There are many things I’ve learned from TikTok, but I never thought I’d get a trip out of it. In May as I was scrolling down aimlessly, I came across a video that talked about a program by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Institute of Mexicans Abroad. The video was from @packslight:
So I applied, not really knowing what would happen (or what it even really was), and I got it! Shout out to Manu Mijar for the encouragement.
The Programa de Inmersión Cultural y Voluntariado para Jóvenes Estudiantes de Origen Mexicano (PICV for short), is a program for individuals ages 18-30 currently in college or recently graduated from the U.S. and Canada with Mexican heritage. The purpose of this program is to provide culturally immersive opportunities to strengthen Mexican heritage bonds as well as support local communities through volunteer work. Lodging accommodations and meals are provided at no cost!
The 2019 cohort was the first year it took place, and 2021 was the second year, due to the pandemic. This three-week program ran from July 18th through August 6th. For a little less than a week, we were in Mexico City, where we had convocations and conferences with government officials (I’ll admit, not the most fun thing but still interesting) and toured important spots, like the National Museum of Anthropology, Palacio Nacional (where the current president resides) and the Senate of the Republic, which part of Mexico's bicameral Congress ( currently consists of 128 members, who serve six-year terms) where I had the opportunity to share my story.
For the other two weeks, we were divided into groups and placed in different participating states; they usually try to place you in the state where your family is from if that state is participating. Nuevo Leon, where I was born, was not a participant, so I was placed in Jalisco, Mexico with 18 other participants. In the past, they had a total of 150 participants dispersed throughout these states, but this year it was only about 80 due to the pandemic.
During my time in Jalisco, we stayed at a hotel in Guadalajara, where we had local guides and governmental representatives taking us to different municipalities every day. At each town, we visited their local attractions, from churches (lots of them) to museums, restaurants, and ecological sights. On the first day, we had presentations from Lic. Raymundo Galván, Director of Attention to Migrants of the State of Jalisco, and Nataly Becerra from the National Institute of Migration.
For about three days we had cultural classes through the College of Spanish and Mexican Culture from the University of Guadalajara in the beautiful Museum of the Arts of the University of Guadalajara (MUSA).
I’ll be honest, we didn’t actually do any volunteer work; it was more of “local tourism”, and I know other participants also had the same experience of little to no volunteer work in their states. Though it wasn’t what I expected in terms of volunteer opportunities, I knew that it was only the second year, so things would definitely not be perfect. However, I still encourage you to apply next year if you qualify. You will meet amazing people and learn so much in a short amount of time.
If you have any questions feel free to contact/comment. During the next few posts, I’ll be sharing more of my experience through this program and reflections I’ve had since returning to the U.S., including understanding Mexican social problems and what immigration looks like from the other side of the border.
To learn more about the program, you can click here.
Disclaimer: The program took place in the Summer of 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. All participants provided mandated proof of vaccination and wore face masks at all times.
Comentários