Culture —– Ensenada Mexico: Final Chapter
To wrap up our section on culture from Ensenada, Mexico and what I learned while on my trip there, this week we’ll discuss a little about the economy, jobs, and land purchases in Mexico.
As we talked with our tour guide Miguel in Ensenada, he said that most people there are thankful to Americans for NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Because of NAFTA, many large U.S. businesses, that hire 1,200 – 1,500 people, have opened plants in Ensenada and pay people wages of $10 – $12 per day which is higher than their minimum wage. As a result of this, unemployment has gone down. The companies also cover transportation to and from work since gas there is very expensive and many people still don’t have cars.
Because many American companies have opened plants in Mexico, many of their key employees have been required to learn Spanish. Our course, Visual Link Spanish™, has been very successful in teaching Spanish to managers of large businesses (and their families) who have gone down to Mexico for a few months to help open manufacturing plants. This type of temporary relocation is happening more often. It’s becoming essential for personnel in many large businesses to know Spanish, not only to relocate to Latin America, but also to increase business opportunities for international trade. It’s also becoming increasingly important to know Spanish to communicate with Spanish speaking customers here in the U.S.
Here’s one last interesting item I learned in Ensenada about purchasing land in Mexico. If you are from another country and try to purchase land in Mexico, you cannot unless you are a Mexican citizen. Leasing is your only option. Here are a few of things to watch for if you go to Mexico and want to lease land:
1. Get the longest lease you can – Don’t get a “short” 20-25 year lease; try to get a 100 year lease. Even though you probably won’t be alive for 100 years, it makes provision for the land to be passed on to others.
2. Make sure it is a renewable lease – If it’s not renewable, when the lease is up, it falls back into the previous owner’s hands.
3. How to Own Land in Mexico (without Leasing) – Our tour guide Miguel told us about two ways to be the sole owner of land in Mexico without leasing. The first is to become a Mexican citizen and the second is to have a baby while living on Mexican land. (That’s easy enough, right?)
4. Purchase land only through a “Notario Público” (Notary Public) – The term “Notary Public” has a different definition in Spanish than it does in English. In English (at least in the United States) a Notary Public is a person who witnesses the signing of documents and certifies the authenticity of the signer. In Spanish, a “Notario Público” is an attorney who works with legal documents. The “Notario Público” ensures that the person selling/leasing the land is the sole owner of the land. Many people and organizations over the past years have purchased land without using a “Notario Público”; they lost all their money because the land wasn’t owned by the person selling it.
5. Be sure to do a “Fideicomiso” – This is a trusteeship and is the kind of legal document you need to have drawn up.
Moral of the Story: Spanish is becoming very essential and useful in today’s world. Also, if you are planning to have a baby soon, be sure to deliver on Mexican land so you can own land! (Notice: Do at your own risk – The U.S. Institute of Languages™ is not responsible for babies born in Mexico, or any other part of the world including the United States. for that matter!)
Sneak peek at next week: Latin American’s are serious about their #1 Pastime!
¡Hasta la próxima semana! (Until Next Week!)
David S. Clark — President / Director
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