The Light and Dark Sides of Monterrey....

Did you know that over 20 million Mexicans live on less than $2 a day? Unfortunately, in Monterrey, it's easy to forget that 40% of the population lives under the poverty line when you can shop in designer boutiques like Prada and Gucci and go to expensive upscale clubs.

So in order to fully understand Mexico, it is imperative to understand that Monterrey is not real Mexico. While most Mexicans struggle to pay for repairs on beat up volkswagon bugs, it's normal to see a caravan of Mercedes roll into the campus parking lot before class; the neighbourhood in which the school is located is not only the richest neighbourhood in city, it is also the richest neighbourhood in all of Latin America. Gated communities line the mountainside protected from the outside world by security guards and cement walls. This is where the white people live.

Many foreigners are unaware of the impact of race in Mexico. The bulk of people are a heritage mix of Spanish and Indigenous of some kind (Mayan, Aztec etc.), and as such, there are no specific divisional racial issues in the same way as the blacks and whites in the States. There is, however, a form of shadism that is hugely relevant- the lighter skinned you are, the more likely it is you will be rich and get a good job. This is apparent when noticing the difference between the general population on the street and comparing it to the students who study at Tec or, to a greater extent, at EGADE. There are few, if any, dark brown people there. It's a circular problem... you're much less likely to be given a leg-up if you are dark skinned, and subsequently, it's much harder to get farther in life and improve your well-being. Skin whitening products are sold in drug stores and on bad TV infomercials. Here we are trying to get a tan when so many people are just trying to get respect...