I chose to work with the Solidarity Center in Mexico City
for a variety of reasons: I wanted to experience what it felt like to live in
my parents’ home country, I wanted to improve my Spanish, I wanted to gain real
skills that would help me in the future, I wanted to learn about the labor
movement in Mexico, but most importantly I wanted to do work that would change
people’s lives for the better.
As a strategic researcher for the Solidarity Center, I
conducted “undercover” investigations, research, and strategic analyses of
Mexican-owned operations and Multi-National Corporations. I also frequently
wrote, updated, and translated reports on Mexican labor struggles that were
used in the planning of union campaigns across the globe and which were also
used to garner support from international unions. For the reports, I
interviewed various workers and Mexican labor leaders and attended many
protests, rallies, marches and hunger strikes. Especially in a country where
labor violations are so common and outright, it is not until one witnesses
these worker mobilizations and feels their anger and frustration that one can
even begin to understand what they go through just to provide for their basic
necessities and have their basic human rights respected.
I also participated in and provided support for the
organizing efforts of call center workers in Mexico City. I met and became
friends with many young workers there who were organizing themselves despite
the many seemingly insurmountable obstacles put in place by both the company
and the Mexican government. Seeing their youthfulness, their energy and their
strong will to fight despite the battle being long and drawn-out was inspiring
and invigorating. I left Mexico
well aware that the struggle for even basic worker’s rights is far from over,
but hopeful that the situation could soon change through the efforts and
dedication of people such as my fellow organizers.
In addition to doing this great work, I was able to
negotiate an “extended spring break” so that I could visit the family I had in
Zacatecas, Mexico and travel throughout southern Mexico. My 18 day, self
planned out adventure (which was pretty inexpensive due to the strong
dollar/weak peso, cheap bus rides, and hostels) took me through places like the
beach and downtown areas of Cancun, Isla de Las Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, the
anient ruins of Chichen Itza and Palenque, the Cenotes de Cozuma, Agua Azul and
Misol-Ha of Chiapas, the mountain villages of Oaxaca, and the beach of Puerto
Escondido, just to name a few. Needless to say, my time in Mexico was an
adventure.
Special thanks to Professor Lois Gray and the Edward Gray
Memorial Credit Internship Award—taking a credit internship abroad in the labor
movement would not have been possible without your generous support and
commitment to encouraging participation in the movement for social and economic
justice. I would also like to give thanks to Brigid Beachler who made the
internship work, my co-workers and friends in Mexico City who made my time
spent there more enjoyable, and a special thank you to Professor Daniel—your life
work, your dedication to the labor movement and your dedication to the credit
internship program is what allowed and will continue to allow students like me opportunities
to understand and fight for the working people. You will be missed Professor
Daniel, but your legacy has been left.
