Tale of two Mexicos? Amid NAFTA rethink, some urge more inclusive growth

Omar Chavira grew up near the rolling foothills of this state capital, coming of age when the US, Mexico, and Canada first signed the North American Free Trade Agreement. Mr. Chavira had already dropped out of high school and soon married his wife, Soledad, who halted her education before junior high.

“Back then, there weren’t many incentives to stay in school,” Chavira says, remembering high school fees and few formal job opportunities.

But today, the clerk at a local pharmacy chain is singing a different tune.

“My kids know that not graduating isn’t an option,” he says.

What changed? “Opportunity,” says Chavira.

As the US, Canada, and Mexico renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement this year, critics have questioned how much good it did in the first place. Certain industries were hurt by US imports, and many of the formal jobs introduced in Mexico

North and southStubborn dividesA treaty for ‘many Mexicos’