Tammy L. Calef
West Virginia University College of Law, Rising 3L
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Beauty Found within the Vast Dry Land

Thirteen days ago, a group of twenty-one law students and three professors left the hills of West Virginia for the hills of Guanajuato, Mexico. Now that we are on our way home, I cannot help but reminisce on this study abroad trip. In preparation for this trip, we studied the history of Mexico. Its historical background made me wonder how its people could continue to fight without doubt. Then I realized how all of us throughout our first year of law school has heard, “I don’t know how you do it.” On a minuscule scale, we students have something in common with the people of Mexico. We are both fighting for our dream. The Mexican’s tenacity, perseverance, and pride are admirable.

Once we arrived in Guanajuato, we rode a bus to our hotel. Correction, the bus dropped us off in a tunnel below our hotel. I do not know exactly how far we hauled our luggage uphill; however, I do know that I had to stop twice to relax both my arms and my calves because of the steep cobblestone road. Unfortunately, our journey had not yet ended. There was a maze of stairs to get to the room. It takes me 408 steps downhill to walk from the hotel to the University. This is not a bad walk except that it takes me 408 steps uphill to walk from the University back to the hotel. The first few days were rough. How do these people live this way? My calves killed me, but I only had to endure the hills for two weeks. The people of Guanajuato have to endure these hills for life.

After a surprisingly good night sleep, our first full day in Mexico started with our daily 9:00 a. m. meeting. At that meeting I was designated the first aid person. The following days consisted of a noon lecture followed by a late afternoon seminar. The lectures informed us on various issues, such as the war on drugs, Constitutional Amendments, racism in Mexico, immigration, and insider trading. All of which are detailed on the previous entries on this blog site. During our seminar discussions, our diverse groups debated different laws compared to the United States’ laws. These open forum seminars stimulated the students into in-depth discussions. Our first seminar reflected on Mexico’s six-year term for President and the three-year term for its legislators. The question remains whether the no re-election policy is good or bad. My answer would be the generic law school answer of “it depends” because a person may come into office wanting to make history by compelling change for the benefit of all, while others may come into office to induce change for selfish or corrupt reasons.

By the fourth day in Mexico, my first aid responsibilities were tested with three students ill and one injured. Were the sicknesses water related? We shall never know. Between street food and too much la cerveza, who can really say it was the water. Overall, most of us had no stomach problems throughout our visit.

Taking advantage of my time in Guanajuato, I visited as many museums and landmarks as possible. Most of these travels were by foot, which has helped shape my calves (another benefit of visiting Guanajuato). Guanajuato has something for everyone. For example, if you love horror or science fiction movies, the Mummy Museum is for you, however, it is not for the faint of heart. For the art lover, there is the Diego Rivera Museum and the Iconographic Museum of Don Quixote. From the statue of El Pipila, any amateur photographer will feel like a professional because of its picturesque and breathtaking view of Guanajuato. The view is even better at night! Additionally, Guanajuato has the ballet, the symphony, and the nightly festival parades to engage any tourist. My one regret was not making it to the statue of Cristo Rey, which is a huge statue of Jesus on top of cerro del Cubilete, a 3,000 foot mountain.

View from el Pipila	Evening View from el Pipila

The pyramids are a story of their own. Ever since I heard about the pyramids, I had anticipated the trip with excitement. Once at the pyramids, I found my excitement turn to disappointment. The hours dragged on for what felt like days. It was hot and miserable. Trying to cool off in the shade of the thin cacti did not help. Fortunately, I had my umbrella to create my own shade. It did not take long for other students to join me under my umbrella. As we were leaving the pyramid site, I discovered a single purple flower in the midst of the brown grass. To me, this was God’s way of saying, even in the vast dry land, if you look close enough, you will find the beauty. Go ahead and call me philosophical because the picture of this flower was enough for me to appreciate the day.

Finding Shade Under a Cactus	Beauty found in the vast Dry Lands of the Pyramids

Overall, Mexico took me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to grow as a person. My first foreign language class was for this trip and I successfully stammered my way through ordering food without fearing what I just ordered. Granted, I did not always like what I ordered, but I knew where the American owned restaurants were in case I was hungry later.

Before this trip, I never gave much thought to Mexico. It is sad to say, but Mexico was just a place below the United States. Now, I see a historic culture that has fought so hard to survive, a country that is slowly evolving. Guanajuato is a beautiful, clean city. The people take pride in what is here. You have to admire the people who live in cramped quarters and walk up and down these hills daily. The same people who hold their children’s hands and appreciate their elders.

I will cherish my memories of Mexico for a lifetime. Even though I would love to take my family to Guanajuato, I could never replicate my study abroad experience because of the people who shared this trip. I thank each of you who freely gave your time in Guanajuato and allowed our relationship to grow beyond the College of Law.

Steven Broadwater
West Virginia University College of Law, 2L
Mining – West Virginia and Guanajuato

While in Guanajuato, we were able to participate in a tour of the city. The tour highlighted two churches and even took us through a typical home in the area that was being renovated. Most interesting to me, however, was the city’s history as a mining town. The city began as a silver and gold mining town hundred’s of years ago and mines still remain in the area to this day.

Apparently, the city actually has been completely flooded over four times starting early in the 1700’s. A river still runs underneath the city. This river was the channel for the floods, but the floods were so devastating because of mining practices. See, the floods were not just water that washed away the town; no, the floods were thick sediment that settled in the town, buried everything, and Guanajuato was simply built on top of. At many mining operations, including those in WV, water is mixed with mined ore that isn’t purely the mineral being sought. Somehow the gold or silver (or coal in WV) can then more easily be separated from the other dirt and rock. This process leaves thick mud or slurry that is no longer clean water and is often stored as waste behind a dam built of dirt and rock previously removed from the site before the minerals were reached.

These slurry dams remain in WV, and were the cause of major loss of life as recently as 1972 with the Buffalo Creek Mine Disaster. There was a mining operation along buffalo creek and three separate dams had been built in succession upriver to store the coal slurry. On February 36, 1972, after days of nearly continuous rainfall, the highest dam collapsed, obliterating the two dams downriver. According to the WV Division of Culture and History, 125 people were dead, 1,100 injured, and over 4,000 were left homeless in a matter of minutes.

This seems to be very similar to the floods that have buried various parts of Guanajuato at least four times since the early 1700s. In such an arid and dry climate, since there wouldn’t be enough water to flush out all the rock and mud after an initial flood, parts of the city were left buried under a thick, concrete-like substance that was simply built over top of. I was moved, sadly, by the realization that a mining problem that surely killed so many people hundreds of years ago in Guanajuato was a problem that still resulted in death and destruction as recently as 1972 in my home state, in the United States, were we pride ourselves in being one of the best, most developed and smartest countries in the world. It appears to me that the mining disasters in Guanajuato compared with the Buffalo Creek disaster are a clear reiteration that mankind must learn from history, or we are doomed to repeat our mistakes.

Aziz Yousuf
West Virginia University College of Law, Rising 3L
Friday, May 30, 2008
A Final Reflection on Mexico

Sitting in the airport I look around me trying to absorb the last images, sounds, and smells of Mexico before I board my flight home. As I look around I find myself gazing off into the distance, through the large glass panes of the Airport terminal and off into the dry Mexican landscape. Hypnotized by the distant dusty horizon I begin to reflect on my amazing journey through Guanajuato Mexico. Though only a short two weeks it seems that I have spent months in these beautiful mountains, and yet at the same time I have an oddly conflicting feeling that time has gone by entirely too fast. Some would say that its possibly due to the way time seems to simply slow down and cease to matter here within the embrace of the warm and sunny Mexican days and festive atmosphere, as well as due to my own desire to extend my time here to further expand upon the things I have learned and experienced during the trip.

It was only during the final days of this journey that I feel I was able to fully experience the heart and soul of Guanajuato as I bonded with its citizens and my fellow students at the University of Guanajuato. Up until the last few days I had been so engrossed with the various sights, amazing foods, and class room discussions that I had nearly neglected getting to know the various Mexican law students. Fortunately, they were kind enough to reach out to me and a group of them invited me to their home for one of the many end of the school term celebrations being held through out the city. It was here during this celebration that I had my most thought provoking and inspiring conversations with one of the Mexican students. This was a conversation that brought to mind many of the issues that we had discussed through out our two week stay.

The conversation began with a general friendly chat and laughter that eventually took on a slightly different tone as my Mexican colleague asked me the hardest question I could have possibly been asked. In a timid and shy voice apologizing profusely for any offense, my new friend asked me, “Why do American’s hate us?” It was as if the large elephant in the middle of the room that we had all been tip toeing around had finally been brought to center attention and I wasn’t sure where to begin. I attempted to explain that not all Americans hold negative views towards the Mexican people and that it differed from individual to individual. We discussed how while attempting to visit family he had been insulted and denied entrance into the US several times, and treated as an illegal simply because he was Mexican even though his father was a wealthy mayor. Yet even with all these negative experiences he remained optimistic about the chances for change in the future in both the way Mexicans are treated and viewed within the US. It made me feel good to know that he had drawn such comfort and optimism just from my simple statements that not all Americans held Mexicans in contempt.

Following this we moved on to another amazing discussion regarding Mexico’s class divide and the unattained goals of social justice that was voiced on their constitution since its creation. Up until this point I had viewed the class divide and lack of clear social justice as long term problems in the Mexico that would not see any solution until long and far into the future. Yet again during this same night I was introduced to a number of students many of a wealthy and privileged back ground that were shunning their aristocratic lifestyles, they were studying simply to dedicate their lives to helping the less fortunate. This knowledge left me hope that maybe social change in Mexico would happen much more quickly and that true social and economical equality and justice are not that far away. I was left feeling a great deal of optimism and wishing that I had the opportunity to learn more and expand further on the previous discussion points with other Mexicans. For now I must settle for the knowledge that I have gained and wonderful experiences and beautiful sights and foods of Mexico that I take with me from this wonderful trip, and I look forward to one day returning.

Daniel Funk
West Virginia University College of Law, Rising 2L
29 May 2008
“Send Lawyers, Guns, and Money.”

To see a video of the street performers click here

Both a catchy lyric, from the 1980s, and the American stance in the War on Drugs.

Our last two days in Guanajuato are primarily free time, with only the noon-1:30 lecture as a mandatory activity. This free time at the end of the trip allows a personal exploration of the city and fosters individual adventures that heighten the collective experience. A few of us set out to spend the morning touring the Theatro Juarez and the Diego Rivera Museum, attended Professor Scully’s lecture on the War on Drugs, and finished the day finding local spots of interest indicated on a hand-drawn map provided by one of the group?s local contacts.

The rich history of Guanajauto provides limitless points of interest, from the construction and dedication of the Jaurez Theatre, to the Local Legends and History Museum, to the city’s many historic discotheques and lounges. The city has more than enough to keep the interest of a diverse group, and never fails to surprise and excite the adventurous student who seeks to experience as much of the culture as possible.

Today’s lecture provided a discussion of the United States’s position in the War on Drugs and of the inherent shortcomings of any program seeking to fight drug trafficking on the Supply Side. The class discussion brought to light the idea that as long as there is a demand for drugs (for instance the $300 billion annual drug market in the United States) the market will be willing to meet demand. The proposed solutions then, focus primarily on eliminating demand for illegal drugs.

The first proposed solution seeks to reduce the demand for illegal drugs by providing increased funding for rehabilitation and drug counseling programs. Equal funding in these programs is statistically 10x more effective than drug interdiction programs, 15x more effective than domestic law enforcement, and 23x more effective than trying to eradicate cocaine at its source.
The second solution seeks to reduce the market for illegal drugs by increasing the cost of production. Many Mexican drug laborers and cartel “soldiers” are drawn to the wages and benefits of working for a drug cartel, If the billions of dollars spent annually trying to combat cartels were instead used to subsidize agriculture and industry, the competitive wage would rise, reducing the demand, and thus, the profitability of the drug trade.

The third option the class discussed was the decriminalization of drugs. Decriminalizing, or even legalizing, the drug market could bring the market “above ground.” This change would allow for legal regulation of the drug trade in a way that would provide consumers with a safer drug that would then reduce the demand for the “illegal” drugs presently grown, smuggled and distributed through violence and coercion.
Any of these solutions could be undertaken at a fraction of the cost that is now being expended in perpetuating the cartel conflict system. The primary stumbling block is that those few who have advocated these positions have been labeled as “pro drug” or “soft on crime” and have found their political and professional careers to pay the forfeit.

That a group of future JDs is able to get behind these solutions in open forum is an empowering thought. Maybe the old ways are ripe for change; maybe this is just another step in that direction. In any event, this trip has provided any number of opportunities for us to challenge ourselves academically, culturally, and personally. I am sorry to see our trip coming to a close, but have been revitalized as to the role of attorneys in the United States and in the world at large and am eager to take this second wind into my summer internship and back to my peers in the fall.

Geoff Varney
West Virginia University College of Law, 2L
Thursday, May 29, 2008
War On Drugs

Today our lecture topic was the war on drugs in Mexico and the United States. The U.S. government gives billions of dollars to Mexico to try to stop the drug cartels before the drugs can make it across the border into the United States. The money being spent is having little to no impact on drug use. The U.S. needs to focus more on the demand for drugs as opposed to the supply aspect. If the U.S. put more money into rehabilitation programs the demand for drugs would go down. If the demand goes down then the drug trade in Mexico would not be as lucrative and the violence would decrease.

The United States is a very proud country. Some would classify the United States as an egotistical country as well and would not be very far off. Despite the numerous statistics showing that the War on Drugs is not effective, the United States government will not even consider the fact that another alternative may prove more successful in combating drug use. The U.S. government releases statistics to show that the War on Drugs is a success, but the majority of drug arrests and incarcerations are for simple possession of marijuana. The drug dealers are rarely caught, and the more harmful drugs are still rampant.

The U.S. also dictates to Mexico how to fight the War on Drugs in a quasi-imperialistic manner. The U.S. should consider using the billions of dollars spent to fight simple possession of marijuana and the money given to Mexico to fight drugs to start government funded treatment programs to help addicts in the United States. Only when the demand for drugs is eliminated will the violence and addiction end. Criminalization obviously is not working to eliminate drug use, so perhaps education and treatment programs should be adopted. The U.S. and Mexico would both benefit from such a system.

Kwame Samuda
West Virginia University College of Law, Rising 2L
5/28/08
Race and Equality in Mexico

Yesterday’s seminar touched on race in Mexico. We discussed the perceived social status of different ethnic groups and compared the understanding of race in Mexico to the issues of race in the US. What I did not expect to learn was a brief but practical perception of race from Mexican students. In a somewhat difficult to understand exchange of broken Spanish and broken English, I learned that many of the Mexican students have never seen people of African descent in person, but they embraced our differences.

Since the beginning of this Study Abroad experience in Guanajuato, I have felt the stares of men, women, and children. Even little babies look at me in some sort of amazement. Collectively, they glare with an innocent curiosity, seeing something that many of them have never seen before in person. They are able to see a man of African descent. These stares may lack understanding, but I am not convinced that they obtain the hatred that some of our readings suggest, nor am I convinced that they obtain the unwarranted hatred that is extended by many Americans who obtain hearts filled with prejudice.

Today’s trip further confirms my conviction. Today we went to the cities of Dolores Hildago and San Miguel to shop, dine, and to take in the culture of the towns. Upon our arrival to Dolores Hildago, a group of us really needed to use the restroom and saw what appeared to be a storefront. To our surprise, we actually walked into someone’s house and instead of being thrown out; we were greeted by the words “Mi Casa es su Casa”, and were allowed to use their facilities. While, I do not suggest that deep racial divisions do not exist in Mexico, I can say that my experiences have felt more affable than some I have experienced in my own country of origin. We ended the day by dining as a large group along with students from the University of Guanajuato.

Sam Jariedi
West Virginia University College of Law, Rising 2L
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Delores Hidalgo and San Miguel

Today we took a field trip to the cities of Delores Hidalgo and San Miguel. It gave us a chance to experience two more beautiful Mexican cities. Delores Hidalgo is where Father Miguel Hidalgo called for the independence of Mexico from Spain. Today, Delores Hidalgo is a lively city full of Mexican men with cowboy hats and mustaches, driving trucks varying from Mexican-made GMC Silaos to Ford F150’s from the Nixon administration. It was a great example of how a fusion of Mexican and American culture looks like.

On the second leg of our day trip, we visited San Miguel. After World War II, United States GIs discovered that their education grants extended to the art schools of San Miguel. American ex-servicemen first arrived in 1946 to study art and by the end of 1947, Life magazine published a three-page spread that appeared in the January 5, 1948. The headline read, “GI Paradise: Veterans go to Mexico to study art, live cheaply and have a good time.” As a result, the city is full of older Americans who have moved to San Miguel to make their retirements go further. While having a drink at a restaurant, I almost felt as though I was back in the United States because the menu was in English and the waiter spoke fluent English as well.

Visiting these cities was eye-opening because they eroded many of the misconceptions I had when I would think of Mexico. Perhaps one day, I, myself, will join the thousands of American ex-pats who have found their niche in Mexican society.

Crystal Harper
West Virginia University College of Law, Rising 2L
May 27, 2008
Supreme Court of Guanajuato

Awaken by the tolling of the church bells every fifteen minutes and an anonymous Mexican chanting inaudible Spanish words, day nine in Guanjuanto seemed to be the usual routine. But, by the end of the day, Dia Nueve en Guanajuato- maravilloso, interesante y diversitil.

Today we visited the Supreme Court for the state of Guanajuanto, followed by two stimulating and thought- provoking lectures: one was on the federal court system in Mexico, the other was on the United Nations Security Council Reform and reasons why Mexico has every right to become a permanent member of the Council.

At 900am the entire group and professors met at the steps of the University of Guanajuanto. We walked through the narrow yet busy streets of Guanajuanto and its underground tunnels to eventually emerge on the opposite side of the Guanajuato state Supreme Court.

At the Supreme Court, we briefly met with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Guanajuato. Many of us, especially the females of our group expressed their delight to see a female in such a prestigious and authoritative position. The Chief Justice warmly welcomed us to her great city and expressed her gratitude and honour to have us here to participate in this comparative law program.

Later that morning, her secretary, Alicia, was kind enough to give us a panoramic view of the structure and introduction into the functions of the Guananjuato Supreme Court system. Interestingly enough, the Supreme Court of Guanjuato is very similar to the
State Supreme Court in West Virginia. For example, in West Virginia, where there are many trial courts and one supreme court in the state, the state judicial system of Guanajuato is the same. Another similarity is that the trial courts in Guanjuanto like those in West Virginia have subject matter jurisdiction over a wide array of matters: civil, criminal, constitutional and commercial just to name a few. A third similarity is that both Supreme Court in West Virginia and Guanjuato have a judicial code of ethics which the justices must strictly obey. Violation of these rules will result in sanctions. Depending on the seriousness of the misconduct, discipline can be lenient such as a few day suspensions to more severe, dismissal from the bench.

However, there was one distinct difference between the state supreme court of Guanjuanto and that of West Virginia. Typically, cases on appeal in West Virginia take years before they are heard in the West Virginia Supreme Court. Here, in Guanjuato, that is not the case. In Guanjuato, cases on appeal are heard in less than 2 months. Alicia explained that the justices believe in an efficient legal system and that is why they ensure cases brought on appeal are heard in a timely manner.

Next, we returned to our Guanajuato lecture hall and listened to a discussion by federal judge Jose de Ortega de Peņa. Unlike the state court system which is very similar to the court system in West Virginia, the federal court system is somewhat different. Judge Ortega briefly explained that the federal judicial system is divided into five different circuit courts: criminal court, 2 civil cases courts, 2 labour and public administration courts. Each justice on the court has five clerks on the federal level. He further explained that it is information and access to the law that allow cases to be filed by the litigants and heard in a timely manner.

Global Diversity- UN Security Council Reform to include Mexico.

In the afternoon, Professor Friedberg gave a lecture on the United Nations Security Council Reform. Born in Trinidad, and currently studying in the United States as an international student, this topic is of great interest to me.

First, Professor Friedberg began his lecture by giving a brief introduction into the purpose of the Security Council. Then, he discussed suggested proposals for the UN Security Council Reform and ended the lecture with reasons why Mexico has every right to be a member of the new Security Council.

As Professor Friedberg explained, the primary responsibility of the United Nations Security Council is to maintain international peace and security. Additionally, this organ of the United Nations was designed to enable the world to act decisively to prevent and remove threats. The council is currently composed of five veto- wielding permanent members (P5)- the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China- and another 10 temporary members selected from regional groupings to serve a two-year term. Professor Friedberg further explained that Article 23 of the United Nations established that this organ as a whole was explicitly linked not just to geographical balance but also to contributions maintaining peace and security.

Next, Professor Friedberg suggested that while there is general disagreement at the UN for the need to reform the council, the security council has been slow to change. Nonetheless, over the years, various proposals for reform in the form of Model A and B have been suggested. These models represent the four major regional areas, namely Africa, Asia and Pacific, Europe and Americas.

Over time, Model B seems to be the more feasible one of two proposed models. Model B provides for no new permanent seats but creates a new category of eight four year renewable-term seats and one new to year non permanent (and non-renewable) seat. Professor Friedberg further explained that neither model involves an expansion of the veto or Charter modification of the Security Council existing powers because in an increasingly democratic era such as ours, its use should be limited to matters where vital interests are genuinely at stake.

So given everything we learned thus far, Professor Friedberg asked the group why should Mexico have a right to UN Security Council permanent membership. First, Mexico is larger than its old metropolis, Spain, and is therefore the country to best represent the Hispanophone world. Second, Spanish is the second most spoken language of the West, after English and Mexico is the most populated Spanish speaking country. A third and final reason is that Mexico is becoming highly literate, has developed a bicameral democratic political system, and therefore has the devotion to modern societies’ democratic rules.

My perspective on the UN Security Council as an international person is a simple one- the reform of the UN Security Council is long overdue- it is about time we had a more representative UN Security Council- one that reflects today?s world and addresses the aspirations of humanity, democracy, freedom, justice, and respect for human rights.

Wendy Lewis
West Virginia University College of Law, Rising 2L
Monday, May 26, 2008
Mexican Politics

University of Guanajuato Professor Fernando Patron gave an informative lecture on the Evolution of the Political Regime in Mexico. He explained to us that during 1997-2007, there was a Democratic Transition Regime in Mexico. This moved the country to a more democratic society where there was more division of power between the three branches and a competitive political party system. Today, there are three strong political parties in Mexico, PRD, PAN, and PRI, competing for political seats. This transition period helped balance the political power amongst these three groups and reduced the control of politics that was held by the PRI for 71 years. Professor Patron explained that during 1929-1997, the balance of power between the three branches was vertical. Most of the power was held by the Executive Branch. Today, the distribution of power has shifted more to the other two branches, which resulted in a horizontal framework with all three branches holding equal power.

Professor Patron did a great job comparing the political system in Mexico to the one in the United States of America. He explained that in Mexico the president of the National Political Party is a very important figure. Whereas in the United States, the president of the National Party does not have a lot of influence and is not well-known amongst the citizens. Another difference is that the Mexican Political System is set-up to ensure that every party has a representative in the Senate. Unfortunately, in the United States if two Republican Senators win a state, the Republican Party will be the only party representing that state in the Senate. If the United States system was similar to Mexico then there would be two Republican Senators and one Democrat Senator representing the state. The Mexican system does a great job to include every party to ensure that everyone has a voice in the Senate. This ensures that the concerns of the democrat citizens of that state are represented in the Senate.

Professor Patron highlighted some similarities between Mexican and American citizens’ sentiments toward their government. Like Americans, most Mexicans feel that their country is not very democratic and distrust political parties and a National Congress. As a result, a little over half of eligible Mexican voters actually vote in the national election. Similar to America, in that only half of eligible American voters actually vote in the national election. There are many things that can explain this lack of interest. I believe a lot of it has to do with citizens’ distrust of the government and a lot of citizens believe the wealthy and the powerful benefit more from democracy.

I enjoyed Professor Patron’s lecture and his teaching style, because it was easy to follow and understand. I liked how Professor Patron incorporated a power-point slide into his lecture. This helped keep the lecture focused on the main topic and made note-taking and comprehending the lecture easier. Also, he welcomed questions during his lecture, which allowed for interaction and discussion between the professor and student. I hope to see more of his teaching style in law school. I believe the Socratic Method paired with a well-organized outline of the lecture on power-point will be a more sufficient way to help students learn and understand the law.

Sheneika Falloon
West Virginia University Masters of Science in Industrial Relations
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Culture and Literature

Studying about Hispanic culture and literature has left a great impression upon me and helped me to feel confident about my travels to the city of Guanajuato. What my studies did not prepare me for was the overwhelming feelings I experienced when I saw and experienced the things I have previously learned about. Two particular experiences I was extremely excited about was our visit to the town of Valencia and to the Diego Rivera museum.

In order to visit Valencia we had to take a local bus which to my surprise only cost four pesos, which is roughly the equivalent to forty US cents. Upon our arrival we could not stop but notice a beautiful and impressive building which is El Templo de San Cayetano de Valencia. This church reflected the importance of the Catholic Church in Mexican culture and history. Like many of the other Catholic churches within this city it was built during the colonial reign of the Spaniards and was the center of the town. What was most impressive about the structure was the architectural details both outside and inside. Upon entering the church you immediately notice a beautiful and unique altar made of gold which extends from the floor to the ceiling. To my surprise there were not only one but three altars in total that shared these same characteristics. These altars were adorned with figures of the Virgin Mary and many other saints. The church was not only decorated with figures of saints but also with several large paintings that depicted the life of Jesus. While looking at these paintings I noticed that they where all painted during the late 19th century by the same individual. These paintings were very simple and contrasted the elaborate decorations and structures.

The church of Valencia was mainly constructed because of the mines. Mining was and still is a contributing aspect to Mexico’s economy. While in Valencia we were able to visit a mine which reflects the exploitation of the natives, the use of religion to enslave the natives, and the economic wealth Mexico once had. The silver and gold mines are a reflection of the exploitation of the natives because they were forced to work in the mines beginning at the age of 15 and decreased their life expectancy to 25 years old. Along with their shortened life expectancy rate, they were only paid 50 pesos ($5) a day. After questioning why the workers did not revolt because of their poor conditions, Victor, our guide, explained that religion played an important role as to why they continued to work. Since the Spaniards were strong advocates for the conversion of the natives to Catholicism, the natives became very religious and thought that revolting would not be pleasing in the eyes of God.

Another important aspect of Mexican history and culture is art. One of Mexico’s most affluent and well known artist is Diego Rivera. He was born in the city of Guanajuato, which today is the home of the Diego Rivera Museum. This museum is actually the house in which he was raised as a child and houses a lot of his art work along with art work of other contemporary artists. Rivera’s paintings are known for his portrayal of the Mexican culture and identity. This experience seemed surreal because I never imaged that I would be able to see the actually paintings that Rivera himself imaged and developed into masterpieces.