The Guadalajara Reporter

Saluting a long rainy season with vines of a green ‘vegetable,’ and the lessons in caution learned during Mexico’s cruel ‘peso error’

By Monday, the prolonged temporada de lluvias (rainy season) that was still blessing his chayote field had given Nando Flores a near-permanent grin. Nando is a campesino whose livelihood depends to good extent on a variety of agricultural pursuits. Though the year’s hefty corn harvest was finished early in October, a number of farmers and ranchers had planted chayote, a late rainy season crop that thrives on, but recently has seldom received, late October moisture. Still, vine-climbing chayote demands a lot of work: an elementary short-posted two- or three-wire support, plus a lot of irrigating. And because of current low prices, many campo families were reluctant to plant chayote this year. But those who did got an unexpected late-season gift of nourishing rains.

Once again you are hearing the ancient saying: “Full milpas mean a big spoon.” For when chayote are plentiful they constitute a mainstay for all three daily meals in many homes. For Nando and his family — who belong to an extensive family, which the word “extended,” in its shrunken modern usage, is inadequate — the versatile green fruit/vegetable both fills empty stomachs and provides rich amounts of amino acids and Vitamin C.

For Nando and his wife Alma, and their eight kids, are not members of that portion of Mexicans suddenly being touted as cheerily enlarging the Republic’s middle class.

For one thing that term’s inexactitude makes it notoriously slippery. True particularly among folks who are not middle class, but aspire to that economic ranking, as well as those survey-takers constantly wrestling with that term. This has become true in the United State as well, as former members of this ranking have experienced steep falls.

In Mexico more than half of the population is traditionally accustomed to being termed “poor.” Many folks, especially in their own self-estimation, cluster at the edge dividing poor from middle class. Often this is a psychological divide, some of it defined by real economic indicators. In recent times it was fancifully defined by the year and make of the vehicle(s) a person or family “owned” — a vehicle that is slowly, sometimes unsuccessfully, being paid off. More recently, it has to do with a family’s children advancing to any kind of university. For the financial battle to do this can be awesome, for many. And there are millions of Mexican families that cannot afford to even begin that daunting encounter.

Nando and Alma’s oldest son, Neto, at 19 is a very bright young man, quick to learn, and a non-complaining worker. Thus, he is an excellent worker. He has the drive and smarts to move on to college. But his family cannot function without his income. Several people have offered to help send him to college, but the family cannot afford his missing salary. And university is more expensive than some of his wanna-be benefactors understand. So instead, Neto is being tutored in English (his school did not offer English until a year ago). Another North American is giving him free math lessons. Neto takes these classes three days a week after work.

Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.