New Worlds for the Deaf: the story of the pioneering Lakeside School for the Deaf in rural Mexico by Gwen Chan Burton (Sombrero Books, 2020) In 1982, Gwen Chan Burton, who had previously taught in government secondary schools in Australia and Canada for 12 years, was faced with a big career decision. Burton (whose name […]
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Roosters crowing, church bells clanging, dogs barking, street vendors broadcasting their products, brass bands serenading wedding parties in the streets… the soundtrack to life in Mexico is not the reality for every Mexican. In Mexico the most prevalent disability is deafness. Three out of every 1000 babies are born with some degree of hearing loss. […]
Continue ReadingAmid the reconstructed pyramids of Monte Alban, a pageant is performed commemorating ancient legends of how the sun and the moon and the Earth were born, and were set free to roam the heavens. Designed with help from the Dragon Theater of Maine, and performed by local singers, dancers and musicians, “Sol y Luna” will, […]
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Tony Burton’s Mexican Kaleidoscope is a whirlwind trip through some of the underpinnings of Mexican culture, told with humour, affection and well-documented facts. This readable compendium of little known stories made me want to revisit many places I’d already seen. How much richer my experiences would have been had I been able to take this user-friendly and […]
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There are eight key goals (see table) and Mexico is well on its way to meet most of them. Specific targets that Mexico has not yet reached include an increase in the proportion of GDP that corresponds to the poorest 20% of the population (goal 1); an increase in the number of women in government […]
Continue ReadingCharitable foundations —both in Mexico and worldwide —need to lay their groundwork on the Web It’s a curious thing. While many foundations provide some information over the Internet, few take full advantage of the Web. Most give only a “just the facts” introduction to their operations. The absence of online grant applications and the inclusion […]
Continue ReadingTLATELOLCO MASSACRE: DECLASSIFIED U.S. DOCUMENTS ON MEXICO AND THE EVENTS OF 1968 Mexico’s tragedy unfolded on the night of October 2, 1968, when a student demonstration ended in a storm of bullets in La Plaza de las Tres Culturas at Tlatelolco, Mexico City. The extent of the violence stunned the country. When the shooting stopped, […]
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Tlatelolco Massacre – The Secret Archives: Courtesy of the U.S. National Security Archive Document 1 3/28/68 CIA Special National Intelligence Estimate Security Conditions in Mexico Secret In preparation for a visit to Mexico City by Vice President Hubert Humphrey, the CIA issues a special assessment of security conditions in Mexico. Written several months before the […]
Continue ReadingRevolutionary Worker #976, October 4, 1998 When the Tlatelolco Women Boiled Water– But Not for Dinner (Part 1: The Youth Revolt) As battles between youth and security forces became more and more pitched–and as supporting the movement became more risky–more sections of the masses stepped in to join them. This happened most especially in the […]
Continue ReadingRevolutionary Worker #977, October 11, 1998 This is the final part of a three-part series. Part 1 described the rising movement of the students and others in the days before the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Part 2 was an account of what happened on October 2, 1968 at the Plaza of the Three Cultures in the Tlatelolco […]
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