First stop: Mexico City. Contextualizing the roots of migration.

Hello, my name is Vivian Gentry. I go to Oberlin College in Ohio and am originally from Chicago. Despite my Chicago roots, I’ve spent a good chunk of my life in Mexico City. My mother moved from Mexico City to Chicago around 1980, so our family has frequently gone back to visit. I’ve had a chance to see Mexico City through my family’s eyes –what their daily life is like. On this trip, however, I’ve had the chance to see it in a very different light. First, by where our group stayed. An international hostel right off the Zocalo, or main square, is definitely not what I’m used to. In addition to the location still foreign to me after all these years, through the Border Studies Program I was able to see the city in a completely different way –one that I know I’ll explore further in the future.
In our time there, we went to the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico to talk with professors and students on the campus mall about Mexico’s economy and external debt. We also visited museums that taught us not only about Diego Rivera’s murals and their historical context, but also about student movements within Mexico. Frida, our wonderful guide, was able to give us a very full history of the student movements of the late 1960s as well as those between 1999 and 2000 through both her personal experiences as well as those of her family and friends. Their stories were very important to understand how the government’s view of students is applied today.
We also went to a press conference for the release of a book, which documents how Walmart has abused Mexico’s people economically, physically, and mentally. After the conference we had the privilege to meet with the director of PRODESC, the Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Project, who participated in the investigation and writing of this book. The organization does amazing work throughout the country, and we were all completely impressed and humbled by the work they’ve already done.
Looking back, our time in Mexico City was very useful in navigating the rest of the country’s economic structure, and understanding how policies have been implemented, especially here in Chiapas, where I’m writing this entry. I’m glad to have had the chance to see Mexico City in a new way. Going back now is going to be so much more exciting than just a family trip. Frida, our guide, and all the people we spoke with truly have enriched my understanding of the massive city that is Mexico City, D.F.