Mr. Alexander R. Morton

The Political System
&
Cultural Problems in Mexico
Alexander Morton
Cross-Cultural Perspectives
SOC 315
Dr. John Theodore
April 1, 2013

Before the Spanish arrival in 1519, a large number of Indian groups with very different social and economic systems occupied Mexico. In general, the tribes in the arid north were relatively small groups of hunters and gatherers who roamed extensive areas of sparsely vegetated deserts and steppes. These people are often referred to as Chichimec, though they were a mix of several linguistically distinctive cultural groups (Mexico, na.). In the 1100 AD, Toltec’s conquered central and southern Mexico and established the capitol in Tula. When the Spanish arrived, the Aztec people controlled most of the Mesa Central.
The Aztecs fulfilled a tribal prophesy by establishing a city where an eagle with a snake in its beak rested on a cactus (Mexico, na.). The Aztec people lost Mexico to the Spanish in the early 16th century. Cortez only had 200 men and used enemies of the Aztecs to conquer Mexico. Spain stayed in charge of Mexico for 300 short years and on September 16, 1810, in the t5own Dolores Hidalgo, the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church’s bells and extorted the local Indians to “recover from the hated Spaniards the land stolen from your forefathers… “This is celebrated as Mexican Independence Day (Mexico, na.).
Like many of the early countries in the America’s the people that were colonized by outside countries had to fight for their freedom from tyranny. The big difference is the people of Mexico did not start in another country; they fought for a country that they owned from the beginning. The American Indian did not have the leadership or ability to win back what they owned to start with. The early tribes of Mexico did not let Spain take their land away. Mexico’s culture and political system may not be the same as it was in the beginning, but they still hold much of their heritage. The United States stood with Mexico when the British, French, and Spanish occupied Veracruz to collect a debt from Mexico. The United States threatened to send forces into Mexico the British and Spanish quickly withdrew but France stayed and overthrew the Mexican Government in 1864 making Maximilian I of Austria the emperor (Mexico, na.). Although the political system in Mexico is, an independent state government run by Mexican culture, is there too much of an influence from other countries?
Annotated Bibliography
Camp, R. A., (June, 1989) Entrepreneurs and Politics in Twentieth-Century Mexico, Oxford University Press, Cary, NC, USA. Retrieved March 30, 2013, from http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-libraryashford.edu/lib/ashford
The author opens with an introduction that pits educated people against entrepreneurs. Camp States, “Academics in general and liberal academics in particular, remain suspicious of entrepreneurial motives, bringing this emotional baggage to their analysis of businesspeople (Camp, June, 1989). The author examines the relation between the state and private sector from a historical view. The points of the relation between entrepreneurs the state and economic variables help establish a need between the cultural and political system. The questions are; can one work without the other, and will the cultural and political system find support from one another.

Curtis, G., & Metz, H. C., (July, 1999) The Housing Market in Mexico, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, USA. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-libraryashford.edu/lib/ashford
The authors report the need for housing in the Mexican market. They compare financing and available funds for the homebuyers in Mexico. Experts give their opinion on the characteristics of the market in the past, present and future. The Library of Congress experts on Mexican law examine lending procedures. The Mexican government is a member of NAFTA and is under pressure to advance in areas that are not equal with other members in NAFTA. Personally, I think someone is about to make a bundle of money.

Mexico, (na.). Mexico, A brief History, The International History Project. Retrieved, March 30, 2013, from http://history-world.org/mexico.htm
The History of Mexico gives the statistics of the early years and struggles that the Mexican Indians survived to make Mexico a country. The history given starts in 1100 AD and brings Mexico to her present day struggles. The use of Mexico’s political history helps us understand why the culture of Mexico remains unchanged. The author presents the facts that bring Mexico to a multiparty political system.

Olguin, B. V., (January, 2010) La Pinta: Chicana/o Prisoner Literature, Culture, and Politics, University of Texas Press, Austin, TX, USA. Retrieved March 30, 2013, from http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-libraryashford.edu/lib/ashford
The author uses his personal experiences to make people aware of the way people of Mexican heritage are treated and harassed in the United States. He shares his personal experience as a Mexican on foreign soil dealing with a corrupt political system that uses prisons to house un-desirables in the United States. The most important part is the culture and society he came from. His views are formed from the years he spent moving around as a boy trying to make a life for his family in Mexico. Although his life was not easy, there are people that make a solid salary and come from the same or worse background than him. Tucker, W. P., (1957) The Mexican Government Today, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN, USA. Retrieved March 29, 2013, form http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-libraryashford.edu/lib/ashford
The author explains the terrain that Mexico sets on with the mountains as a backdrop. The difficult times the people of Mexico have farming the land because of rainfall and soil conditions. The book takes different aspects of Mexican life and puts it into perspective by explaining the political background, how religion plays a major role in the lives of the Mexican population. The book was written in 1957 and for people that are from that time it makes it easier to compare Mexico’s background because we can compare the way life was in 1957 America.

References
Camp, R. A., (June, 1989) Entrepreneurs and Politics in Twentieth-Century Mexico, Oxford University Press, Cary, NC, USA. Retrieved March 30, 2013, from http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-libraryashford.edu/lib/ashford

Curtis, G., & Metz, H. C., (July, 1999) The Housing Market in Mexico, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, USA. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-libraryashford.edu/lib/ashford

Mexico, (na.). Mexico, A brief History, The International History Project. Retrieved, March 30, 2013, from http://history-world.org/mexico.htm

Olguin, B. V., (January, 2010) La Pinta: Chicana/o Prisoner Literature, Culture, and Politics, University of Texas Press, Austin, TX, USA. Retrieved March 30, 2013, from http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-libraryashford.edu/lib/ashford

Tucker, W. P., (1957) The Mexican Government Today, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN, USA. Retrieved March 29, 2013, form http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-libraryashford.edu/lib/ashford

References: Camp, R. A., (June, 1989) Entrepreneurs and Politics in Twentieth-Century Mexico, Oxford University Press, Cary, NC, USA. Retrieved March 30, 2013, from http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-libraryashford.edu/lib/ashford Curtis, G., & Metz, H. C., (July, 1999) The Housing Market in Mexico, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, USA. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-libraryashford.edu/lib/ashford Mexico, (na.). Mexico, A brief History, The International History Project. Retrieved, March 30, 2013, from http://history-world.org/mexico.htm Olguin, B. V., (January, 2010) La Pinta: Chicana/o Prisoner Literature, Culture, and Politics, University of Texas Press, Austin, TX, USA. Retrieved March 30, 2013, from http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-libraryashford.edu/lib/ashford Tucker, W. P., (1957) The Mexican Government Today, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN, USA. Retrieved March 29, 2013, form http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-libraryashford.edu/lib/ashford