With Love, Laughter, and a Bit of Tears

Even before the goodbyes that will have to be said to all the friends and family that we (CGE students and staff) have created with each other over the last four months, there are many other goodbyes that I’ve had to say. We have made so many memories made since our arrival in Cuernavaca, and so much has happened that made all of us so much stronger than when we had first arrived. On this journey we have made friends, created family, and shared lifelong memories full of laughter and tears.

I arrived to Cuernavaca with no Spanish at all; it was tough navigating my way around without help from other students and staff (who I am really grateful for). But the most memorable one is at Eishel, where I intern and where I have made friends with all the residents there.

Eishel is a senior home for the Jewish community located in Cuernavaca, Mexico. A good thirty minute walk from CGE, or a ten to fifteen minute drive. In Eishel, there are always daily exercises and activities that the residents can participate in and have fun. Some of them choose to sit around outside or somewhere in the Social Room and watch TV or talk the day away about random things.

Cake to celebrate the residents with birthdays in April.

When I first arrived at Eishel, I was really nervous, because my Spanish was only basic. I have a hard time forming sentences and answering or asking questions. But with only my basic Spanish in hand, and facing head on into Eishel, I found myself easily surrounded by many wonderful elderly people who welcomed me with open arms and laughter. I was able to expand on my Spanish a bit as they teach me different words every time I’m there.

“Just listen, and ask question if you don’t understand.” That was the first piece of advice one of the residents gave me, and from then on, I tried really hard to listen. Though I may not speak Spanish well, I catch on to words from listening and from reading, which one of the English teachers at Eishel has helped me to do.

Not only did I find this friendliness inside Eishel, I found it everywhere around me. As long as you make the effort to try, and even though people may laugh and chuckle a bit at you, they will openly correct you and teach you the right way of saying or asking a question.

Celebrating Isreali Independence Day

I have learned a lot more at Eishel than just improving my Spanish.  For example, I learned so much about the Jewish community. I heard many stories from them about friends and family near and far. I learned about their culture and ceremonies they celebrate, and the reason behind why they celebrated. For example, once a year in April, Jewish people come together to light candles in remembrance of the six million Jews who died in the Concentration Camps during the Holocaust; or how Jews consider Israel their homeland and celebrate Israel’s Independence Day as theirs. I thought that this was very interesting, because being Hmong, we do not have a homeland, therefore we don’t have an Independence Day to celebrate, unless it’s the country that we live in.

Candles burning in rememberance of 6 million people who died during the Holocaust.

With so much memories made at Eishel, it will be very hard to leave, to say goodbye without sharing some tears and laughter. Although it was only three months there, it was a really short journey full of friendship filled with lots of laughter, lifelong memories, and happiness that has really impacted my life.

-- Ornida Moua

Stairs, Waterparks, and Spanish with my Mexican Homestay Family

After being in Mexico for three months, CGE students are finally in their one month urban home stays. Students are split up into two neighborhoods: one group of students are within walking distance of Augsburg College CGE’s campus in San Anton and the other group of students are in a neighborhood called Lopez Mateos that is about 15 minutes away. Although we are at our homestays all classes are still held at Casa Cemal and Casa Verde on the week days. Classes are scheduled in the morning so we can have the rest of the day to spend with our host families.

We have been living with our host families for two weeks now and we have another two weeks to go. It’s incredible how many relationships I have built here with my peers and also Mexicans I have met through excursions and guest speakers. But most important is the relationship I’m currently building with my host family. I’m one of the lucky ones that live by the ravine in Lopez Mateos. I will definitely remember walking up the steep hill and pyramids stairs every morning to get to the main street. Although I have to travel further than other students to get to classes and to use the internet (because my house doesn’t have internet), it is worth it.

Lopez Mateos neighborhood stairs

In my host family, I have host parents, a host sister who has a two-year-old daughter, and a host brother who’s married. The first week of living with my host family was adjusting to one another’s schedules and trying to get comfortable living with one another. But by week two, I’m more comfortable with my family and they’re comfortable with me. Even the house dog was getting used to me, she doesn’t bark at me anymore like she used to the first week. We communicate better now and although my Spanish isn’t that great, they’re helping me learn new Spanish words.  I still struggle to pronounce them and even though there are times when I just want to give up, they make sure I know that they won’t give up on me. Sometimes we have some good laughs!

During our first weekend together they invited me to their family hangout. They took me to the water park in Temixco, just south of Cuernavaca. It was a great way to spend family time with my host family and a great way to get to know them a little bit better. I’ve come to realization that every Sunday is my host family’s family time and they tend to do things together as a family. It’s amazing how much I have picked up living with my host family for just two weeks and I’m pretty sure they have learned a lot of things about me too.

Temixco water park

I know I will miss dinner time with my host sister and mother; having Sundays as family day and hearing my host niece greet me every time I walk in the door. I will also miss walking up and down the painful steps and steep hill down the ravine of Lopez Mateos. But I won’t ever forget the relationships I’ve built with many wonderful people in Mexico and especially my host family. I will miss the laughter at the dinner table because of my pronunciation of words and the cross cultural stories we tell one another. Every night at the dinner table is story time and I will miss that. But most of all I will miss how I felt like I was at home with my host family. They welcomed me with open arms and protected me.  They taught me more about the Mexican culture and taught me how to cook Mexican food.  They’ve helped me learn more Spanish words. I can't thank them enough for every experience I've had with them.

-- Jaia Chang

Learning and Living with Mexican Social Workers

A couple of weeks ago we had a great time in Mexico City learning about the Social Work program at UNAM .  The following week we got to host and room with 10 UNAM students here at our home in Cuernavaca.  I think we were all a little nervous about how this would go being that we were responsible for showing students who had lived in Mexico their whole lives around a city that we had been living in for less than three months, not to mention the communication barrier.

It didn’t take long to figure out that there was no need to worry. Most of them had never been to Cuernavaca and they seemed excited to see the downtown area which we have gotten to know pretty well. We also had a lot of fun and some pretty big laughs while trying to communicate with each other. What a perfect way to practice our Spanish and for them English.

Our group talking over tacos.

It turns out that Trabajo Social estudiantes (Social Work students) in Mexico have a lot in common with and a lot of the same interests as Social Work Students from the United States.  One of the main concerns discussed by the Augsburg CGE Social Work students here this semester is immigration.  Undocumented people in the United States are often treated badly by law enforcement officials (among other people) and have a difficult time providing themselves and/or families with basic needs.  One of the most important jobs of a Social Worker is seeing to it that people are not robbed of their basic human rights.  A lot of us were surprised to learn (I think because so many undocumented workers in the states are actually from Mexico) that immigration is a big concern for Social Workers here in Mexico as well.  A large number of undocumented workers from Central America have to travel through Mexico in order to get to the United States.  Often times those immigrants suffer terrible treatment by authorities that are corrupt.  We were able to discuss out mutual recognition for changes in policy and practice when it comes to undocumented immigrants.

Presentation by UNAM student Natali about migration through Mexico and the abuses that migrants suffer at the hands of authorities and organized crime. 

Natali's sketch of train routes that migrants take through Mexico.

There were also some activities planned for us during the week that helped us all get to understand certain social issues from a more personal perspective.  We had a panel of speakers who talked to us about their experiences going through life as a member of the GLBT community.  It was great to have the opportunity to be interactive with the people on the panel.  We learned a lot from them but also heard the personal experiences of some of the students which made for a great way to get a better perspective on the wide diversity of people and experiences within the GLBT community.   I think one of the most important things we recognized during our talk was that you can’t put people “in a box” when it comes to sexuality.  There is such a wide variety of people in the world that it’s impossible to fit everyone into a specific category and we need to stop labeling people or expecting people to label themselves. With sexuality being a difficult topic for a lot of people we were very lucky to hear such personal accounts of other people’s experiences with it.

Panel on sexual diversity

-- Britta Wee

New video from our week with UNAM social work students

Every year CGE's social work students study one week in Mexico City at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and then spend the next week living and learning in Cuernavaca with UNAM  social work students.  The purpose is to learn about Social Work from a Mexican context, discuss our similarities and differences, and form international collegue relationships.

Here is a video for you to get a taste of the week!





-- Ruth Schultz, CGE Mexico volunteer

Social Work in Mexico City

After our week off for Semana Santa (Holy Week), the CGE Social Work students had the opportunity to go to Mexico City for one week to have a an exchange with the UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico or the National Autonomous University of Mexico). During our week we explored the many different things that the UNAM offers its students and its community, including visiting multiple museums, internship sites and cultural sites.

UNAM building with a mosaic representing different eras including the pre-hispanic times, the conquest and the revolution.

Here is a quick and brief history about the UNAM for those of you who this is the first time hearing about it. The UNAM was founded in 1551 as a religious institution called the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico.  The UNAM as it is known today was founded on 22 September 1910 by Justo Sierra as a public university. The UNAM has one of the largest campuses in Latin and America. The Social Work program is the smallest of the disciplines and has over 2,500 students.

UNAM school of Social Work Emblem

During our stay we had the opportunity to go to a museum about the 1968 student massacre. In 1968 around 10,000 students gathered to protest in Tlatelolco Square. The protest was primarily peaceful and done with the aspiration to influence political change in the country. The army surrounded the students and attacked the students. There is no accurate death toll, but between disappearances and actual deaths numbers are said to reach from the hundreds to the thousands.

Social work students at the modern art museum at the UNAM

Another key part of our exchange with the UNAM was to find out similarities between our social work programs. Something that fellow classmates and I found very interesting was the emphasis on Social Workers, being involved with providing access to cultural sites. We got to visit different practicum at both the regional and institutional levels and both groups of students were placed in museums. 

Diego Rivera Art Museum, a practicum for UNAM students.

This planted the question in my mind: if Social Workers in the United States should or do have a footing in providing the community with access to cultural experiences?

-- Brittney Westgard

Independent "Study" during Semana Santa in Mexico City

Learning continues well beyond the walls of a classroom. This continues to become clearer for me as I explore new places and ask questions on my own. During my break for Semana Santa, I had the opportunity to stay in Mexico City. My partner in crime: Diego de Regil, art student, fellow adventurer, best friend, and lover of life. Seven days to encounter a city’s history, art, and delicious food. Each experience was accompanied with a story or explanation that enriched my learning outside the confines of a schedule and books. 

After we filled our stomachs with nearly one dozen tacos de canasta, our first stop was El Palacio Nacional. Before we even crossed the main plaza, a pair of high school students from La Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México (UNAM) stopped and invited us to participate in an interview for their class project. With a camera and microphone in hand, they first interviewed Diego, then me.

Diego's interview

My interview

The entire interview was done in Spanish, so naturally, I was nervous. One of the questions really got me thinking.  Que piensas de la frase “el que no tranza no avanza”? Translation: What do you think of the phrase “he who doesn’t cheat doesn’t get ahead”? I supplied a foreign perspective on México’s reputation of corruption in broken, shaky Spanish. This phrase comes from Mexican film called La Ley de Herodes, a political satire of government corruption.  From what you have learned in class, from listening to speakers, and conversing with Mexican acquaintances, what do you think? Today in Mexico, with the current politics and structure of society, is it possible to get ahead without cheating, or compromising?

In El Palacio Nacional, there was an art exposition by the name of Programa Pago en Especie. A handful of famous artists, from all over the country can participate in the program by giving artwork to the state in place of paying taxes. The pieces were extraordinary and free for the public to enjoy. I thought this was an innovative and creative way to approach fiscal responsibilities to the government.

Information about the program Pago en Especie

Later in the afternoon, after a refreshing stop at Yogurtland for 2-for-1 treats, we made our way to El Palacio de Bellas Artes. Here we met the famous muralists, Diego Rivera, Jorge González Camarena (my new favorite), David Alfaro Siqueiros, Roberto Montenegro, Manual Rodríguez Lozano and Rufino Tamayo. If you thought Rivera was good in Cuernavaca, you should see Man, Controller of the Universe in Bellas Artes! The political messages painted over a massive wall are truly impressive.

Inside of Bellas Artes

México City has so many places to visit that are nearby and easily accessible, all provided the opportunity to learn and grow if you open your eyes wide enough. Although I wasn’t in class, I learned so much on my free days. I would suggest that if you have the time, explore as much as you can in the city. It will not disappoint you! 

-- Brooke Pringle

Education for Kids, Consumers, and Teachers

This week started off great with a visit to the Escuela Particular Normal Superior “Lic. Benito Juarez” in Cuernavaca. This is a university for students who aspire to be teachers in a school setting. The purpose of the visit was to meet with students and exchange educational experiences between the United States and Mexico. We broke into small groups to discuss education systems, a movie we watched called “Waiting for Superman,” as well as our cultural differences. The most impactful experience for me, however, was being part of a panel representing the United States education system and my own educational experiences. I shared with them my experiences in high school and college and the cost of education in the United States. It was wonderful to exchange ideas and answer important questions.

Social work students exchanging experiences with Mexican teaching students.

This week was also the first week of internships for Augsburg Social Work students. CGE Mexico places students at a variety of agencies/organizations based on their interests and where need is present. These agencies focus on women’s reproductive and sexual rights, care for senior citizens, and school for those with cerebral palsy. I am currently interning at Centro Educativo La Buena Tierra, a school that serves a marginalized community in Cuernavaca. I work in the Kindergarten and on a typical day, I help serve the students breakfast, assist teachers in the classroom with lessons, and play with the students, of course. I am truly enjoying my time at this agency and am looking forward to learning more about their relationship to the community.

On Friday of this week we had a talk about fair trade to prepare us for a future talk from the Artesanos Unidos (Artisans Together). According to Fairtrade International, “Fair trade is an alternative approach to conventional trade and is based on a partnership between producers and consumers. Fair trade offers producers a better deal and improved terms of trade. This allows them the opportunity to improve their lives and plan for their future. Fair trade offers consumers a powerful way to reduce poverty through their everyday shopping” (“What is fair trade?” http://www.fairtrade.net/what_is_fairtrade.html). Do you shop fair trade when you have the opportunity? If so, where and why do you choose to purchase products with the fair trade label?

-- Natalie Newberry