Addressing Poverty, Racism, and Gender Issues in Mexico: Federal Education Policy, Economic Reform, and Migration
Overview
This paper examines how the Mexican government and individuals attempted to address poverty, racism, and gender issues through federal education policy, President Lázaro Cárdenas's economic reforms (1934-1940), and transnational labor migration. The author argues that while these efforts had good intentions, systemic challenges persist and require different approaches for Mexico to achieve sustained development.
What this essay covers
- Federal education policy as a tool for economic development and poverty reduction through teaching independence and work habits
- President Lázaro Cárdenas's economic reforms including land redistribution and public expenditure on social development
- Bracero migration to the United States as individual economic strategy to eliminate family poverty
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Yihe Shen
Prof. Sal
History
Dec 12th, 2020
1 Aguilar et al. "In the shadow of the Mexican revolution: contemporary Mexican history."
2 Vaughan's, "Cultural politics in revolution: Teachers, peasants, and schools in Mexico."
3 Cohen, "Braceros: Migrant citizens and transnational subjects in the postwar United States and Mexico."
The Mexican government and individuals invested significant efforts to address poverty, racism, and gender issues with the federal education policy, President Lazaro Cardenas's efforts to upgrade the economy, and the migrants and transnationals working hard to attain their objectives to eradicate the societal vices. The federal education policy had good intentions of enhancing economic development and helping reduce poverty and other discriminations in the country. Education is critical because it empowers Mexicans and nurtures work habits and punctuality. It would also teach people to abstain from practices like substance abuse and gambling.[1] The good intention of the education policy was to eradicate poverty by teaching Mexicans how to be independent and work hard.[2] Similarly, President Lazaro Cardenas (1934-1940) was very ambitious in bringing prosperity to Mexico through several policies and self-sacrifice. Cardenas was primarily concerned with the country's economic prosperity; hence he enacted several reforms.[3] Immediately after taking over the presidency in 1934, President Cardenas enacted extensive land reforms. He envisioned a state where Mexico was economically stable with agriculture and oil and mineral markets doing well to reduce the poverty levels.