[ilbegone]

Last night we were watching a Spanish language tour of the cities of Jalisco in Mexico. Even though I fell asleep during portions of it (I was really tired) there were a few things that really struck me.

I looked for trash left in the street and on the walkways. I saw a few pieces here and there, but not like what I see in the San Fernando Valley every day.

There was no graffiti, nor painted over portions of walls. Over all, even though much of it is relatively older architecture, the cities and towns looked clean.

Even though not extravagant, and definitely with some obvious attempts at economy with some improvisation, the people were indeed dressed more like Americans than some of the just-jumped-the border look I have seen quite a few wearing in the US, a combination of maybe a look not seen among Americans for decades and ill fitting clothes, garish combinations of clothing which seem to have fallen off the Salvation Army rack.

The graffiti in our cities seem to have originated here, regardless of who the original graffiti vandals were.

I'm not sure of what to make of the trash thrown in the streets of our cities turned into run down barrios. I don't believe that even the most traditional or backwards villages in the sticks would tolerate trash spewed all over the place.

Of course, they aren't going to show the living conditions of people like the trash pickers of Mexico City, but it it isn't in the scope of the budget of the film I saw to fake it either.

Does some of it have to do with a general class of people who are coming here, or is it disrespect for a country one has no intentions of remaining in but never leaves?




The movie was by Univision, and it's on a CD titled: Mexico en la Sangre - Jalisco - Anoranzas De Mi Pueblo.