Ornelas1 Miguel Ornelas Mrs.

Davis Composition I- 9:30 MWF 15 November 2013 Mexico If I was given the opportunity to study aboard in another country I would take the opportunity. I like to experience new lifestyles. Every time I would visit Mexico as a child, I would always cry and beg my parents to stay longer. Why would I do that? I enjoy experiencing different cultures. Some reasons why I like visiting other countries are because of their culture, traditions, their norms, historical monuments, and geographic regions; however, I dont like visiting countries that are at war of any type like Mexico. My familys heritage is from Mexico; although there are pros and cons in visiting Mexico due to its drug violence occurring over there, I would visit the country. To begin with, one of the reasons why I would visit Mexico is because of its culture and traditions. What makes Mexico different from some countries culture is that it doesnt have an official language. Throughout Mexico there are various numbers of languages other than Spanish. Usually the other languages are Mayan, Aztec, and Nahuatl. As I analyzed the values of citizen every time I visited the country, Mexican families are typically large in size and usually host parties on a weekly bases. They tend to invite every family member and friend they know; they make visitors feel like theyre at home. The gregarious host likes to see others having a good time while enjoying the food too. Their tradition of greeting with a man to man is a handshake; furthermore, with a woman it is with a kiss in the cheek. Family traditions of Mexicans consist of the husband being the one in charge of making the decisions and head of the

Ornelas2 house. Females are usually second in authority, and their obligation is to manage the house cleaning and also has to babysit their own children. Although I have experienced these traditions, I enjoy seeing and analyzing the social structure of other heritages. Next, experiencing other countries norms makes me get out of my convert zone, which I enjoy doing. For example, as I mentioned earlier, one of the major norms of Mexicans is their greeting. They usually criticize people greeting if its improper; they take that offensively and judge the person as them being disrespectful; however, proper greeting with a man to man is with a handshake, and when its a man to woman or woman to woman greeting, a kiss is giving in the cheek. Another example, the esprit de corps of many Mexicans is their devotion to the church. Almost all of the Mexicans believe in Catholicism. The Catholic Church is part of every citizens life. Of every time I have traveled to Mexico, my parents family goes to church every weekend and prays for their loved ones well-being; they pray before eating, cousins praying before starting a soccer game, and traveling a far distance like from country to country. Citizens loved ones who travel, for example, to the United States are prayed by their parents and every adult in the family before journeying. They would wet the persons vehicle from the exterior to the interior with holy water to insure them a safe return. Every time I would come back to the United States, my grandmother would pray for my father, mother, and brother individually for five to ten minutes. Affluent Mexican people take the roles of the society. The person who is highest ranked in the society is usually the leader. The people who are affluent economically and culturally affect Mexicos society and their lifestyle. Additionally, what makes me want to travel to a country are their historical monuments. In Mexico, one of the places I enjoy visiting is the historical house of the Fathers of Independence. Hearing the story of how they rebelled and want to make Mexico a more republic

Ornelas3 nation grabbed my attention. Miguel Hidalgo, leader who the rebellion, before he was killed at the balcony of a church he made a cry for independence which inspired more people to rebel by saying Viva Mexico. In that same city many native people make beautiful art pieces of pottery for a living. One of the historical sites I would like to visit Chichen Itza near the Yucatan Peninsula. Chichen Itza is a historical pyramid that dates about 500 AD. Its features and landscapes catch my attention every time I watch the history channel about historical monuments. Seeing these monuments in person makes one feel they were their; however, I would not like to be there at that time in history. At the age of fourteen, I visited a historical museum that had mummified human bodies that were preserved with clothing rapped around their body. This site was in the city of Guanajuato, almost 3 hours north of Mexico City. These mummified bodies were once in a cemetery in that same city. Relatives had to and still to this day pay fees to keep their loved ones buried; if the family was unable to pay the fee, the body was thrown out and replaced with another dead persons body. The mummies preserved at the museum were taken out of their graves during the late nineteenth century. Many tourists come to visit these historical sites because of its attractions. These attractions are why I would like to visit Mexico; other travel of vocational attractions like the beach and hotels. Also, an attraction I have on Mexico is its geographic regional sites. Mexico is bordered on the north by the United States, and in the south it is bordered by Belize and Guatemala. Its location makes this region have a combination of deserts and rain forests; its weather is very enjoyable and attracts many tourists to come visit. The northern part of Mexico, which is covered with mountains and deserts, attracts many hikers. It is an area of stunning natural beauty, and the Mexican government has done great work with nature preserves and keeping large tracts unspoiled for hikers, rock climbers and campers (All About Mexico). Furthermore, in the south

Ornelas4 the rain forest attracts many tourists who like to be with nature. Many indigenous Indians still preserve their natural habitat in the forest. On the other hand, the cons on traveling to Mexico are the drug violence on the border and large cities. Many relatives who come to Mexico sometimes end up getting robbed or having to be front of a cartel shoot out. Two months ago my uncle was traveling with his son to visit their relative for two weeks. After they had crossed the border, a group of cartel men had pulled up in front of them, and they asked my uncle to pay them one thousand-five hundred US dollars. The cartel men said to my uncle if he didnt pay them he wouldnt have the chance to visit his loved ones. Stories like this make many people not to come and visit their native country. The police department in Mexico also plays a major role for not traveling. Mostly all of the police officers are corrupted. Instead of helping and protecting the community, they stop random citizens and ask them for money or they will be fined. Some of the officers are involved in the cartel. Police officers are no longer the ones in charge. Mexicos army has now taken the place of the police department. Everywhere the army cruises around; they point their assault rifles at every individual car making the car owner feel threatened. In conclusion, although there are pros in visiting Mexico like their different languages, family structures, different norms, and the historical pyramids in the Yucatan Peninsula, I would not visit Mexico because of the drug violence and the corruption of the police officers. Hundreds of people are killed trying to visit their family members. Some do succeed; others do not. I have seen and experience the fear of other families when they are pulled over by cartel members. On the other hand, I do enjoy visiting my family in Mexico, but as the years progress, more government officials and army soldiers are becoming corrupt.

Ornelas5 Works Cited "All about Mexico." www.allaboutmexico.com. N.p.. Web. 11 Nov 2013. <www.allaboutmexico.com>.