I’m Mexican but I’m afraid to visit Mexico

Growing up, I never thought I would be afraid of visiting Mexico. I began traveling to Mexico at the age of 4. Almost every other summer my mother and I traveled to Guadalajara to visit my family. I loved going and I remember looking forward to the trip every year. Some of my fondest memories as a child are in Mexico. I remember going to the tianguis with my cousins, hanging out en la plaza, and going to the posadas and singing Christmas carols. I enjoyed every single moment I spent with my family. I was never aware of the dangers that occurred in my home town while I was away or the dangers that were happening to my family. I didn’t think that I would ever describe Mexico as a dangerous or scary place.

It was not until my last trip, at the age of 17, that I began to feel uneasy. A few years before my last trip, my cousins decided to travel to Mexico by car. They had done it many times before so they did not think anything unexpected would happen. While they were on the road they were stopped by a cop car or so they thought. The man that stopped them took my uncle into their car and drove off while another man took my uncle’s vehicle along with his family. The men demanded my uncle give him all of the money they had. Once they cleaned out their car, they left my uncle and his family with only enough money to spend for one night at a hotel. Thankfully they made it safe without any serious injuries. This is only one of many stories and probably the least horrifying I have of Mexico.

The media only added on to this image of Mexico being this place where violence occurred at every corner. I didn’t want to believe them but as the stories became even scarier my fear just grew stronger. Statistics of violent crimes against women did not help. Women are more likely to be physically or sexually abused than men. Women are seen as subordinate and inferior to men (not just in Mexico but in almost every country). However, it is more common and accepted in Mexico. “In a patriarchal society, a model of aggressive masculinity is not only tolerated but encouraged.” Women are more vulnerable to crimes committed on the streets or even within their own homes. This stems from the belief that men must have power over women. With the growth in violence in my parents’ hometown, I was now paranoid and afraid of returning to the place that I used to consider my favorite place on earth.