Since arriving in January, I have had lessons big and small about what it means to be Mexican. People have proudly told me about the founding of the capital, Mexico City, which is based on the legend of finding an eagle with a serpent in its mouth perched atop a cactus. I have learned about manners and the word mande being used as the Mexican response to someone calling out your name. Complete strangers have opened up to me in conversation about their favorite types of food, whether it be gorditas or enchiladas or chilaquiles. I was expecting and especially excited for these talks and getting the opportunity to learn about Mexico at a level I could only experience in the country itself. What I was not as prepared for was the amount that I would learn about America.
Having lived abroad this past summer, I had already received some input as to what America meant to foreigners. In Dar es Salaam, people often asked about President Trump and wanted to know if I owned a gun. At first, I thought these questions were a bit straightforward to ask someone you had just met.
