Mexico appears in many works of contemporary American literature as a land of refuge and fantasy, an escape from law and order. All the Pretty Horses, written by Cormac McCarthy is a literary example wherein the protagonist finds himself in a reality radically different from the Mexico of his dreams, a false promise.

The common perception in the U.S often paints Mexico in general and Baja California in particular as a lawless land wherein only the rule of chaos prevails. In spite of a significant population of Mexican-Americans and Chicano/as  in the U.S., the diverse cultures of Mexico remain in the shadow of collective ignorance. Drug trafficking and illegal immigration cloud the minds, distracting us from the great marvels of Mexico.

Tijuana-San Diego Border

Scores of American youth pour into Tijuana, San Diego’s urban other, to enjoy its lower drinking age and relaxed laws. With American passports held in pockets, they are assured of a safe “return” to order, perhaps only right after answering a simple question: What was the purpose of your visit to Mexico?

The very name, American, carries a self-centered cultural blindness which attempts to co opt  a vast geographical territory that extends well beyond the U.S borders all the way to Argentina.

Our attitudes towards Mexico (and the rest of the Americas for that matter) are only one aspect of a much larger narrative: North American imperialism. Read more »