From Mexico to U.S.

Establishing Abroad has been in contact with Joyce Martinez who is 23 years old, born and raised in Mexico.

Joyce came to the United States to get her degree in Communication Studies, a broad major with great opportunities. She has now been working in Sacramento, California for a couple of years and was willing to share her experiences.

What are the cultural differences between the United States and Mexico?

I experience the cultural differences in many ways. The United States is an individualistic culture, whereas Mexico is a collectivistic culture. Some of the cultural differences that hit me the most were, for instance, the importance of family in the United States. The family in the United States is not as important as family in Mexico. In the United States, when teenagers go to college, they are expected to move out of their houses and live life on their own. Also, a huge cultural difference that I experience was the fact that Mexican people are very warm and welcoming and there is a lot of kissing and touching withing our family members and friends. However, in United States people are not nearly as warm as in Mexico. People in the United States are more cold and self centered.

Have you experienced any problems regarding your working visa?

I have experienced many problems regarding my working visa. It was a very long process. It involves a lot of paperwork, money and time. In order to get a working visa in the United States, the company that you are working for needs to prove that you are the only person that can do the job and that is why they need to get a foreigner to do the job. In fact, the company that I work for applied for a working visa but all I got was a seasonal Visa.

What are the benefits with working in the United States compared to working in Mexico?
I guess the benefits depends on the lifestyle that you have back home. In my personal experience, there are no benefits right now. My salary is not as high as I expected, and the hours that I am working are the same hours that I would be working at home. The only reason why I am staying in the country is because I enjoy my lifestyle at the moment.

What do you think about the US market at the moment, are there lots of job opportunities?
I think the US market at the moment is very unstable. There is a lot of unemployment and poverty. I do not think that many people are migrating to the US anymore. Life here is just as tough as anywhere else.

Is it easier to get a higher salary in the United States than in Mexico, if so, why?

For the job that I have here in the United State, yes. The salary as a tennis coach is way above and beyond the pay as a tennis coach in Mexico. However, I think that in other sectors the difference is not as big as in my current job.

Do you want to go back to Mexico eventually?
I am definitively planning on going back, I do not picture myself living in the United States forever. My job is great and for right now I am happy here. However, home is always home and I want to go back and start my life where I belong. Not that i do not belong here, but I want to be close to my family.

Have you ever experienced discriminations because you are from Mexico?

I personally have never experience any type of racism. However, I know that there is a lot of racism going on in United States. Moreover, Mexicans in United States are looked down on. People in the United States have the image that most Mexicans are only good for cutting grass, and doing house cleaning. That image bothers me. Yet, I have never been insulted.