Facts and Myths about Mexico

Jake DeLaurier, staff writer

 On Feb. 27, Spanish tutor and academic coach Mónica Barquet  held a presentation titled “Facts and Myths about Mexico and Mexicans.” One of Barquet’s reasons for the presentation was to show a different side of Mexico and Mexicans that people often do not know about.

Barquet began the presentation by telling the audience that she was born in Mexico City, and that she is a certified primary school teacher. She also taught English in Ixtapa, Mexico, and she  moved to the United States in 2011.

One of the first myths Barquet debunked was that Mexicans moved to the southwest of the United States because it was near Mexico.

In reality, in 1848 the border crossed the southwest. Mexicans who were already living there decided to stay in that region. Barquet also talked about the Mayans and how they built astronomic observatories and created the symbol of zero.

Barquet also discussed language during the presentation. For example, while it is true that most people in Mexico speak Spanish, the Mexican government also recognizes 68 other indigenous Mexican languages. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world behind Chinese. According to Barquet, four out of ten Mexicans can speak basic English and it is a mandatory subject in schools.

Mexican cuisine was another topic discussed. An interesting myth about Mexican cuisine involved burritos. Despite being created in Chihuahua, Mexico, the country would not consider burritos as a traditional Mexican dish. Beside burritos, Barquet also talked about Taco Bell. Barquet said that Taco Bell being Mexican food is a myth. “Tacos in Mexico are not made with crispy shells and ingredients like sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce are not part of tacos in Mexico,” said Barquet.

Barquet also addressed the issue of immigration. While some believe that more Mexicans are crossing the United States border more than ever before, Barquet said that this was not the case. Barquet told the audience that more Mexicans are leaving the United States rather than entering and it has been this way ever since 2007.

The last thing Barquet talked about was the Mexican flag. Barquet center represents purity, and the red on the right represents the blood of heroes.

After Barquet ended her presentation, she took questions from the audience. One of the questions involved how taxes work in Mexico. Barquet responded by saying that there are two types of taxes, service and governmental. Service taxes go towards things such as schools and roads, and governmental taxes go towards the government.

Barquet was also asked why she decided to do the presentation in  the first place. Barquet answered by saying, “In these difficult times people have a different view of us and I hope to show a different side of Mexico.”