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Mexico

"In Mexico, the boundaries of the classroom expanded out into every aspect of our daily lives; I felt as if I never left the "classroom." As we were learning Spanish in class, we were living in Spanish...as we were learning about the traditions, customs, and culture of Mexico, we were experiencing this material firsthand through our families, ethnographies, and friends."
-past participant of the Mexico program

Program Description

The Earlham Mexico Program was founded in 1972 and is devoted to intensive Spanish language study and an introduction to Mexican culture, history and literature. Despite its closeness to the U.S., the complexity of Mexican culture is relatively unknown to most North Americans. Fifty six languages are still spoken in Mexico, evidence of a rich and multi-ethnic society. Many well known Mexican writers have contributed an exploration of Mexico's unique identity. Much of the Earlham program is devoted to searching for what it means to be a Mexican today.

Location: Cuautla, Morelos
Cuautla was founded in pre-Hispanic times and is a city rich in history. It was the site of a very important battle in the fight for independence in 1812. Later, it became a stronghold of the agrarian revolution led by Emiliano Zapata during the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Cuautla is the center of an agricultural region where sugar cane, tomatoes, onions and sorghum are grown. The city is growing rapidly, in part due to its accessibility to Mexico City and its warm climate year round. Although its mineral waters and natural swimming areas draw Mexican tourists to the area, foreign tourism is practically non-existent. The city is surrounded by small towns, each with its own personality and characteristics. The transportation system, which consists of buses, mini-buses, and taxis, provides an excellent way to get around the town and to the outlying towns.