja California and on the Oaxaca coast. Caving is
still a minority sport for which Mexico has become a major center since the
limestone caverns in the country are spectacular and can be explored by
experienced cavers, potholers or spelunkers.
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