Letter from Mexico

Mexico is influenced by two main factors: one is geographical, being located on the North American continent; the other is historical, deriving from the Spanish colonization and acculturation. The country shares a border with the United States which is more than 2,000 miles long, where diverse interchanges take place every day. Globalization of economy and communications, as well as cultural and migration issues, have led to the interchange of ideas between the two countries. Los Angeles currently has the largest Mexican population of any city outside Mexico; on the other hand, large groups of Americans live in Mexico City, Guadalajara and San Miguel de Allende.

The southern, and shorter, border of Mexico shapes its relationship with 20 other countries in Central and South America. All these countries are united by shared traditions consequent from the long colonial period with Spanish cultural and social influences over several important native cultures, and the use of a common language (except for Brazil). Political, economic and social factors have increased migration to Mexico during the past three decades, so many of its main cities have a cosmopolitan population. It could be said of both of our borders that Mexico's neighbors are so close and yet so distant.

As with many countries in the world, Mexico is full of diversity, from the desert zones in the north and northwest to the rain forests in the south. Culture is also diverse, from the native Aztec and Mayan archaeological sites to the 16th and 17th century Spanish buildings and city planning, around which modern cities have grown and developed. There are places in Mexico City where one can look at these three modes of architectural expression alongside one another.

History and tradition have influenced our culture and way of thinking, including our psychoanalytic discipline. For example, at the very beginning, the Asociación Psicoanalítica Mexicana (APM) chose an icon of the Aztec goddess Tlazolteotl as its lo