Saturday, June 25, 2005
Have you ever had an impression of “déjà vu”? I did, no later than a few days ago, while enjoying a 10-day stay in Spain. What I saw was strangely familiar, like a morphing of Mexico into what the country could have been, or what it would become if given enough time.
The competing cultural influences in Mexico are a fascinating subject of analysis. Which of the American onslaught of movies and consumer products, the dwindling glory of the Aztec empire or the dubious legacy of the conquistadores will be prevalent to shape the future of the nation?
Relics of the Ibero-Catholic rule stand out, the Miguelete tower in Valencia’s old town finding its counter point in the architecture of the Santa Prisca cathedral in Taxco, the catholic faith echoing across the Atlantic and the Spanish language sounding from the suburbs of Madrid to the Cervantino festival in Guanajuato.
Beyond this age-old cultural foundation lies the modern Latin pop culture with its distinctive rhythms, fashion style, food flavors that have had such success around the globe with celebrity icons like Shakira or Penelope Cruz. Granted, in Valencia you will eat a “bocadillo” instead of a “taco” before going clubbing, but thereafter you’ll observe the same glitter on the clothing worn by girls vigorously shaking themselves on the dance floor under the beat of a remix of “La Tortura”.
Perhaps the flow of cultural influence has been reversed in the 20th century and now Latin America, including Mexico, is the powerhouse of the “movida Latina”? Or are we witnessing the emergence of a global movement in the era of exacerbated regionalisms (just mention the use of Catalan in Barcelona and watch the numerous reactions of your hosts in Madrid)?
With hundreds of thousands of more or less legal immigrants from Colombia and Ecuador living in Spain, the sons and daughters of the conquistadores are learning to live together with the descendants of their former colonies. My impression is that the Mexican emigration to Spain has been rather less important than the influx of Spaniards in Mexico, for example during and after the Spanish Civil War. The cultural weight of Mexico is phenomenally higher in the USA than in Spain, proof that geographical proximity plays a stronger role than a common history bathed in blood, religion and vast amounts of silver.
Besides these obvious facets of both cultures, I sense many common traits in the business attitudes in Mexico and Spain. The same reliance on personal trust, animated and often vocal meetings, approximate organization and planning, etc. A Spanish businessman coming to Mexico is on a much more familiar ground than his American counter-part looking to expand south of the border.
However, where I felt more deeply than ever the link between Spain and Mexico was during a long train journey from Madrid to Murcia, the steel tracks cutting across an increasingly dry, desolate and poor backcountry. The riches of Madrid or Barcelona cannot hide the fact that Spain remains a largely agricultural country with some of the poorest regions in Europe. Contemplating the ruins of a modest family house near Murcia, surrounded by an arid land, I felt the long arm of Mexico reaching back to hug me.
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