DEAR CANDIDATES,
I KNOW THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD BUT REGARDLESS OF HOW SMART AND EDUCATED WE ARE, WE DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYBODY. I DON’T BLAME YOU IF YOU DON’T HAVE A BIG PICTURE ABOUT WHO WE MEXICAN PEOPLE TRULY ARE, BUT WE COME IN ALL SHAPES, COLORS AND FLAVORS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER CULTURE IN THE WORLD. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I LOVE THE COUNTRY OF MY HERITAGE VERY MUCH (MEXICO) BUT I ALSO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I LOVE THIS COUNTRY JUST AS MUCH, AND THAT’S WHY I WAS MOTIVATED TO WRITE TO YOU. HERE ARE A FEW FACTS. I HOPE THEY ARE HELPFUL TO YOU.
1. WE SHARE SKIN COLOR AND THE SAME LANGUAGE WITH AT LEAST 20 OTHER COUNTRIES IN AMERICA. SO IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY WITH DARK SKIN WHO IS SPEAKING SPANISH, THEY COULD BE FROM ANY ONE OF THESE OTHER COUNTRIES.
2. SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO CALL US SPANISH PEOPLE BUT I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT BY SAYING THAT, IT MEANS THAT WE ARE FROM SPAIN —- AND WE ARE NOT. SOME OF US ARE OF SPANISH DESCENT BUT NOT EVERYBODY.
3. OUR (MEXICAN PEOPLE) BACKGROUND IS VERY RICH AND MULTICULTURAL. IN OUR VEINS RUNS BLOOD FROM EUROPEANS, MIDDLE EASTERN AND CHINESE PEOPLE AS WELL AS MANY OTHER CULTURES FROM MEXICO SUCH AS AZTEC, MAYA, CHICHIMECA, ETC… THAT MAKES US DIVERSE.
4. DID YOU KNOW THAT MEXICAN CUISINE IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR CUISINES IN THE WORLD? IF YOU ASK ME, I CAN RECOMMEND YOU SOME GOOD MEXICAN RESTAURANTS IN MY COUNTRY.
5. DID YOU KNOW THAT CHAPALA, JALISCO, SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, AND PUERTO VALLARTA HAVE THE HIGHEST POPULATIONS OF PEOPLE FROM THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA LIVING IN THEIR COUNTRIES? HAVE YOU EVER TALKED TO THEM BECAUSE I’M SURE THEY LIVE THERE HAPPILY?
6. I DON’T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS FACT BUT MANY OF THESE AMERICAN OR CANADIAN FELLOWS, AFTER HAVING A RESIDENCE IN MEXICO FOR TWO YEARS, ARE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THE MEXICAN HEALTH INSURANCE (SEGURO SOCIAL) WHICH IS RIDICULOUSLY AFFORDABLE. I WOULD LIKE TO GET INTO THIS SUBJECT DEEPER WITH YOU BUT YOU AND I DON’T HAVE THE TIME FOR THAT.
7. THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES WHICH STATES THAT THERE WERE 900,000 IMMIGRANTS AMONG SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE UNITED STATES WHICH MAKES UP ABOUT 18 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION. I AM ONE OF THEM — LOL.
8. DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN REFUNDABLE TAXES THAT MEXICANS ARE NOT ABLE TO CLAIM BECAUSE OF THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS? WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GO?
9. I KNOW THAT WHEN IT COMES TO ACQUIRING A COLLEGE EDUCATION, WE STILL HAVE A WAY TO GO BUT IT HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING IN THE PAST DECADE. IT WOULD BE LIKE OPENING PANDORA’S BOX IF WE WERE TO BEGIN TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED CULTURALLY IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE LAST 40 YEARS.
10. AN ARTICLE IN MIGRATION POLICY INSTITUTE STATES THAT 4.9 MILLION OR 3.5 PERCENT OF IMMIGRANTS AGES 16 AND UP WORK IN THE LABOR FORCE.
FUTURE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, I LIVE HERE AND HAVE LIVED HERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND I KNOW THERE ARE MANY OTHER PROBLEMS TO BE CONSIDERED BUT WE ALL: ANGLO, LATINO, CHINESE, EUROPEANS, AFRICAN AMERICAN ARE A PART OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE IN THE UNITED STATES. GOD KNOWS NEW MEXICO, BEING ONE OF THE POOREST STATES IN THE COUNTRY, HAS PROBLEMS EVEN BIGGER. ONE PROBLEM THAT WE DON’T HAVE IN SANTA FE IS HAVING A FABULOUS SHOE STORE. (MINE!!).
CANDIDATES, ALL THAT I WANT, JUST AS THE OTHER 324 MILLION PEOPLE WHO ALSO LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY IS PROSPERITY AND PEACE, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT.