““Ideas for Ideas for community connections”community connections”

Josey Spallarossa & Garth WillisJune 2007

Minnesota-MorelosMinnesota-Morelos

Up to 200,000 Mexican born individuals currently living in Minnesota

This represents 4% of the total population of Minnesota

An estimated 60% of this total are undocumented.

View from MinnesotaView from Minnesota

Immigrant youth are by law given a high school education.

But after high school few services exist, including limited access to scholarships for higher education, no health care, unable to find legal work, fear of police.

Youth lack identity, many have spent most of their lives in Minnesota, yet are citizens of a country that they have no connection to.

Situation for youth in Situation for youth in MinnesotaMinnesota

Can spend their lives in communities devoid of parents. In some schools up to 80% of the pupils have one or both parents living in the United States.

According to a secondary school principal, Juanita Vidal, students feel “abandoned” and they see the opportunity to go to the United States as a “dream”. However she acknowledges the challenges and difficulties still facing Mexicans emigrating to the “other side”.

Children ask parents to return “they don’t want their money, they want them to come home”, she tells us.

Situation for youth in MorelosSituation for youth in Morelos

Students in Tepoztlan raising their hand when asked if they had one or both parents in the United States

Primary School in AxochiapanPrimary School in Axochiapan

Minneapolis “The new Minneapolis “The new Axochiapan”Axochiapan”

The streets of Axochiapan, MorelosThe streets of Axochiapan, Morelos

Minneapolis and AxochiapanMinneapolis and Axochiapan

Population: 30,000

10,000 in the United States, mostly in Minnesota.

At one school 80% of the students have one or more parents currently in the United States.

According to the school social worker this lack of parental supervision has lead to social problems such as troubles with behavior, lack of interest in school, and an increase problem with youth gangs in the city.

When asked what their hopes were for the future virtually all youth answered to leave and go to “The other side”.

AxochiapanAxochiapan

Cuauhtemoc Secondary School in Axochiapan, Cuauhtemoc Secondary School in Axochiapan, MorelosMorelos

Internet cafes in AxochiapanInternet cafes in Axochiapan

Internet Cafes in TepoztlanInternet Cafes in Tepoztlan

Use of internet as an intervention to help youth on both sides of the border

In Morelos students could use internet to:

•Be better connected to family and friends.

•Learn more about the real situation in Minnesota.

•Connect with other youth currently in Minnesota.

Internet and communityInternet and community

Allowing parents to be more involved in their children’s education and social adjustment

Giving youth the chance to connect to their community.

Opportunity for youth to share their culture with peers across borders.

To allow both youth and adults to find opportunities that exist in Morelos to lessen the draw of the United States as the only option for employment.

Benefits of the internet for Benefits of the internet for communitiescommunities

In MorelosIn MorelosInternet Café’s available in almost all small towns, primarily used for youth chatting with friends and for homework. Not often used to communicate with family.

While available to a small degree in schools, not used for communication.

It has been a challenge for several schools to pay for internet services (Average of $40.00 a month).

In Minnesota:In Minnesota:Low use by the Mexican population, lack of time and access given as the main reasons.

Current environment for internet Current environment for internet useuse

Computer Lab in a Tepoztlan Secondary Computer Lab in a Tepoztlan Secondary schoolschool

Ideas for future connectionsIdeas for future connections

Connection between schools in Minnesota and Morelos:

•Internet/Media room in schools

•Used for school projects (language acquisition English-Spanish and Spanish-English)

•Open to community members, not only students

Minnesota-Morelos website

•Created to share project ideas among individuals from both communities.

•Updated stories of people who have moved to Minnesota from Morelos.

Tele Secondary School in Emiliano ZapataTele Secondary School in Emiliano Zapata

Institutions visited in MorelosInstitutions visited in Morelos•Secondary School Cuauhtemoc, Axochiapan

•Primary School, Tlahuilli, Axochiapan

•Technical Secondary School, Santa Catarina

•Primary School, Benito Juarez, San Andres de la Cal

•Primary School, Heroes Caidos del Escuadron 201, Tepoztlan

•General Secondary School, Jesus Conde Rodriguez, Tepoztlan

•Secondary School, I.M.A, Jiutepec

•Tele Secondary School, Belisario Dominguez, Emiliano Zapata

•CEMITT: Morelos’ center of innovation and transfer of technology.

•IEBEM: Institute of Basic Education of Morelos

•Padre Miguel, Parroquia San Pablo, Axochiapan

•FLACSO: Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Mexico D.F