PUNJABI UNIVERSITY, PATIALA

CROSS CULTURE AND GLOBAL MANAGEMENT

ASSIGNMENT

ON

CROSS CULTURE OF MEXICO

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

PROF. SHAVINA GOYAL NIKITA BANSAL (18421174)

HARRY SHARMA (18421186)

MBA SEMESTER: 4TH

TIMELINE AND HISTORY OVERVIEW OF MEXICO

TIMELINE
BCE
 1400- The Olmec civilization begins to develop.
 1000- The Mayan Civilization starts to form.
 100- The Mayans build the first pyramids.

CE
 1000- The southern cities of the Mayan culture begin to collapse.
 1200- The Aztecs arrive in the Valley of Mexico.
 1325- The Aztecs found the city of Tenochtitlan.
 1440- Montezuma I become leader of the Aztecs and expands the Aztec Empire.
 1517 - Spanish explorer Hernandez de Cordoba explores the shores of southern Mexico.
 1519 - Herman Cortez arrives in Tenochtitlan. Montezuma II is killed.

 1521 - Cortez defeats the Aztecs and claims the land for Spain. Mexico City will be built
on the same spot as Tenochtitlan.

 1600s - Spain conquers the rest of Mexico and Spanish settlers arrive. Mexico is part of
the colony of New Spain.

 1810 - The Mexican War of Independence begins led by Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo.

 1811 - Miguel Hidalgo is executed by the Spanish.

 1821 - The War of Independence ends and Mexico declares its independence on
September 27th.

 1822 - Agustin de Iturbide is declared the first Emperor of Mexico.

 1824 - Guadalupe Victoria takes office as the first President of Mexico. Mexico becomes
a republic.
 1833 - Santa Anna becomes president for the first time.

 1835 - The Texas Revolution begins.

 1836 - The Mexican army led by Santa Anna is defeated by the Texans led by Sam
Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto. Texas declares its independence from Mexico as the
Republic of Texas.

 1846 - The Mexican-American War begins.

 1847 - The United States Army occupies Mexico City.

 1848 - The Mexican-American War ends with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The U.S.
gains territory including California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.

 1853 - Mexico sells portions of New Mexico and Arizona to the United States as part of
the Gas den Purchase.

 1857 - Santa Anna is exiled from Mexico.

 1861 - The French invade Mexico and install Maximilian of Austria as president in 1864.

 1867 - Benito Jaurez expels the French and becomes president.

 1910 - The Mexican Revolution begins led by Emiliano Zapata.

 1911 - President Porfirio Diaz, who ruled as dictator for 35 years, is overthrown and
replaced with revolutionary Francisco Madero.

 1917 - The Mexican Constitution is adopted.

 1923 - Revolutionary hero and military leader Poncho Villa is assassinated.

 1929 - The National Mexican Party is formed. It will later be named the Institutional
Revolutionary Party (PRI). The PRI will rule the Mexican government until the year
2000.
  1930 - Mexico experiences a long period of economic growth.

 1942 - Mexico joins the Allies in World War II declaring war on Germany and Japan.

 1968 - The Summer Olympics are held in Mexico City.

 1985 - A huge 8.1 level earthquake hits Mexico City. Much of the city is destroyed and
over 10,000 people are killed.

 1993 - The North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and the United
States is ratified.

 2000 - Vicente Fox is elected president. He is the first president not from the PRI party in
71 years.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF MEXICO

Mexico was the home to many great civilizations including the Olmec, the Maya, the Zapotec,
and the Aztec. For over 3000 years before the Europeans arrived these civilizations flourished.

The Olmec civilization lasted from 1400 to 400 BC followed by the rise of the Maya culture. The
Maya built many large temples and pyramids. The great ancient city of Teotihuacan was built
between 100 BC and 250 AD. It was the largest city in the area and probably had a population of
more than 150,000 people. The Aztec Empire was the last great civilization prior to the arrival of
the Spanish. They came into power in 1325 and ruled until 1521.

In 1521, Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztecs and

Mexico became a Spanish colony. For 300 years Spain ruled the land until the early 1800s. At
that time the local Mexicans revolted against Spanish rule. Father Miguel Hidalgo declared
Mexico's independence with his famous cry of "Viva Mexico". In 1821, Mexico defeated the
Spanish and gained full independence. Heroes of the Mexican revolution included General
Augustin de Iturbide and General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.

ROOTS OF MODERN MEXICO

The Founding of New SpainIn 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived in Mexico to claim land for Spain.
The Aztec king, Montezuma II, welcomed Cortés to the capital, Tenochtitlan. Cortés made
Montezuma II his prisoner. Other Aztec leaders drove the Spanish from the city. During the
fighting, Montezuma II was killed. They helped the Spanish regain control of Tenochtitlan. The
Spanish had advanced weapons, which helped them defeat the Aztec. The fall of Tenochtitlan in
1521 marked the end of the Aztec Empire and the start of Spanish rule in Mexico. The Spanish
called their empire “New Spain.” They built their capital, Mexico City, on the site of
Tenochtitlan. Changes in Mexico New Spain were made up of different society layers, or classes.
The ruling class of New Spain was made up of government officials called peninsular. A second
class was made up of the criollos. The third class was made up of mestizos, who were of Spanish
and Native American ancestry. A fourth class was made up of enslaved Africans brought to New
Spain. Native Americans were the largest population group in New Spain. However, they had no
power. Under the encomienda system, Spanish men controlled Native American villages. Many
Mexican leaders were influenced by the writings of earlier Europeans and Americans. They
thought that people should be free to choose their own government. In 1810, Father Miguel
Hidalgo gave a speech called the Grito de Dolores urging people to throw off Spanish rule. Heled
his followers to Mexico City. They were defeated, and Father Hidalgo was executed. New
leaders joined the fight for independence. In 1821 Mexico became independent. Texas gained
independence from Mexico in 1836. The United States and Mexico could not agree where the
border of Texas should be. They went to war. Mexico had to sign at ready, which gave part of its
land to the United States.

MEXICO'S CURRENT POLITICS

Mexico’s political structure is that of a federal presidential representative democratic republic.

Government is congressional and the president of Mexico is head of state and head of the multi-
party government. It has three levels: federal, state, and municipal government. Mexico City is
the Federal District of Mexico and therefore the seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union.
Mexico City is not part of any of the other thirty-one Mexican states; instead it belongs to the
federation. The political system of Mexico is based on the 1917 Constitution, drafted during the
Revolution. The constitution has undergone multiple amendments such as the 2005 amendment
which banned the use of capital punishment.

The three dominant political parties in Mexico are the PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institutional
or the Institutional Revolutionary Party), the PAN (Partido Accion Nacional or the National
Action Party) and the PRD (Partido de la Revolucion Democratic or the Party of the Democratic
Revolution). The PRI ruled Mexico for seventy-one consecutive years but lost to PAN in 2000.
After decades in power corruption and fraudulent practices had become deeply ingrained. In
2006, Felipe Calderon of PAN very narrowly defeated Manuel Lopez Obrador of the PRD.
Obrador briefly set up his own government after his supporters named him the Legitimate
President, establishing the Cabinet of Denunciation to counter moves made by the Calderon
government. In the 2012 election after a twelve year hiatus PRI candidate Enrique Pena Nieto
was voted in to take over from Felipe Calderon whose name has become associated with the
USA’s controversial War on Drugs.

Shortly after the 2012 election PRD candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador insisted on a
recount of votes. This and allegations of vote buying overshadowed Nieto’s result in the election.
Nieto insisted that change of strategy would be one of his party’s priorities. He claims to
represent a modernized party ready to tackle the issues facing Mexico today and determined to
avoid the Mexico is a federal republic composed of 31 states and the Federal District.
Governmental powers are divided constitutionally between executive, legislative, and judicial
branches, but, when Mexico was under one-party rule in the 20th century, the president had
strong control over the entire system. The constitution of 1917, which has been amended several
times, guarantees personal freedoms and civil liberties and also establishes economic and
political principles for the country mistakes of the past.

GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY

CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK: The legislative branch is divided into an upper house,

the Senate, and a lower house, the Chamber of Deputies. Senators serve six-year terms and
deputies three-year terms; members of the legislature cannot be reelected for the immediately
succeeding term. Three-fifths of the deputies are elected directly by popular vote, while the
remainders are selected in proportion to the votes received by political parties in each of five
large electoral regions.

Popularly elected and limited to one six-year term, the president is empowered to select a
cabinet, the attorney general, diplomats, high-ranking military officers, and Supreme Court
justices (who serve life terms). The president also has the right to issue regalements (executive
decrees) that have the effect of law. Because there is no vice president, in the event of the death
or incapacity of the president, the legislature designates a provisional successor. The executive
branch has historically dominated the other two branches of government, although the Congress
has gained a larger share of power since the late 20th century.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT: The federal constitution relegates several powers to the 31 states
and the Federal District (Mexico City), including the ability to raise local taxes. Moreover, state
constitutions follow the model of the federal constitution in providing for three independent
branches of government—legislative, executive, and judicial. Most states have a unicameral
legislature called the Chamber of Deputies, whose members serve three-year terms. Governors
are popularly elected to six-year terms and may not be reelected. Because of Mexico’s tradition
of highly centralized government, state and local budgets are largely dependent on federally
allocated funds. Under PRI rule, Mexican presidents influenced or decided many state and local
matters, including elections. Although such centralized control is no longer generally accepted,
Mexico’s principal political parties maintain locally dominant power bases in various states and
cities.

At its most basic level, local government is administered by more than 2,000 units called
municipios (“municipalities”), which may be entirely urban or consist of a town or central
village as well as its hinterland. Members of municipio governments are typically elected for
three-year terms.

JUSTICE: The judicial system consists of several courts, including the Supreme Court of
Justice, whose 11 members are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Congress; the
Electoral Tribunal, which is sworn to oversee elections; the Federal Judicial Council; and
numerous circuit and district courts. Although Mexico has both federal and state courts, most
serious cases are heard in federal courts by judges without the assistance of juries.

According to law, defendants have several rights to assure fair trials and humane treatment; in
practice, however, the system is overburdened and riddled with problems. In spite of determined
efforts by some authorities to fight theft, fraud, and violent crime, few Mexicans have strong
confidence in the police or the judicial system, and therefore a large percentage of crimes go
unreported. On the other hand, poor and indigenous defendants suffer an inordinate share of
arbitrary arrests and detentions, and many are held for long periods prior to trials or sentencing.
Mexico’s prisons, like most of those in Latin America, are generally overcrowded and notorious
for unhealthful conditions, corruption, and abuses of various kinds. The vast majority of Mexican
prisoners are held in hundreds of state and local facilities, although smaller numbers are in
federal prisons.

POLITICAL PROCESS: Mexico’s political system revolves around a limited number of large
political parties; while on its fringes are a group of smaller parties. The most powerful political
party in the 20th century was the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario
Institutional; PRI), which ran Mexico as an effective one-party state from 1929 until the late 20th
century. During this period the PRI never lost a presidential election—though often there were
allegations of vote rigging—and the vast majority of its gubernatorial candidates were similarly
successful. Typically, the sitting president, as leader of the party, selected its next presidential
candidate—thus effectively choosing a successor. Ernesto Zedillo, the president from 1994 to
2000, broke from that tradition in 1999, prompting the PRI to hold a primary election to choose a
candidate; Zedillo also instituted other electoral reforms. As a result, in 2000 the PRI’s
presidential candidate was defeated by Vicente Fox Quesada of the conservative National Action
Party (Partido de Acción Popular; PAN), who led an opposition coalition, the “Alliance for
Change,” to victory, marking the end of 71 years of continuous rule by the PRI. (The party had
already lost control of the Chamber of Deputies in 1997.) The election, which was monitored by
tens of thousands of Mexican and international observers, was considered to be the fairest and
most democratic in Mexico’s troubled electoral history.
In subsequent elections PAN, the PRI, and the left-wing Party of the Democratic Revolution
(Partido de la Revolución Democrática; PRD), which had also emerged as a major political party
in the 1990s, continued to win a large number of congressional seats and to vie for control of the
Federal District, several states, and the national government. Among the lesser parties are the
Mexican Ecological Green Party (Partido Verde Ecologists Mexicana; PVEM), the leftist Labor
Party (Partido del Trabajo; PT), and the Democratic Convergence Party (PCD). Mexico also has
several small communist parties.

A woman suffrage movement began in Mexico in the 1880s and gained momentum during the
Mexican Revolution (1910–20). Women were first allowed to vote in the Yucatán in 1917.
Elsewhere in Mexico, however, women could not vote in local elections or hold local office until
1947. A constitutional amendment in 1953 extended those rights to national elections and offices.
By the early 21st century women occupied about one-fifth of the seats in the Senate and more
than one-fourth in the Chamber of Deputies, as well as a small number of ministerial and
Supreme Court positions. Many states require that no more than 70 to 80 percent of candidates
be of one gender. Although all Mexican citizens age 18 and older are required by law to vote,
enforcement is lax. Mexicans living outside the country, including millions in the United States,
are now allowed to vote by absentee ballot.

SECURITY: Several types of police operate within Mexico at federal, state, and local levels.
However, there is a general perception that police and political corruption is endemic at all
levels, with the mordida (“bite”), which can alternatively be seen as a bribe or as unofficial,
informal payment for official service, remaining a mainstay.

Mexico’s armed forces include an air force, a navy with about one-fifth of the military’s total
personnel, and an army constituting nearly three-fourths of the total. Military service is
mandatory at age 18 for a period of one year. The military has not openly interfered with
elections or governance since the 1920s, in marked contrast with civil-military relations
elsewhere in Latin America.

Sometimes the military takes part in law enforcement, particularly in counternarcotics

operations, and it has often focused its efforts on perceived threats to internal security, including
groups suspected of insurgency or terrorism. For example, many military and police units were
deployed in southern Mexico in the late 20th century to combat the Zapatista National Liberation
Army (EZLN; also called the Zapatistas), which launched an open rebellion in 1994 in Chiapas
(and remained active more than a decade later). Although the government respects the human
rights of most citizens, serious abuses of power have been reported as part of the security
operations in southern Mexico and in the policing of indigenous communities and poor urban
neighborhoods.

HEALTH AND WELFARE: There are pronounced differences in health conditions from region
to region within Mexico. In general, rural areas have much higher mortality and morbidity levels
than do urban areas. Regions with large indigenous populations, such as Chiapas, Oaxaca, and
portions of Guerrero, as well as isolated mountainous sections of the Mesa Central, have
especially low health standards and high death rates. There also are great differences in health
conditions among social classes in cities. Poor and indigenous Mexicans tend to suffer from an
inordinate share of illness associated with unsafe water supplies, infections, and respiratory
diseases such as tuberculosis, as well as with physical violence. Generally speaking, the leading
causes of death in Mexico are diseases of the circulatory system, diabetes mellitus, cancers,
accidents and violence, and diseases of the digestive and respiratory systems.

Federally subsidized medical and hospital care is available to all Mexican citizens. Several
government institutions, including the Mexican Social Security Institute and the Security and
Social Services Institute for Government Workers, operate hospitals. Public medicine, like public
education, is considered inferior to private care, however, and those who can afford it avail
themselves of private physicians and hospitals.

Clinics, though sometimes attended only by a nurse, are found throughout the country. Anything
more than the most basic medical needs, however, must be handled in the cities. The quality of
medical service varies throughout the country, with Mexico City by far the principal centre for
specialized treatment. The overall quality of medical care in Mexico lags behind that available in
the United States and Europe, and many Mexicans travel outside the country for more-
sophisticated surgical procedures or treatments. In spite of government efforts to extend health
care to disadvantaged citizens, in rural areas and among poorer families, modern medicine is
often considered too expensive or difficult to obtain, or it is not trusted. In many cases corianders
(traditional healers) or shamans are sought for their knowledge of curative herbs and other folk
remedies. Hot springs and sauna like sweat baths are used in some indigenous communities.

HOUSING: A lack of adequate housing is one of Mexico’s most serious problems. Within the
cities the federal government has built multiunit housing projects, but urban populations have
increased more rapidly than new units can be constructed, and economic difficulties have
reduced the funds available for new construction. Although substandard housing is more visible
in urban areas, living conditions are also unhealthful in some rural areas. In virtually all urban
areas, peripheral squatter settlements are a major feature of the landscape. Rural migrants, as
well as members of the urban underclass, build makeshift housing, often of used or discarded
materials, on unoccupied lands at the edges of cities. These colonias initially lack the most basic
urban services (water, electricity, sewerage), but most evolve over time into very modest but
livable communities.

EDUCATION: Mexico has made significant efforts to improve educational opportunities for its
people. School attendance is required for children ages 6 to 18, and since 2004 preschool has
been mandatory as well. In addition to increasing the number of schools for children, adult
literacy programs have been promoted vigorously since the 1970s. By the turn of the 21st
century it was estimated that about nine-tenths of Mexicans were literate, up nearly 20 percent
since 1970.

Public schools in Mexico are funded by the federal government. Although nearly three-fourths of
all primary public schools are located in rural areas, such schools are the poorest in the country
and often do not cover the primary cycle. Many internal migrants move to cities because of the
availability of better schools for their children and the social opportunities that derive from an
education. In rural areas as well as in many low-income urban areas, teachers need only a
secondary education to be certified to teach. Despite increases in the numbers of schoolrooms,
teachers, and educational supplies, about one-seventh of all school-age children do not attend
school, and almost one-third of adults have not completed primary school.
Nevertheless, nearly half of the Mexican population has completed a secondary (high school)
degree, though secondary schools are virtually nonexistent in rural areas. As with primary
education, private secondary schools are considered vastly superior to public ones, and families
who can afford it send their children to private schools. This contributes to the socioeconomic
imbalance that greatly favors the middle and upper classes.

Universities are found only in the largest cities. Moreover, of the more than 50 universities in the
country, one-fifth are located in Mexico City, and a high proportion of all university students
study there. The National Autonomous University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autónoma
de México; UNAM), the College of Mexico, and the Monterrey Institute of Technology and
Higher Education are among the most prestigious institutions of higher education in the country.
Although two million university students are enrolled in courses every year, less than one-eighth
of the population has a tertiary degree.

CULTURAL LIFE

CULTURAL MILIEU: Mexican society is ethnically and regionally diverse, and there are sharp
socioeconomic divisions within the population. Many rural communities maintain strong
allegiances to regions, often referred to as patrias chicas (“small homelands”), which help to
perpetuate cultural diversity. The large number of indigenous languages and customs, especially
in the south, also accentuates cultural differences. However, indigenismo, or pride in the
indigenous heritage, has been a major unifying theme of the country since the 1930s. In attempts
to unite the country culturally by identifying a uniquely Mexican culture, the government has
sometimes supported indigenous folk arts and crafts as well as the European-inspired classical
arts.
DAILY LIFE AND SOCIAL CUSTOMS: Daily life in Mexico varies dramatically according
to socioeconomic level, gender, ethnicity and racial perceptions, regional characteristics, rural-
versus-urban differences, and other social and cultural factors. A Mayan peasant in the forests of
the Yucatán leads an existence utterly different from that of a successful lawyer in Toluca or a
lower-middle-class worker in Monterrey. Further differences are exacerbated by the large
number of Mexican expatriates in the United States who eventually return, either for short-term
visits or permanently and in turn import many “American” ways of life. Such differences give
Mexico much of its character and color, but they also present the country with stubborn
challenges. But, notwithstanding the vast range of lifestyles and class-based opportunities in
Mexico, Mexican society is sharply divided by income and educational level. Although a middle
class has struggled to expand in the cities, the principal division is between the wealthy well-
educated elite and the urban and rural poor, who constitute the vast majority of the population.
Some similarities are widely shared.

CLASS DIVISIONS: Widespread rural poverty is a serious problem. An increasing proportion

of the rural population is landless and depends on day labor, often at less than minimum wages,
for survival. In many areas, but particularly in the northern half of the country, large landholders
form agricultural elite. By controlling extensive resources and often using modern mechanized
farming methods, they receive a huge proportion of the income generated by agriculture. A rural
middle class has evolved, but it represents only a small percentage of total agriculturalists.

By far the largest segment of the urban population is in the lowest socioeconomic class. Many
city dwellers have incomes below the official poverty level, including a significant percentage of
workers who are government employees. Extensive squatter settlements, often lacking basic
services, are a common element of all Mexican cities. In contrast, the relatively affluent middle-
and upper-income groups enjoy the amenities of urban life and control most of the social,
political, and economic activity of the country.

FAMILY AND GENDER ISSUES: Family remains the most-important element of Mexican
society, both in private and in public life. An individual’s status and opportunities are strongly
influenced by family ties, from infancy to old age. Many households, in both rural and urban
areas, are inhabited by three or more generations because of the economic advantage (or
necessity) of sharing a roof as well as traditionally close relationships. Mexicans generally
maintain strong links with members of their extended families, including in-laws and “adoptive”
relatives—that is, friends of the family who are generally regarded as “aunts” and “uncles.”
Because of the importance of family in Mexican life, it is not uncommon to find the elderly,
adults, teenagers, and small children attending parties and dances together. As in other countries,
weddings are some of the more-lavish family-oriented events in Mexico, but many families also
celebrate a young woman’s quinceañera (15th-birthday party) with similar extravagance.

Partly as a consequence of women’s increasing engagement in work outside the home,

particularly among the middle and upper classes, there is an increasing tendency to share
domestic chores, including infant care, but among the lower classes “women’s work” still tends
to be strictly circumscribed. Double standards also tend to prevail in regard to dating, leisure
activities, and educational choices. Many males believe that their self-identity is tied to displays
of machismo (male chauvinism), whereas women are often expected to be submissive and self-
denying—an ideal that may be described as marianismo, in reference to the Virgin Mary.
Although many Mexicans have broken away from those molds, violence and discrimination
against women remain major concerns. Moreover, most incidents of domestic violence go
unreported and unpunished owing to prevailing social attitudes and a deep distrust of the justice
system.

FOOD AND DRINK: For the vast majority of Mexicans of all economic levels, cuisine varies
greatly by region but depends heavily on an ancient trinity of staples: corn (maize), beans—
which provide an excellent source of protein—and squash. Rice is another staple usually served
side by side with beans. In addition, Mexicans tend to make liberal use of avocados (often in the
form of guacamole), chili peppers, amaranth, tomatoes, papayas, potatoes, lentils, plantains, and
vanilla (a flavouring that is pre-Columbian in origin). Hot peppers (often served in a red or green
sauce) and salt are the most-common condiments. Maize tortillas are often served on a plate
alongside main dishes, and the smell of toasted or burned corn permeates many households.
Dairy products and red meat—often in the form of fried fast foods—form a small part of the diet
of most poor people but contribute to a high incidence of heart disease and diabetes among the
middle classes and elites. However, even poor Mexicans have begun consuming portions of
processed foods that have arrived in the form of cheap imports.
Among the preferred desserts are sweet breads (including iced buns and oversized cookies),
chocolates (which originated in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica), and dulce de leche (caramelized
milk, also called cajeta or leche quemada [“burned milk”]). On city sidewalks and streets, little
bells announce the approach of paleteros, ambulatory vendors whose small insulated carts are
filled with frozen paletas (Popsicle-like treats made from creams or juices) and ice cream. Sugar-
battered flautas (deep-fried filled corn tortillas), another treat, are popular with children.

Meals are often washed down with aguas frescas (watery sweet drinks, usually chilled),
including Jamaica (a deep red or purple drink made from the calyxes of roselle flowers),
horchata (a milky rice-based drink), and drinks flavored with watermelon or other fresh fruit.
Also popular are soft drinks, liquids (fruit shakes, or smoothies), and fresh-squeezed orange
juice. Great fame and potency are attributed to mescal, a class of fermented agave drinks that
includes tequila (made from at least 51 percent blue agave in the vicinity of the town of Tequila).
Domestic and imported beers are also in great demand among those who consume alcohol.
During the Christmas holidays and on the Day of the Dead, one of the more-popular drinks is
atoll (or atoll), a hot combination of corn or rice meal, water, and spices.

Popular dishes vary by region and individual circumstances, but some of the more widely
enjoyed foods include tortillas (flat bread wraps made from wheat or maize flour), enchiladas,
cornmeal tamales (cooked within corn husks or banana leaves), burritos, soft-shell tacos, tortas
(sandwiches of chicken, pork, or cheese and vegetables enclosed in a hard roll), stuffed chili
peppers, and quesadillas (tortillas filled with soft cheese and meat). Other favorites are soups and
spicy stews such as menu do (made from beef tripe and fresh vegetables) and pozole (stewed
hominy and pork). Seafood dishes such as pulpo (octopus), chilpachole (spicy crab soup), and
ceviche (seafood marinated in lime or lemon juice) are more popular in coastal and lacustrine
areas. In Oaxaca and a few other states, fried and spiced chapulines (grasshoppers) are
considered a delicacy. A favorite among the Nahua Indians is huitlacoche (corn fungus) served
within fat-fried quesadillas.

Many families and households still gather for a large midday meal at 2 or 3 pm, followed by a
siesta (afternoon nap), but that tradition—once much associated with Mexican life, at least by
foreigners—has become less common owing to company-mandated lunch hours, long commutes
in Mexico City, and the demands placed upon farm and factory workers who are distant from
their homes. Massive supermarkets now exist alongside local ferias (markets), but, in smaller
towns and villages as well as in many urban neighborhoods, open-air street markets are still
active.

HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS: Most of Mexico’s holidays are associated with Christian feast
days, including the pre-Lenten Carnival, Easter, and the Christmas holidays (Las Posadas—
lasting from December 16 to Christmas Eve, December 24), as well as festivals for patron saints.
December 12 is the fiesta of the country’s patron saint, Our Lady of Guadalupe. For several
weeks in January, the city of Morelia celebrates its fiesta of the Immaculate Conception, and on
January 17 pets and livestock in many areas are festooned with flowers and ribbons for the fiesta
of San Antonio Abad. Around the world Mexico is known for its celebration of the Day of the
Dead (Día de los Muertos) on November 1, which is also known as All Saints’ Day. Halloween
(October 31) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) are also locally important. During that period and
in the preceding weeks, families celebrate the spirits of departed loved ones in various ways,
including erecting of rendas (small altars) in their houses, decorating tombs, and eating skull-
shaped candies and sweet breads. It is both a celebration of one’s ancestors, with whom many
believe they can communicate during those events, and an acceptance of death as natural and
inevitable rather than as something to be feared. Columbus Day (October 12) is celebrated as the
Día de la Raza (“Race Day”) in recognition of the mixed indigenous and European heritage of
Mexico—the mestizo character of its population—and because many Mexicans object to paying
homage to the controversial explorer and conqueror Christopher Columbus. Labor Day (May 1)
in Mexico is part of an international holiday. The more widely celebrated patriotic events are
Independence Day (September 16) and Cinco de Mayo (May 5), which commemorates a victory
over French invaders in 1862. At 11 pm on the evening before Independence Day, crowds gather
in plazas throughout the country to join political leaders in the clamorous grito (battle cry of
independence), a reenactment of the Grito de Dolores uttered by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla,
parish priest of Dolores, in 1810.

THE ARTS: Mexican writers and artists have received worldwide acclaim for their creativity
and originality. Within their work both a folk and a classical tradition have been strong. The
country’s best-known writers have gained their reputations by dealing with questions of universal
significance, as did Samuel Ramos, whose philosophical speculations on humanity and culture in
Mexico influenced post-1945 writers in several genres. The prolific critic and cultural analyst
Octavia Paz is considered by many to be the foremost poet of Latin America. The novels of
Carlos Fuentes are honored throughout the world, and Juan José Arreola’s fantasies are widely
admired. Among dramatists, Rodolfo Usigli, Luisa Josefina Hernández, and Emilio Carballido
have made important contributions. Perhaps the most widely recognized Mexican art form is the
mural, which is heavily influenced by the extant art and architecture of the Aztec, Maya, and
other pre-Columbian civilizations. The Mexican Muralist School counted among its members the
most-powerful figures of the genre. The murals created by Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco,
and David Alfaro Siqueiros, depicting aspects of the Mexican Revolution, the country’s
modernization, and class struggle, have become legendary. Orozco is also perhaps the most-
popular of Mexico’s folk artists. His animated plaster-of-Paris skeleton characters are both
satirical and lifelike. Other notable artists include Nicolas Enrique, Refine Tamayo, Juan
Soriano, and Freda Kahlo. As in other Latin American countries, music and dance have provided
cross-generational cohesion in Mexico. Although traditional music, including mariachi and
ranchero songs, vie for listeners with Mexican hip-hop and salsa, countless popular songs have
been passed down from generation to generation, resulting in a shared sensibility that bonds
families and provides a social glue for regional and national culture. Mariachi music features
guitars, violins, and brass instruments, but electronic synthesizers and heavy downbeats can be
added to produce Nortek music, and accordions often accompany norteño bands (see Tejano).
Other popular instruments include four-string acoustic bass guitars, tambourines, drums, and
small guitars called requites. In addition to their own musical creations, many Mexicans enjoy
Latin imports such as cambia and damson and various styles of rock and pop music. Mexico has
a long theatrical tradition that is kept alive by myriad professional, academic, and indigenous
groups. Some would argue that lucha libre (Mexican professional wrestling), with its masked
heroes and cheering throngs, is a popular arm of theatre. However, those and most other dramatic
events now depend more on television and other electronic media than on theatrical performance.
Television permeates the country, so viewers in every region and socioeconomic group
appreciate evening fare such as telenovelas (soap operas), game shows, sports events, musical
variety shows, and an array of motion pictures. Many of the most-popular programs are produced
within Mexico, but others are imported from Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, or other Latin
American countries.

Although Mexico’s film industry is one of the largest in the region, Hollywood-produced action
films, dubbed into Spanish, are a preferred genre throughout the country. Several Mexican actors
and filmmakers have been internationally recognized, including directors Alejandro González
Linarite (Amours perros, 2000; Babel, 2006), Alfonso Cuarón (Y tu mama también, 2001;
Children of Men, 2006), and Guillermo del Toro (El laber into del fauno [2006; Pan’s Labyrinth];
Pacific Rim, 2013). In 2014 Cuarón became the first Mexican director to win an Academy Award
for best director (for Gravity [2013]), an honor his friends and countrymen González Iñárritu (for
Birdman or [The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance] [2014] and The Revenant [2015]) and Del
Toro (for The Shape of Water [2017]) also won soon thereafter. Spanish director Luis Bunuel and
French Surrealist André Breton both spent many years in Mexico, and their influences are seen
in the works of current Mexican directors. In 2002 Salma Hayek became the first Mexican
actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for best actress, for Frida. One of Mexico’s most-
distinguished visual artists is photographer Manuel Álvarez Bravo.

CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS: Universities and museums in every major city provide

institutional support for art and cultural events. Moreover, the Roman Catholic Church cannot be
overlooked as a patron of select forms of art and entertainment throughout the country, including
the street dramas and dances that accompany local fiestas. To encourage and help disseminate
Mexican art in all its forms, the federal government sponsors the National Institute of Fine Arts.
Under its auspices are the programs of the National Symphony Orchestra, the Ballet Folklorico,
and the Modern and Classical Ballet, all of which perform nationally and internationally to
promote Mexican culture. Folk and popular culture also receive support through government
bodies, among them the Native Institute, which seeks to preserve and stimulate traditional
craftsmanship.

Among Mexico’s internationally acclaimed museums are the Museum of Folk Art, the immense
National Museum of Anthropology, and its offshoot the National Museum of History. In
suburban Mexico City is the Luis Barragán House and Studio, which honors the Mexican
architect and was designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2004. Away from the capital,
Monterrey’s Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the country’s many noteworthy regional
cultural centers.

SPORTS AND RECREATION: As in most of Latin America, football (soccer) commands the
passion of Mexican sports fans of all ages. From small towns to Mexico City, virtually
everything comes to a halt when the Mexican national team competes in a World Cup match.
Mexico hosted the World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986.

During the colonial period and the 19th century, bullfighting was the Mexican sport of choice.
Whether the matadors were Spaniards or Mexican-born, huge crowds gathered to cheer their
efforts in the bullring. Bullfighting remains an integral part of Mexican culture, and it was not
until the introduction of baseball in the late 19th century that many Mexican fans transferred
some of their loyalty away from bullfighting. Several Mexican players have distinguished
themselves in the U.S. major leagues, most notably pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, winner of the
Cy Young Award in 1981.

Mexican boxers and long-distance runners have also had great success in international
competition, including lightweight boxing champion Julio César Chavez. In 1968 Mexico
became the first developing country to host an Olympiad; Mexico City was the site of the
Summer Games—though the event was notorious for its cost overruns and the public
demonstrations and violence immediately preceding it, including the shooting of hundreds of
demonstrators by the military.

Mexico maintains a system of national and state parks, reserves, and other protected lands. The
country’s first protected area was created by presidential decree in 1876. Subsequent decrees
designated Mexico’s first forest reserve in 1898 and its first national park, Desire to de los
Leones (“Desert of the Lions”), near Mexico City in 1917. The backbone of the park system was
created by two presidents: during the 1930s Lázaro Cárdenas established some 40 national parks
and 7 reserves, and José López Portillo (1976–82) added another 9 national parks and 20
reserves. However, the government’s limited budget does not adequately fund and staff the park
system. As a result, environmental pollution, illegal logging, heavy tourist traffic, and other
human actions are major threats to public lands. Among Mexico’s larger national parks are
Cumbers de Monterrey (Monterrey Peaks), which was created in 1939 around picturesque
canyons and slopes in the Sierra Madre Oriental; Cañón Del Sumidero (Sumidero Canyon) and
Valle de los Cirios (Cirios Valley), both founded in 1980; and Sian Ka’an, which was established
in 1986 on a large expanse of rainforest in Quintana Roo. Cañón de Río Blanco (White River
Canyon) National Park was established in 1938. Hundreds of thousands of tourists annually visit
the national parks around Mexico City, including Iztaccihuatl-Popocatépetl (1935) and La
Malinche (1938). The country’s principal marine parks, established in the 1990s, are the
Veracruz Reef System and Scorpions Reef, the latter of which protects a group of islands and
reefs north of the Yucatán Peninsula. UNESCO has honored Mexico by designating a number of
places World Heritage sites, including El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, which is a major
sanctuary for gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) in Baja California (added to the list in 1993); a
national park at Palenque (1987); the Paquimé (Casas Grandes) and Calakmul archaeological
sites (1998 and 2002, respectively); and several ecologically sensitive islands in the Gulf of
California (2005).

MEDIA AND PUBLISHING: Mexico City is one of the leading publishing centers for Spanish-
language books and magazines. It also has a large number of daily newspapers, some of which
are respected for their objectivity and relative independence. Although newspapers are
guaranteed freedom of the press under the constitution and there is no official censorship, many
have been traditionally muted in their criticism of the president and the military. There also are
regional tabloids outside the capital, but they have little national impact.

Mexico is a world leader in the production of Spanish-language television programming, videos,

and other electronic media. Its television shows are syndicated throughout the hemisphere, and
many of its entertainers are known internationally. Among the more-popular local programs and
exports are nightly telenovelas and variety shows. By the early 21st century, Mexican companies,
individuals, and government agencies accounted for a large and increasingly sophisticated share
of Spanish-language Internet sites.
MEXICO LIFESTYLE: Mexico lifestyle is all about sunshine, rich cultural traditions,
historical heritage, a slower pace of life and lower living costs. Mexico has been an expat magnet
for decades. Mexico’s lifestyle combination appeals to the 1 million expats living in the country
today, including the largest group of American expats in any country in the world, over 750,000
strong. The real secret behind Mexico’s charm, though, is its people. Friendly, caring, helpful and
fun loving, they will welcome and warm the heart of anyone they meet. The London-based
Legatum Institute ranked Mexico fifty-ninth out of 149 countries in its Legatum Prosperity Index
2018, which considers Economic Quality, Business Environment, Governance, Education,
Health, Safety and Security, Personal Freedom, Social Capital and Natural Environment.

Mexico offers a vast range of things to do and places to see. In the large cities, cultural activities
like opera, symphony, world-class museums, art galleries and top-rated restaurants are plentiful.
Professional sports, horse racing and other spectator events are also part of the urban offering.
Away from the big cities, the towns and villages of Mexico offer folk festivals, plays, street
musicians, fiestas and perfect evenings in the central plaza to enjoy with friends and family.

On Mexico’s coasts, you can fish, dive, snorkel and toast your body at the beach. In resort cities,
such as Puerto Vallarta, you can happily eat your way across the city in some of the best
restaurants Mexico has to offer.

The cuisine in Mexico is a mixture of Mesoamerican indigenous dishes with Spanish and African
influences, largely as a result of slavery. Beans and chili peppers are staples of the daily diet.
Regional cooking developed over the centuries, with Oaxaca, Veracruz and the Yucatan
Peninsula noted for exceptional local cuisine. Mole is a signature dish of Mexico, originating in
both Puebla and Oaxaca. Made with a variety of ingredients, including chili peppers, the classic
mole polio is served over meat.

Another classic from Mexico is the country’s national drink, Tequila, which is made from the
blue agave plant and is the key ingredient in margaritas. Its birthplace is the town of Tequila,
located about 40 miles north of Guadalajara.
Mexico also produces some of the best beer in the world, thanks to the short-lived empire of
Maximilian of Austria, who ruled Mexico for a few years in the mid-19th century. German
immigrants during that period opened many breweries throughout Mexico.

The country also has a flourishing wine industry centered in the Guadalupe Valley of the
northern state of Baja Norte that dates back about 450 years, making it the oldest wine-growing
region in the Americas. About 80 percent of the wine is for export since Mexicans do not
consume that much wine.

MEXICO BUSINESS ETIQUETTE GUIDE

TIMING AND SCHEDULING

 Make sure you are punctual and on time for any meeting, but do not be surprised if
your Mexican counterpart is 30 minutes late. It’s common in a lot of Latino cultures, so
just be patient!

 Mexican punctuality is not rigid because of a cultural emphasis on personal life.

 It is not uncommon for Mexican business people to cancel meetings, and many consider
meetings with Americans as tentative until they receive confirmation that the person is in
Mexico. Therefore, it is a good idea to confirm meetings scheduled weeks or months
ahead several times as the date approaches, including the night before.

 Mexicans often say “mañana” (“tomorrow” in English), when referencing the “next
couple of days” or “sometime in the near future”. If in doubt, be sure to clarify when
talking about schedules or delivery times.

 Use words when writing dates. In Mexico, the first number in a numeric date represents
the day of the month. As a result, 3/5/17 (March 5, 2017, in the U.S.) means May 3, 2017,
in Mexico.

 Mexican people observe long holiday periods during Easter and Christmas, which runs
from Our Lady of Guadalupe Day on December 12 to Three Kings Day on January 6.
 Most government (federal, state and local) close during this period is commonly known
as “Guadalupe Reyes”.

LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATIONS

 Good manners and politeness go a long way in Mexico.

 While most Mexican business people speak English, you should learn basic phrases in
Spanish such as “por favor” (please), “gracias” (thank you), “adios” (goodbye) and
“disculpe” (excuse me).

 If you do not have a fully bilingual member in your team, you should consider hiring
an interpreter, preferably a native speaker.

 The formal form of you—“used”—is often used when addressing elders, employers,
superiors, co-workers and strangers. The informal “tú” is used among friends, siblings
and people who are on the same level.

 Avoid using first names unless invited to do so.

 Address people using “Señor” (Mr.), “Señora” (Mrs.) or “Señorita” (Miss) and their last
name.

 Mexicans respect titles. You may address someone by his or her title only.

 When leaving a voicemail, keep in mind that most Mexican people will expect you to
call again and therefore, are unlikely to return your call.

BODY LANGUAGE

 Strangers shake hands when meeting and leaving each other. Mexicans usually hold the
gesture longer than we do.

 Friends may hug or kiss each other on the cheek. Men often touch shoulders or pat each
other on the back.
  Standing with hands on the hips may be considered aggressive.

BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS

 Mexicans do business with friends. If they feel uneasy around you, chances are you
won’t be closing any deals.

 To develop relationships, be warm and friendly. Ask your Mexican counterparts about
their family, friends, customs, hobbies, etc.

 Use intermediaries when necessary to make personal connections.

CORPORATE CULTURE

 Business in Mexico is done in person, not over the phone or email.

 Meetings usually start with small talk about family, the weather, etc.

 Do not refuse drinks (usually coffee) offered to you during the meeting.

 Being direct and to the point may be perceived as rude or aggressive. Be gracious and
polite.

 Because relationships come first, negotiations tend to move slowly.

 Meetings typically are slow-paced, often going off topic.

 Hierarchy is important. Big decisions are made by top executives, and they expect to do
business with same-level executives not with low-level representatives.

 Appearances matter—your clothes, jewelry, hotel accommodations, etc.

MEALS & MEETINGS

 A typical business lunch in Mexico starts at 2 pm, lasts two to three hours, and includes
lots of casual talk, with little time devoted to business.

 Breakfasts tend to be more productive when conducting business.

 Supper, which usually starts at 8-9 pm, is a light, minor affair and not good a time for
business.

 Drinking in excess during a business meeting is considered inappropriate.

 Your offer to pick up the tab will be appreciated, but since you are the guest, most
Mexican business people will insist on paying.

WHAT TO WEAR

 Dress conservatively in the city. Dark suits never fail.

 Men should wear ties. Women should wear formal business attire.

 Jeans are not appropriate. Avoid low-cut shirts and very short or tight skirts.

 When in doubt, it is better to be overdressed.

With a genuine interest to assimilate the Mexican business culture, American companies can
develop successful business relationships in Mexico.

WHAT ABOUT MEXICO?

If we explore Mexican culture through the lens of the 6-D Model, we can get a good overview of
the deep drivers of Mexican culture relative to other world cultures.
POWER DISTANCE

This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it expresses the
attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power Distance is defined as the
extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country
expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.

At a score of 81, Mexico is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical
order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an
organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates
expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat

INDIVIDUALISM

The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society
maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms
of “I” or “We”. In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their
direct family only. In Collectivist society’s people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in
exchange for loyalty.

Mexico, with a score of 30 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-
term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended
relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal
rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes
responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies offence leads to shame
and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family
link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, management is
the management of groups.
MASCULINITY

A high score (Masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by
competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner/best in field – a
value system that starts in school and continues throughout organizational life.

A low score (Feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring
for others and quality of life. A Feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of
success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The fundamental issue here is what
motivates people, wanting to be the best (Masculine) or liking what you do (Feminine).

Mexico scores 69 on this dimension and is thus a Masculine society. In Masculine countries
people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive and assertive, the emphasis
is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.

UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE

The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact
that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This
ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in
different ways. The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or
unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in
the score on Uncertainty Avoidance.

Mexico scores 82 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty.
Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior and
are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for
rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy
and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an
important element in individual motivation.
LONG TERM ORIENTATION

This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while
dealing with the challenges of the present and future, and societies priorities these two existential
goals differently. Normative societies. Which score low on this dimension; for example, prefer to
maintain time-honored traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion?
Those with a culture which scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they
encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.

The relatively low score of 24 means that the Mexican culture is normative. People in such
societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their
thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the
future, and a focus on achieving quick results.

INDULGENCE

One challenge that confronts humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which small children
are socialized. Without socialization we do not become “human”. This dimension is defined as
the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were
raised. Relatively weak control is called “Indulgence” and relatively strong control is called
“Restraint”. Cultures can, therefore, be described as Indulgent or Restrained.

With a very high score of 97, Mexican culture has a definite tendency toward Indulgence. People
in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realize
their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive
attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of
importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.