Week One: The History of Mexico

By: Stephanie Jackson

CGE students at Diego Rivera's mural on Mexican history

The Virgin of Guadalupe. La conquista. Emiliano Zapata. Mestizos. These are just a few of the many terms being discussed by our international business students during their first week here in Cuernavaca. Arriving last Friday, these six students will be a part of CGE´s first business semester program in Mexico. Using Mexico as a case study to explore the global economy, students will hear speakers, go on excursions, live with home-stay families, and participate in lab groups to connect their experiences to their studies in international business.

The first week of orientation and classes has been a busy one for the students! Learning about everything from the indigenous history of Mexico (particularly the state of Morelos, where Cuernavaca is located), the colonial period following the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, and the revolution of 1910, students are able to better understand the context of Mexican business in relation to its history.

This week's lecture by CGE site director Ann Lutterman-Aguilar at the Palacio de Cortés (palace of Hernan Cortez) in downtown Cuernavaca is a perfect example of the experiential learning that will be a focal point of the program throughout the semester. Students spent an afternoon analyzing the mural by Diego Rivera depicting the history of Mexico from the arrival of the Spanish until the revolution of the early 20th century.

The history of this once-Spanish colony is vital to the understanding of current business practices, says student Grady Christopherson: “it puts it in great context as far as doing business in Latin America because you have to know the culture.” Students were also able to explore some of the current economic conditions in Cuernavaca during an orientation activity downtown. Students made their own way to the bustling Mercado Lopez Mateos and were each assigned various products to buy to gauge the local cost of living and its relation to the cost of living in the United States.

There will be more to come each week as our students deepen their understanding about Mexico and international business on this exciting program! For now, are there any questions from our readers?