An old Mexican proverb says, "Don't be afraid of the chile pepper, even though it's so red." Indeed, Mexican culture is intimidating to many North Americans, and for good reason.

For two countries that share a border, the cultural differences are enormous. However, just as many Mexicans have made the U.S. their home and have adjusted to U.S. culture, many North Americans also reside and successfully adjust in Mexico.

Some retire in Mexico and spend their last days enjoying excellent weather and food. Others are sent to Mexico for their jobs, often for multi-national companies. Many others are married to Mexicans, or have spouses with jobs in Mexico.

When deciding whether or not to move to Mexico, it is important to assess the cultural differences and try it out for some time before making any permanent decisions, such as purchasing a home which may be hard to sell later.

The Mexican real estate market is down due to the economic crisis in that country. It's a buyers market, has been for years, and doesn't look like things are going o change in the near future.

Foreigners are often enticed into buying a house in Mexico because the price is so much lower than a comparable house in the U.S. Besides the importance of carefully researching the title and other legal aspects regarding the property, and the salability of the property, taking into account the local market, cultural aspects need to be considered as well. If the house is for primary or secondary residence more than an investment, deciding whether or not you are really prepared to live in another culture, even for part of the year, is part of the decision.

Whatever the reasons for the move may be, the cultural adjustment necessary for North Americans planning to spend some time in Mexico, whether it be two weeks or two years, can be held by understanding certain factors that mold the local mindset and determine attitudes.

CETLALIC, a school in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico that specializes in teaching Spanish to foreigners, gives its newly arrived students an information packet with tips for understanding Mexican culture, such as the following:

• Mexicans are renowned for their hospitality. They say "mi casa es su casa" or "my house is your house" and really mean it! A guest visiting a Mexican home is treated royally and is expected to accept this treatment graciously.
• The welfare of the group is more important than that of the individual. This is true throughout society and affects decisions made at all levels.
• Age and authority are respected with the use of titles and the formal "Usted" maintaining the required distance.
• Mexicans are outwardly open, demonstrative and fun-loving; their introspective nature is revealed only to trusted friends and relatives.
• Mexicans live in the present; "mañana", or tomorrow, after all, may never arrive.
• There is more touching and shorter physical distance in interactions.
• The "morida" or bribe is generally accepted as a tip requested by underpaid public officials.
• Traditions change slowly in isolated villages but, in cities and towns, cable television transmits the values of consumerism and K-Mart opens its doors.
• Time is "polychronic", that is, many things happen at once. Interruptions and delays are common.
• Being direct is not a virtue here and the language reflects this. Mexican Spanish includes lots of diminutives, hand gestures and required formalities.
• Time must be spent in the exchange of pleasantries and personal conversation before "getting down to business."
• Work should not feel like "work." The trick is to get things done while enjoying one's surroundings and the company of fellow workers.
• The extended family forms the basis of society and family responsibility often comes before all others. Sex roles are rigid: women stay home to bear and raise the children while men go out to earn a living. (Things are changing, though, as economic necessity forces women into the job market.) There is much more emphasis on being "parents" than relating well as "husband and wife."
• "Machismo" or "the cult of manliness," is concerned with sex but also with authority. Mexican society is authoritarian and hierarchical and "machismo" asserts itself naturally in the family, religious institutions, education, politics and business.

These are some basic cultural differences that are important for individuals and businesses to take into account when in Mexico. Of course, attitudes and customs vary greatly in different parts of Mexico, especially between rural and urban areas.

Culture has been defined as "software of the mind." Culture shock is a known phenomena that occurs when one is beginning to adjust to a new culture. One of the largest international cultural exchange organizations in the U.S. uses "a sense of humor" and "the ability to fail" as principal selection criteria for the thousands of people they choose for international exchanges.

I have been living in Mexico off and on for the last fourteen years. I actually enjoy learning languages, so learning Spanish wasn't a barrier for me like it is for many. It was my goal, my hobby. I've chosen to make Mexico my home, and when things start to drive me crazy here, I go back to the U.S. for a visit and remember that things drive me crazy there too, just different things. I'm so used to people staring at me all the time here, for being tall and blonde, that I'm surprised when nobody stares at me in the U.S. I wonder if I've become invisible.

I would recommend that newcomers to Mexico start by renting a house or apartment. Rentals are much cheaper than in the U.S. You can get a spacious house in Cuernavaca (which is a one hour drive south of Mexico City) with a swimming pool, gardener and neighborhood security for $500. Of course, Cuernavaca is one of the more expensive cities in Mexico, except for the coastal towns, which tend to be more expensive. After a year or two, you can decide whether to buy a house or not.

Published: May 31, 1999

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