Social Realities in Mexico

Kia ora! We are part of the University of Auckland's 2023 PMSLA programme hosted by Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México (IBERO). We will be spending 6 weeks in Mexico City betwen January-February 2023. "Social Realities in Mexico" is an academic program meant to sharpen students' awareness of the main development concerns and social challenges in Latin America. We will be engaged in a full schedule of academic and social activities, full immersion into the Mexican culture and society, and direct contact with experts, NGOs and the local population. Check out our profiles below to learn more about who we are and what motivated us to join this programme, and be sure to follow along our journey, which begins 5 January 2023!

Laura Simcock

Lionel Kake

Maria O’Connell

Mei Gillespie

Reina Beamsley-Allan

Tayla-Lee Bainbridge

Latest posts

  • Orientation at Iberoamericana
    by Tay
    We started the day travelling through the gorgeous Roma to Santa Fe, the business hub of Mexico City. Orientation day began. We met with Florian and Andrea, our guides, and had a tour around the Iberoamericana campus. Ibero is not only architecturally stunning but also has a vibrant student body that makes anyone feel welcome. Its size was overwhelming in the best way; I had never seen something so extravagant….Continue Reading Orientation at Iberoamericana
  • Our first few days in Mexico
    by rbea755
    E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangataga o te motu. Koia rā ahau tetahi wahine Maori, nō Aoteroa e mihi kau atu kia koutou, nō te whenua o Mexico. Here I am, a Maori Girl from Aotearoa, New Zealand, living her dreams and experiencing another country in a way only a few can say they have had the opportunity. I am a Maori Wahine of Aotearoa, experiencing Mexico…Continue Reading Our first few days in Mexico
  • Another World, Another Beginning, Another Understanding.
    by lkak264
    Hola! A single word, to greet someone, to acknowledge the presence of another human being. The same, but not quite the same. Complex and experienced in our own unique way, so diverse, somewhat extra-terrestrial, but finding common ground through things that are relative to our existence together in this world.   It has been an interesting, extraordinary, and uncomfortable experience, but the discomfort is both expected and correct in its…Continue Reading Another World, Another Beginning, Another Understanding.
  • Adjusting to our new lives in Mexico City!
    by Laura Simcock
    After many hours of travelling, our group arrived in Mexico City at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, the 4th of January. We were met very enthusiastically by Natalia, our Ibero representative. This lovely greeting set the tone for the days following.  Thursday was a free day for us to get situated in our hostel and the surrounding neighbourhood, Roma. Our first stop was a cafe across the street that has already…Continue Reading Adjusting to our new lives in Mexico City!
  • Bienvenido a Mexico
    by Maria
    Our programme began with a long 12 hour flight to the City of Lost Angels. Unfortunately during our departure from Los Angeles, we did in fact lose some of our angels along the way. Due to our delayed flight, being the last people to receive our checked bags, and the massive lines for L.A security, only half of us made it into our connecting flight to Mexico. It felt like…Continue Reading Bienvenido a Mexico
  • An interesting welcome to Mexico
    by Mei Gillespie
    On Wednesday, the 4th of January, we departed from Auckland airport to start our long-haul flight to Los Angeles airport. From there, we would fly to Mexico City to live and study at Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO) for 6 weeks. I was hesitant to fly internationally because this was my first time travelling abroad. The thought of something going wrong and leaving me stranded at the airport alone made me tremendously…Continue Reading An interesting welcome to Mexico
  • A hectic and enlightening first week at IBERO!
    by Laura Simcock
    Our first week of uni has been a big one, but I have a feeling that every week will be! This week we have been getting used to our routine. During the week, we have 12-hour days. We have to leave our hostel at 7:20am, walk 20 minutes and take the bus for almost an hour to get to the university for our 9 am Spanish class. This class is…Continue Reading A hectic and enlightening first week at IBERO!
  • Human Rights Week
    by Tay
    Getting to university has been a mission in itself. We live in Roma Sur, about a 20-minute drive from Iberoamericana. Doesn’t sound very far, right? Wrong. I never want to hear another Aucklander complain about traffic until they experience Mexico City. That same 20-minute drive takes us an hour in the morning rush and sometimes two hours in the night rush. Because of this, we must get the 7:40 am…Continue Reading Human Rights Week
  • The Realities and Beauties of Mexico
    by Maria
    We started our first day of university cooking up some traditional Mexican dishes. At Ibero, the typical apron doesn’t suffice for the kitchen. Instead, we all had to dress in what looked like full PPE gear that doctors wore during an operation(see photo below). As ridiculous as we looked, it ensured avoiding any health and safety risks. Knowing me in the kitchen, the PPE gear probably saved me from some…Continue Reading The Realities and Beauties of Mexico
  • The 4 L’s of Lion’s Latin Life: Love, Lust, Light, & Loss.
    by lkak264
    Love There is a measure of love that can be seen amongst the local people in Mexico City; a type of love that has no structure or coordination. It flows like a river through the city, free flowing, without mechanical or forced instigation. It reaches the masses of people to then filter and flow among each other. It’s quite magical, a natural cycle stemming from its hydrating and life-giving core…Continue Reading The 4 L’s of Lion’s Latin Life: Love, Lust, Light, & Loss.
  • Human Rights in Another Lense.
    by rbea755
    Mahia te mahi hei painga mō te iwi. Kua tae tātou ki te wiki tuatahi o to tātou taenga ki Mehiko. Kua ahua haehae ai ngā ahuatanga o tōku nohonga ki Mehiko, mai i ngā kaupapa ki rō ruma ako, ki runga hoki i ngā kaupapa whakaaro e pā ana ki ōku whainga akoranga.  Ko te mihi tuatahi ki ngā tangata whenua o Mehiko, hoki atu ki ngā kaiako o…Continue Reading Human Rights in Another Lense.
  • The need for humanity
    by Laura Simcock
    Just as we thought we were settling in, this week started with many changes in classrooms that led us in a scavenger hunt around campus. The upside of this was finding a couple of new places to study and starting to feel very at home with all the shortcuts we figured out! In Spanish this week, three of us were given a test to determine where our gaps are, and…Continue Reading The need for humanity
  • Casa de Refugiados
    by Tay
    Migration week We are definitely settling in to México life. All altitude sickness and jet lag has calmed down significantly. Although we are still having our fair share of ‘travellers illness’ with half of our group struggling with something health wise. The university campus is even higher than México City (which is the same height above sea level as the summit of Mt Ruapehu) and I don’t know if its…Continue Reading Casa de Refugiados
  • A bumpy ride
    by Mei Gillespie
    Welcome to week two of living in Mexico City! This week has been more hectic than the previous week. All of us international students started uni on Monday, the 9th of January, alongside the domestic students. It was very packed. Starting uni in a new environment was nerve-wracking and felt like that nervous buzz you got when you were a kid the night before going to school camp. As a…Continue Reading A bumpy ride
  • “Freedom is not a Privilege”
    by Maria
    Our second week’s topic was Migration, involving challenges asylum seekers and refugees. For our weekly NGO visit, we went to ‘La Casa de Refugiados.’ This non-governmental organization works alongside helping those seeking asylum and reintegration into their home country.  Our conversation began with what reminded us of peace and violence. An interesting cultural difference noted by us students and the workers was which colours reminded us of peace. For Mexicans, many…Continue Reading “Freedom is not a Privilege”
  • Indigenous Rights Week
    by Tay
    Last week was all about indigenous rights across Mexico. Coming from little Aotearoa, New Zealand, where we have one indigenous group, led me to understand the Aztecs and Mayans as the only indigenous groups in Mexico. But boy, was I wrong. Mexico has an estimated 68 different indigenous groups and 63 languages. There are also an estimated 350 dialects, but that’s another topic. That number of 68 was astounding to…Continue Reading Indigenous Rights Week
  • Exploring new cities and cultures!
    by Laura Simcock
    This week was our 3rd week, meaning we are over halfway through our time here at uni, which is crazy! Our topic for the week was indigenous studies in Mexico, taught by the lovely María. We have discovered that there are many Marias, and many are twins. We have two teachers who are called Maria and whose twins are also called Maria! It seems crazy for us but very normal…Continue Reading Exploring new cities and cultures!
  • Remembering Those That Once Walked With Us
    by Maria
    Our topic for this week was the Indigenous of Mexico. It was very interesting to learn about their indigenous groups in comparison to our New Zealand indigenous. Throughout the week, we were guided by our lecturer and my tocaya, Maria (tocaya= ‘name twin’ in Spanish). I loved how passionate she was about this topic and the range of areas she taught within Mexican Indigenous. Not only did I learn so…Continue Reading Remembering Those That Once Walked With Us