http://usmex.ucsd.edu <p>Discussants: Scott Desposato, UC San Diego, Department of Political Science Steve Wuhs, University of Redlands, Department of Government and Director of Latin American Studies Imke Harbers will be presenting her paper "Facing up to Multi-level Politics: Political Finance and Party Strategy in Mexico" . <a href="/programs/fellows/imke-harbers.htm">More about Imke Harbers</a> Joy Langston will be presenting her paper "From Delegation to Power-Sharing: Changes in the the Candidate Selection Process in Mexico". <a href="/programs/fellows/joy-langston.htm">More about Joy Langston</a> </p> For a PDF flyer of the event <a href="/assets/023/10845.pdf">click here</a>. CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Event is part of <a href="http://iew.ucsd.edu">UCSD International Education Week</a> There is no cost of admission. Event is open to the public. For driving directions, <a target="_blank" href="/about/maps-and-directions.htm">please click here</a>. For additional information, call Mr. Greg Mallinger at (858) 822-1696 or <a href="mailto:gmallinger@ucsd.edu">e-mail</a>. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20091030.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20091030.htm <p>Come enjoy some pan de muerto and Mexican hot chocolate with colleagues and neighbors. Offerings/ofrendas are welcome to decorate the altar. The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos or All Souls' Day) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Latin America. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 1st and 2nd in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints' Day which occurs on November 1st and All Souls' Day which occurs on November 2nd. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Scholars trace the origins of the modern holiday to indigenous observances dating back thousands of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl. Similar holidays are celebrated in many parts of the world; for example, it's a public holiday (Dia de Finados) in Brazil, where many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, there are festivals and parades, and at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their loved ones who have died. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe and in the Philippines, and similarly-themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures. CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE</p> <p>There is no cost of admission. Event is open to the public. For driving directions, please <a href="/about/maps-and-directions.htm">click here</a>. For additional information, call Mr. Greg Mallinger at (858) 822-1696 or <a href="mailto:gmallinger@ucsd.edu">e-mail</a>.</p> Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20091021.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20091021.htm USMEX director Alberto Díaz-Cayeros and graduate student researcher Alexander Ruiz Euler will present a series of firsthand insights, experiences and problems derived from their field work in the valley of Oaxaca during the summer of 2009. They will also discuss preliminary findings from their survey work in the region. This field work is part of the broader <a href="/research/public-goods-survey/">Public Goods Survey project </a>that seeks to identify variation in public good provision, explore the political process of public good provision, and determine the level of community involvement in the provision of public goods in Mexico. For a PDF Flyer, please <a href="/assets/023/10670.pdf">click here.</a> CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE There is no cost of admission. Event is open to the public. For driving directions, please <a href="http://usmex.ucsd.edu/about/maps-and-directions.htm">click here</a>. For additional information, call Mr. Greg Mallinger at (858) 822-1696 or <a href="mailto:gmallinger@ucsd.edu">e-mail</a>. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20091006.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20091006.htm Pablo Jaime Sáinz is a border journalist and fiction writer working in the San Diego-Tijuana area. He writes for several publications including The San Diego Union Tribune and its Spanish-language weekly, Enlace, where he covers Latino Arts and Entertainment. His first young adult novel "Mica chueca" and his nonfiction collection "Crónicas chúntaras" explore the theme of Sinaloan culture. "Mica chueca&rdquo; is the story of undocumented immigrants from Sinaloa living in Huntington Park, in Los Angeles County. It tells the story of René Gastélum, a high school student, who without &ldquo;papers&rdquo; is unable to attend college. It is also a view into Southeast Los Angeles during the 90s. &ldquo;Crónicas chúntaras&rdquo; is a collection of features and interviews with pillars of Mexican regional music such as Los Tigres del Norte, Banda El Recodo, Tucanes de Tijuana, Jenni Rivera, and more. For a PDF Flyer, please <a href="/assets/023/10671.pdf">click here.</a> CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE There is no cost of admission. Event is open to the public. For driving directions, please <a href="http://usmex.ucsd.edu/about/maps-and-directions.htm">click here</a>. For additional information, call Mr. Greg Mallinger at (858) 822-1696 or <a href="mailto:gmallinger@ucsd.edu">e-mail</a>. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20091015.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20091015.htm <p align="justify">The purpose of this research workshop is to take stock with the current state of human rights in Mexico in the context of the imperatives of national security and personal safety that are continuously threatened by random and organized crime. We seek to understand 1) whether the Acteal ruling of the Supreme Court can be understood as a decisive step in the construction of the rule of law or a regression to the impunity that prevailed in the past; and 2) what safeguards are being created in the ground by NGOs, citizen activists and other organizations to protect citizens from abuse and arbitrary government action, as well as threats to physical integrity arising from the failure to control crime and violence. The agenda is structured around these two general issues, with a final session on experiences in other places in the world that may shed some light on the prospects for the construction of the rule of law, peace and security in an environment respectful of fundamental rights in Mexico. For further information on this research workshop including the agenda, please <a href="/assets/022/10592.pdf">click here.</a><a href="/assets/022/10592.pdf"> </a> USMEX: CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE</p> Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090916.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090916.htm USMEX Fall Welcome Reception after keynote address <p> Presentation will be in Spanish </p> Arturo Sánchez Gutiérrez holds a Masters in Latin American Studies and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Oxford University. He is a commissioner of the Mexican Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) where he is currently the Elections Director. He is also a member of the Committee on Radio and Television of the General Council and of the Electoral Training and Organization Committee, which is part of the Institute for Transparency and Access to Information. Aside from his extensive background with the IFE, Dr. Sánchez has been a researcher and professor at many institutions, including the Mexican Institute of Political Studies, AC, the UAM-Azcapotzalco, and the UNAM.  He also served as Academic Director, research professor, and coordinator of the masters program in Government and Public Affairs, FLACSO.  In addition, Dr. Sánchez Gutiérrez has acted as a political commentator, a contributor to the newspaper &ldquo;El Financiero&rdquo;, an editorial advisor of the newspaper &ldquo;Reforma&rdquo;, and an electoral observer in elections in Canada, the U.S., and Latin America.  Part of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies Research Seminar Series. CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE There is no cost of admission. Event is open to the public. For driving directions, please <a href="/about/maps-and-directions.htm">click here</a>. For additional information, call Mr. Greg Mallinger at (858) 822-1696 or <a href="mailto:gmallinger@ucsd.edu">e-mail</a>.  Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090914.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090914.htm <p>The Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, in conjunction with the <a href="http://cpe.ucsd.edu">Center on Pacific Economies</a>, will welcome <a href="/news/events/event_20090908.htm">Ms. Sigrid Arzt</a> of Mexico for a public lecture and two-week residency. In her public lecture, which is co-hosted by the Center on Pacific Economies, Ms. Arzt will draw on her experience with Mexico's National Security Council. She will discuss the Mexican federal government&rsquo;s recent efforts to fight drug cartels, and the challenges that resulted from trying to balance public safety with respect for human rights during President Felipe Calderon's administration. Arzt will cite specific examples from her time as chairperson of the council where Mexican governors&mdash;the top federal officials in charge of security in Mexico&mdash;develop and implement strategies for combating organized crime. The lecture will begin at 5 p.m. and will be followed by a reception. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. For directions to this event, click <a href="http://www.iamericas.org/about/latest/map-and-directions.html">here</a>. Download the event flyer <a href="http://cpe.ucsd.edu/assets/005/10545.pdf">here</a>. Sigrid Arzt is the former Technical Secretary of Mexico&rsquo;s National Security Council under President Felipe Calderón&rsquo;s administration, where she served as the chairperson of a council of the highest-ranking federal officials in the area of National Security. She has been a consultant for security issues for the World Bank and has presented numerous workshops for local governments on crime and violence prevention, focusing mainly on the development of the institutional capacity to create public policies for security and civil participation. Most recently, Ms. Arzt was a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. For more information about Sigrid Arzt and a list of her other events, click <a href="/fellows/upcoming-fellows/sigrid-arzt.htm">here</a>.</p> Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_2009091454666.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_2009091454666.htm <p>The goal of this project is to provide an up-to-date assessment of key issues in the U.S.-Mexican relationship, identify points of convergence and divergence in respective national interests, and analyze likely consequences of potential policy approaches. <a href="/research/21st-century-us-mexico-project/">Click here for information about the research project</a>. <a href="/assets/022/10294.pdf">Click here for the schedule of events (PDF)</a>. <a href="/assets/022/10347.pdf">Click here for the participant list (PDF)</a>.</p> Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090625.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090625.htm <p>The Latin American Studies Association (LASA) is the largest professional Association in the world for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of Latin America. As part of the activities of the LASA 2009 International Congress, the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies (USMEX) invites you to a reception and information session for friends, old and new. Please join Alberto Díaz-Cayeros, Graciela Platero, and Greg Mallinger of USMEX at the Everest Rio Hotel's Grill 360° Resturant, Ipanema. For more information and to RSVP, contact <a href="mailto:gmallinger@ucsd.edu?subject=LASA%20Reception">Greg Mallinger</a>.</p> Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090608.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090608.htm <p>In the last two decades, ethnicity has become a useful conceptual tool for social scientists to explain processes of inclusion and exclusion. The cultural heterogeneity and persistent social and economic inequalities of countries like Mexico make ethnicity a key concept to describe and understand social reality. Cultural differences summarized in the notion of ethnicity have been used to explain political, economic, and social process of exclusion. The aim of this meeting is to create a space for interdisciplinary dialogue across the social sciences around the question of the relationship between ethnicity and exclusion. Our primary goal is to discuss how the reappraisal of ethnicity in the social sciences can enrich our understanding of the relationship between ethnicity and the processes of inclusion and exclusion of native peoples. For more information about the program, <a href="/research/past-research-projects/native-peoples-in-mexico-and-the-us/approaches-to-exclusion-program.htm">click here</a>. A Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies Workshop. There is no cost of admission. Event is open to the public. For driving directions, please visit the Center&rsquo;s <a href="http://usmex.ucsd.edu/">website.</a> For additional information, call Mr. Greg Mallinger at (858) 822-1696 or <a href="mailto:gmallinger@ucsd.edu">e-mail</a>. </p> Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_2009052849297.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_2009052849297.htm <p>This is a multidisciplinary workshop on the demographic catastrophe that followed the contact of Spanish and original peoples in the territory of what today is Mexico. The magnitude of the population loss following the Conquest remains a hotly debated issue. Beyond the historical and Mexico specific interests, the workshop is relevant to contemporary issues. The social, economic and political consequences of a major epidemic, such as AIDS in Africa, an outbreak of avian flu, or even a particularly deadly strain of influenza has been raised in recent years as a major concern among public health experts and policymakers. Learning about the differential causes and the impact of an unprecedented massive mortality on the social, economic, political and spiritual fabric in the distant past should enable us to understand better some of the challenges ahead in our modern world. <a href="/research/past-research-projects/the-great-death/the-great-death-conference-materials.htm">The Great Death Conference Materials</a>. A Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies Workshop. There is no cost of admission. Event is open to the public. For driving directions, please visit the Center&rsquo;s <a href="http://usmex.ucsd.edu">website.</a> For additional information, call Mr. Greg Mallinger at (858) 822-1696 or <a href="mailto:gmallinger@ucsd.edu">e-mail</a>. </p> Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090528.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090528.htm C.M. Mayo is the author of Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles through Baja California, the Other Mexico, and Sky Over El Nido, which won the Flannery O&rsquo;Connor Award for Short Fiction. A long-time resident of Mexico City and an avid translator of Mexican poetry and fiction, she is founding editor of &ldquo;Tameme&rdquo; and also the editor of Mexico: A Traveler&rsquo;s Literary Companion, an anthology of Mexican fiction and literary prose which Mexican poet and critic David Huerta has called &ldquo;one of the outstanding contemporary works on this country.&rdquo; Mayo&rsquo;s latest work, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, is based on the true and never before completely told story (based on original archival research) about a half-American, half-Mexican boy who, as in a fairytale, became a prince and then a pawn in the struggle-to-the-death over Mexico&rsquo;s destiny. Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090514.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090514.htm Carol Wise is a Visiting Scholar at the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at UCSD. She is also an Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California. She specializes in international political economy and development, with an emphasis on Latin America. She has written widely on trade integration, exchange rate crises, institutional reform, and the political economy of market restructuring in the region. Professor Wise has worked and written most extensively on Argentina, Mexico, and Peru. During her time at the Center, Professor Wise will be working to complete a paper titled, &ldquo;Financial Crisis Incomes and Social Policy: Mexico and Argentina in Retrospect&rdquo;. To access an audio podcast of Carol's presentation, please <a href="/events/podcasts/research-seminar-speaker-series.htm?&isPreviewing=1&isPreviewing=1&modulePageId=59&parentCid=46879">click here</a>. Part of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies Research Seminar Series. Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_2009051448329.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_2009051448329.htm <p>Roderic Ai Camp is a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College. He earned a Ph.D. in comparative politics and history from the University of Arizona. His interests include Mexican politics, comparative elites, political recruitment, church-state relations, and civilmilitary affairs. He is a frequent consultant to national and international media, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and the BBC. The author of numerous articles and twenty books on Mexico, his most recent publications include: Politics in Mexico, the Democratic Consolidation (Oxford, 2007) and Mexico&rsquo;s Military on the Democratic Stage (Praeger, 2005).</p> <p>To access an audio podcast of Rod's presentation, please <a href="/events/podcasts/research-seminar-speaker-series.htm?&isPreviewing=1&isPreviewing=1&isPreviewing=1&modulePageId=59&parentCid=46879">click here</a>. Part of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies Research Seminar Series.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090504.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090504.htm <p align="left">Leo Chávez is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine. He earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Stanford University in 1982. His research examines various issues related to transnational migration, including immigrant families and households, labor market participation, motivations for migration, the use of medical services, and media constructions of "immigrant" and "nation." His latest book, The Latino Threat: Constructing Immigrants, Citizens and the Nation examines issues of anti-Latino discourse, struggles over the meaning of citizenship, and role of media spectacles in society in relation to the politics of reproduction, organ transplants, the Minuteman Project, and immigrant marches and protests. To access an audio podcast of Leo's presentation, please <a href="/events/podcasts/research-seminar-speaker-series.htm?&isPreviewing=1&modulePageId=59&parentCid=46879">click here</a>. Part of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies Research Seminar Series.</p> Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090607.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090607.htm Mauricio Benítez is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at UCSD. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. in International Relations from El Colegio de México. He specializes in political parties, electoral competition, and the politics of public policy in Latin America. His dissertation focuses on changes in distributive politics in Mexican states after substantive budgetary decentralization in the early 2000s, on the basis of in-depth fieldwork in Jalisco, Michoacán, and Veracruz. He will join Chapman University as an Assistant Professor of Political Science in the fall. To access an audio podcast of Mauricio's presentation, please <a href="/events/podcasts/research-seminar-speaker-series.htm?&isPreviewing=1&modulePageId=59&parentCid=46879">click here</a>. Part of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies Research Seminar Series. Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090507.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090507.htm <p>Carolina Gómez Vinales is the Director of the Opportunities Program of the Mexican Institute of Social Security. She earned a degree in International Relations from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM. She also studied public administration management and political marketing at the Autonomous Technical Institute of Mexico. Previously, she worked for the Undersecretary of Political Develpment. From 2004 to 2006, she served as the Coordinator of Communication and Social Participation of the Social Protectional National Commission in Health.  To access an audio podcast of Carolina's presentation, please <a href="/events/podcasts/research-seminar-speaker-series.htm?&isPreviewing=1&isPreviewing=1&isPreviewing=1&modulePageId=59&parentCid=46879">click here</a>. Part of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies Research Seminar Series. </p> <p> </p> Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090506.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_20090506.htm Isaac Campos-Costero is a historian and visiting fellow at the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies. He is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Campos-Costero received a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. His research interests include transnational phenomena and the history of ideas and culture. His present work examines the history of drugs, specifically marijuana, in Mexico and greater North America prior to WWII. Professor Campos-Costero has also done research on Mexico&rsquo;s &ldquo;dirty war&rdquo; of the 1970s, Cuban-Mexican relations, and the War on Drugs since 1969. To access an audio podcast of Isaac's presentation, please <a href="/events/podcasts/research-seminar-speaker-series.htm?&isPreviewing=1&isPreviewing=1&isPreviewing=1&modulePageId=59&parentCid=46879">click here</a>. Part of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies Research Seminar Series. Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_2009051448350.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_2009051448350.htm Jorge Carrillo-Viveros is a sociologist and visiting scholar at the Center for US-Mexican Studies. He has been a researcher at El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) in Tijuana since its foundating in 1982. He received his Ph.D. in sociology from El Colegio de México, and currently serves as a member of The National Researchers System (SNI) level 3. He has participated in 40 research projects traveling through Spain, France, Japan, and the United States to complete his studies. He is the author of 7 books and the coordinator of 15 edited volumes. His publications include El medio ambiente y la maquila en México: un problema ineludible and Globalism/Localism at Work. To access an audio podcast of Jorge's presentation, please <a href="/events/podcasts/research-seminar-speaker-series.htm?&isPreviewing=1&isPreviewing=1&isPreviewing=1&modulePageId=59&parentCid=46879">click here</a>. Part of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies Research Seminar Series <a href="mailto:gmallinger@ucsd.edu"> </a> Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_2009051448344.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_2009051448344.htm Ricardo Gómez-Vilchis is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of California, San Diego and is currently a visiting fellow at the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies. He was awarded the Medalla Gabino Barreda by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1999. He received an M.A. in Political Science and Social Studies in 2002 from the UNAM with honors. As an assistant professor at the UNAM from 2001 to 2004, Gómez-Vilchis taught several courses including Political Theory, Contemporary Sociology, and Introduction to Epistemology. His current project is titled "Presidential Approval in Mexico (1998-2006), Determinants and Effects." To access an audio podcast of Ricardo's presentation, please <a href="/events/podcasts/research-seminar-speaker-series.htm?&isPreviewing=1&isPreviewing=1&isPreviewing=1&modulePageId=59&parentCid=46879">click here</a>. Part of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies Research Seminar Series. Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_2009051448341.htm http://usmex.ucsd.edu/events/event_2009051448341.htm