After moving to Mexico, Janet Blaser is spending her later years living her best life in Mazatlán, surfing every chance she gets. (Matt Mawson)
I found this quote scribbled into a journal I kept when I first moved to Mazatlán more than 15 years ago:
“To be sure, she was exhausted; obviously she was confused; but she was excited, as well. She felt that she was caught up in some chaotic but grand adventure that was lifting her out of context and placing her beyond the normal constraints of society.”
This quote, from Tom Robbins’ book “Jitterbug Perfume,” made me chuckle; obviously that’s how I felt at the time. And it’s how I often feel even now: If we’re lucky, life is full of surprises. The challenge is to see them as such and go forward happily, enthusiastically, maybe somewhat confidently, even when the unknown and unexpected seem to loom on the horizon.
I don’t think I realized the scope or significance of this passage until now, years into what will perhaps be the biggest adventure of my life. Some have called this — and me — courageous, shaking their heads as they try to imagine doing the same, finding they’re able only to step back and flatten themselves against the strong, solid wall of the known and familiar.
Beyond a certain shadowy point, I find that boring, and I know in my heart that I don’t want to spend the rest of my life — however many precious days remain — making “safe” decisions.
The thing is, the more one steps outside the box, or even looks outside the box, the easier it is to do so again. Consciously or unconsciously, these kinds of decisions affect our entire outlook on life, and it becomes easier to choose the less-traveled path, to arrive at a fork in the road and go the other way despite — or because of — the mysterious chaos that might be ahead.
Personally, I’ve been compelled by curiosity my whole life; my mother used to say I did “too much, too fast.” I don’t want to miss “the grand adventure” if I can help it.
Questions like “What if?” “Can I?” and “Suppose…” haunt me until I take action and head off, preferably toward something new, toward an I-don’t-know-where-or-what odyssey. Other times I’m led by an unconscious desire to explore, to do or know or see something different — “to be lifted out of context and placed beyond the normal constraints of society.”
As I’ve gotten older, I find I have less and less patience with staying on the proverbial fence. I do it (up to a certain point) but am eager to weigh whichever pros and cons I can figure out as quickly as possible and just get on with it.
And if my decision ends up being uncomfortable or — oops! — not what I thought it would be, well, I’m happy to switch directions and try the other way. (Usually.)
But what inevitably happens to all of us — the way life works — is that the unknown becomes familiar more quickly than we think. As expats living in Mexico, we learn some Spanish, maybe deal with tropical heat, make new and different friends, eat new and different foods. What once seemed impossible or unheard of — too “chaotic,” too “grand an adventure” — becomes our own life, our “norm,” how we live day-to-day.
To be sure, we might be exhausted or confused — but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The collision occurred on the Hidalgo-Zaragoza highway near Ciudad Victoria. (SSP Tamaulipas/Facebook)
At least 27 people were killed in a fiery crash on a highway in Tamaulipas on Sunday morning.
The Public Security Ministry (SSP) in the northern border state said that a tractor-trailer and a van collided on the Hidalgo-Zaragoza highway in the municipality of Güémez, near the capital city of Ciudad Victoria.
Local news reports said that the van’s passengers appeared to be members of the same family. Many of the deceased have not yet been identified. (SSP Tamaulipas/Facebook)
Both vehicles subsequently caught fire, the SSP said in a post on its Facebook page. According to preliminary reports, the bodies of most victims were badly burned.
The SSP initially reported 13 deaths, but the number was revised to 27 later on Sunday.
The ministry said that when state police arrived, the tractor carrying the freight trailer was not there, suggesting that the driver uncoupled the truck and fled the scene.
A source at the Tamaulipas Attorney General’s Office told the Reuters news agency that investigators could not yet confirm whether the driver fled or was killed in the accident.
The van was reportedly traveling from the state of Veracruz to Monterrey, Nuevo León. Children were among the passengers who lost their lives in the accident.
Reciban un abrazo afectuoso y nuestras condolencias, familiares y allegados de las personas que perdieron la vida esta mañana en el accidente de la carretera Güémez -Zaragoza. pic.twitter.com/k7grg3HmwS
— Américo Villarreal (@Dr_AVillarreal) May 14, 2023
Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal left messages of condolences to the victims’ families on Twitter on Sunday. (Américo Villarreal/Twitter)
The truck was transporting air conditioners, according to a Univision report.
Reuters’ source said that all the victims were believed to be Mexican, as authorities recovered national ID cards.
Governor Américo Villareal Anaya sent his condolences to the victims’ families in a message posted to Twitter. He said he had instructed authorities to investigate the cause of the accident and provide “all possible help” to the victims’ relatives.
Last year's hurricane season saw intense rains, especially in the Caribbean. Hurricane Lisa, a Category 1 hurricane, made landfall in Campeche. (Michael Balam/Cuartoscuro)
The National Meteorological Service (SMN) predicts that between 26 and 38 storms will form in the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans during the 2023 hurricane season.
As many as nine of those storms could be Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricanes, according to SMN forecasts.
Highway damage at the Juluchuca bridge in Petatlán, Guerrero after Hurricane Rick in 2021. (Protección Civil Guerrero)
The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins Monday, May 15, while the Atlantic season starts June 1. Both seasons run through Nov. 30.
The forecast for the Pacific is 16–22 storms, including three to five Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricanes. The SMN anticipates four to six Category 1 or 2 hurricanes and nine to 11 tropical storms.
SMN chief Alejandra Margarita Méndez Girón told a virtual press conference that the El Niño climate pattern was a factor in the greater-than-usual hurricane activity predicted for the Pacific this year.
The forecast for the Atlantic is 10–16 storms, including two to four Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricanes, one to three Category 1 or 2 hurricanes and seven to nine tropical storms.
There were 19 named storms in the Eastern Pacific last year, including 11 hurricanes. The Atlantic saw 15 named storms, including nine hurricanes.
The category 2 hurricane (maximum sustained winds between 154 and 177 kilometers per hour) was the strongest Pacific storm to make landfall in Mexico in the month of May since records began over 70 years ago. Agatha caused extensive damage in Oaxaca and claimed at least nine lives.
Brembo already has a significant presence in the state of Nuevo León, but this new investment will double the output of brake calipers. Here, state governor Samuel García visits the Brembo headquarters in Bergamo, Italy. (Gobierno de Nuevo León/Cuartoscuro)
Italian brake manufacturer Brembo has completed its US $207 million expansion of its manufacturing plant in Escobedo, Nuevo León.
The 322,917-square-foot project, which began in 2021, is expected to create 500 new jobs, on top of the 1,100 people already employed there. The investment doubled the factory’s size, which will allow it to increase output from 3 million to 6 million brake calipers per year, Brembo officials said. The Escobedo plant is now Brembo’s largest manufacturing site worldwide.
The Escobedo plant is now Brembo’s largest production facility globally. The US $207 million investment is yet another major victory for the northern state of Nuevo León. (Brembo)
“As Brembo continues to advance the world of brakes, advanced facilities like this one help bring our vision to life,” Brembo North America President Stéphane Rolland said during the inauguration ceremony. “This represents another step in our mission to be a solutions provider and serve our customers globally.”
“For us, Nuevo León is a great place to do business. We have great skills, talented people that allow us to grow with Brembo,” he added.
The Escobedo site opened in 2016, and is one of three Brembo facilities in the northern state, alongside a cast-iron foundry and a disc-machining center, both located in the nearby city of Apodaca.
Stéphane Rolland, Brembo president for North America, said that the factory represented a step in cementing his company as a global provider. (Brembo)
The Italian company has had a presence in Mexico since beginning a joint venture in Puebla in 1996 and acquiring Hayes-Lemmerz in 2007. The Brembo group saw profits of 961.9 million euros during the first quarter of 2023.
Italian ambassador to Mexico Luiggi da Chiarra said that he hoped the new investment would increase ties between the two countries further.
Mexico is Italy’s top trading partner in Latin America, with around US $8.5 billion of goods traded between the two nations.
AMLO reviewed the progress on the Maya Train, sent his best wishes to "all the moms of the world" and addressed the anticipated surge of migrants in response to the end of the Title 42 policy in the U.S. (Gob MX)
The expiration of the United States’ COVID-era migration policy, a Supreme Court ruling against part of an electoral reform package, upcoming elections in México state and Coahuila and previous governments’ allegedly irresponsible issuance of casino licenses were among the topics discussed at President López Obrador’s morning press conferences, or mañaneras, this week.
AMLO also looked ahead to the 2024 federal elections, noting that if the ruling Morena party and its allies win a two-thirds majority in Congress, he will be able to make changes to the constitution before he leaves office.
AMLO at the Wednesday press conference, which included a concert in honor of Mother’s Day. (Gob MX)
Monday
After congratulating boxer Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez for his win over Britain’s John Ryder and Formula 1 driver Sergio “Checo” Pérez for finishing in second place in the Miami Grand Prix last weekend, AMLO handed over the reins of his mañanera to the head of the consumer protection agency Profeco.
Ricardo Sheffield presented information that showed that remittances sent to Mexico in March totaled just under $5.2 billion, a 10.7% increase compared to the same month last year and a 73.5% surge over the figure for March 2019.
He highlighted that PagaPhone, a Mexican fintech company, offered the best international money transfer service because its dollar-peso exchange rate was more favorable than those of its competitors.
Head of Profeco, Ricardo Sheffield, at the Monday morning press conference. (Gob MX)
Javier May Rodríguez, director of the National Tourism Promotion Fund, subsequently reported that tracks have been laid along 120 kilometers of the 239-kilometer-long Izamal-Cancún section of the Maya Train. Construction of Section 4, which will run through nine municipalities in Yucatán and Quintana Roo, has created 62,000 jobs, he said.
“The Maya Train will be inaugurated in December 2023 for the good of all,” May pledged.
López Obrador later stressed that the ambitious railroad project wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Mexican people.
“Imagine building 1,554 kilometers of train tracks, … it’s like going from … [Mexico City] to Cancún by highway. Building this entire project, going through communities, communal land, small properties, towns and cities … [is] only [possible] with the support of the people. Without it, the project would stop and we wouldn’t be able to do it in the time it’s taking,” he said.
“It’s going to be a great achievement, an example for the world … and this is because of the participation and support of the people.”
One reporter asked the president whether it would be advisable for Mexico to diversify its foreign exchange reserves due to a growing shift away from the use of the U.S. dollar for international trade.
“We’re definitely going to continue considering the dollar the main currency of the world,” López Obrador responded.
“Firstly, … even with a financial crisis in the future, the dollar will continue to be the most important currency in the world. Secondly, we have increasingly closer economic integration with the United States and Canada. Mexico is the main trade partner of the United States – in the first quarter of the year Mexico was the main trade partner of the United States,” he said.
President Lopez Obrador on the Tuesday phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden. (AMLO/Twitter)
“The issues: migration, fentanyl and economic cooperation for development. … We’re going to continue speaking about the cooperation we have, which is very good,” he said.
Asked about Texas Governor Greg Abbot’s decision to deploy the Lone Star state’s Tactical Border Force to the U.S.-Mexico border ahead of the termination of the Title 42 migrant expulsion policy, López Obrador said that Abbott and Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida – where lawmakers recently approved US $12 million in funding to transport migrants out of the state – should be focused on gun control rather than actions against migrants.
“The governor of Texas and the governor of Florida as well as Republican Party lawmakers and some [legislators] from the Democratic Party would be better off coming up with a proposal so that guns … aren’t sold in supermarkets,” he said.
“That [would be] a good initiative … [to prevent] these appalling murders, these constant shootings [in the United States]. Why don’t they get involved in that?”
Tuesday
López Obrador claimed at the beginning of his presser that Mexico will have a first-class public health system before he leaves office in 2024.
“I’ve said it on other occasions, I repeat it now – [we’ll have a health system] not like that in Denmark [but] better than that in Denmark,” he said.
AMLO asserted that his administration has made a lot of progress in cleaning up the health sector “disaster” left by “corrupt neoliberal” past governments, a situation he said included “corruption” and a “lack of doctors.”
The judicial power is “rotten” and the Supreme Court justices “are acting in a partisan way,” he asserted.
“…They’re part of the supreme conservative power, they’re dedicated to obstructing the transformation of the country to support the old regime … of corruption and privileges,” López Obrador said.
He rejected the Supreme Court’s ruling that lawmakers violated established legislative procedure when passing two “Plan B” electoral reform laws and accused the justices of committing an “act of arrogance and authoritarianism.”
The vote to invalidate the first part of the controversial “Plan B”electoral reforms passed by nine votes to two. (SCJN/Cuartoscuro)
The campaign, in which teachers educate students about the harm caused by drug use, “has been very well received,” Ramírez said.
“We are very grateful for the participation of teachers and authorities. Everyone has agreed on the importance of preventing addictions,” she said. “… And we have also agreed, and seen, that the participation of mothers, fathers and families is essential.”
Wednesday
On Mother’s Day, López Obrador began his presser by congratulating Mexican mothers and “all the moms of the world.”
A performance for Mother’s Day at the Wednesday morning press conference. (Gob MX)
“We’re going to dedicate a concert to you,” he said, referring to a performance by the singers Eugenia León and María Inés Ochoa in the second half of the mañanera.
Asked whether he had begun thinking about a replacement for Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard given that he could soon leave his position to focus on winning the ruling Morena party’s nomination to contest the 2024 presidential election, AMLO declined to give much away.
“We have to wait” was all he would say before turning his focus to upcoming elections in México state and Coahuila, at which the ruling Morena party will aim to add to the 20 governorships (including the mayorship of Mexico City) it already holds.
“Both [elections] are important, but think about what the México state election means. We’re talking about the most populous state in the country, … a state that has around 18 million residents – that’s the population of several countries in the world,” he said.
López Obrador noted that “a party I can’t mention” – the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI – has never lost an election in México state or Coahuila, before reiterating that both elections are “very important.”
“Who will decide? The people, the people, freely. There shouldn’t be manipulation through the press, through radio, through [favorable] television [coverage] sold or rented to candidates, to parties, that’s a disgrace,” he said.
“… Be careful with vote buying as well, the delivery of groceries and building materials, and chickens and ducks, goats, sheep, pigs … and beans with weevils [in them] … and the stream of lies,” López Obrador said.
“‘If I win I’ll build a bridge here in this town.’ ‘But there’s no river,” he said, impersonating a candidate and a constituent. “‘We’re going to build the river as well.'”
One reporter sought López Obrador’s opinion on the decision of the International Association of Women Judges to award a human rights prize to Supreme Court Chief Justice Norma Piña, of whom the president has been highly critical.
“Those prizes can be obtained at the Plaza de Santo Domingo,” he derided, referring to a Mexico City square that is notorious for the sale of falsified documents.
AMLO later took aim at the Organization of American States (OAS), a regional grouping of 35 countries.
“I recommend the disappearance of the OAS, which is useless. Does it serve any useful purpose? Do you know whether the OAS has done anything good?” asked the president, who has favored the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States over the OAS.
“The only thing it has done is endorse all the authoritarian acts against legitimate, legal, popular governments in Latin America – that’s all the OAS has done.”
Thursday
Early in his engagement with reporters, AMLO took aim at one of his favorite targets: past governments.
“During the neoliberal period there was no planning for the development of the country, they left everything to the market. [The goal] was to grow [the economy] for the sake of growing, without taking wellbeing into account, without taking nature and other elements into account,” he said.
López Obrador said that his government is making sure that “development is balanced” and “sustainable” and that natural resources are not “exploited irrationally.”
Concessions for mining are no longer granted, fracking isn’t allowed, genetically modified corn can’t be brought into the country and the supply of water for domestic purposes is guaranteed, he said.
A legislative session held at an alternate venue by Morena senators on April 29 where many reforms – including the new mining law supported by AMLO – were passed. (Galo Cañas Rodríguez / Cuartoscuro.com)
“It was up to us to cancel the Constellation Brands brewery project in Mexicali. For those who suffer amnesia … I’ll remind you that the National Action Party authorities at that time gave permits for this brewery to set up in Mexicali where there is no water,” López Obrador said.
AMLO turned his attention to a long list of benefits enjoyed by Supreme Court justices before claiming that the decision by the nation’s top court to invalidate part of his electoral reform package was motivated by a desire to protect those perks.
“That’s why [the justices] rejected the so-called Plan B [package], because [the aim of] Plan B was to prevent these excesses at the National Electoral Institute and the Federal Electoral Tribunal. … If the law passed it had to apply to them [as well],” he said.
AMLO later urged citizens to vote at the 2024 elections in favor of the “transformation” he claims his government is carrying out.
“You have to vote not just for the [Morena] candidate for president, you have to vote for the lawmakers, the [Morena] candidates for deputies and senators, so that the transformation has a qualified majority,” said López Obrador, who would be able to push constitutional changes through Congress in the last month of his presidency if the ruling party and its allies have two-thirds control of both houses.
Asked about the imminent end of the United States’ pandemic-era Title 42 migration policy, López Obrador said that Mexico would fully cooperate with the U.S. to avoid chaos and violence at the northern border as migrants rush to seek asylum in the U.S.
Members of the US Customs and Border Patrol assembled at the San Ysidro border crossing for a practice drill, in preparation fro the repeal of Title 42. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
He also revealed that the government would send additional National Guard troops to the southern border, but stressed they would be instructed not to use force against migrants. AMLO said he was unsure of the size of the new deployment and didn’t specify what their duties would be.
He said that the decision to send extra troops to the southern border was not agreed with Biden during his call with the U.S. president on Tuesday, but rather one that his government took on its own.
López Obrador noted that he didn’t raise the United States’ funding of what he describes as groups “openly” opposed to his government during his conversation with Biden, nor did he bring up the case of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange – of whom he is an ardent supporter – as he has done before.
At the end of his presser, AMLO noted that he would provide an update on the economy at his Friday mañanera.
“I can tell you in advance that we’re doing very well, but tomorrow we’re going to provide information and data. We’re going to do an analysis of the economic situation of the country,” he said.
Friday
In response to a question posed the previous day about the harm caused by gambling, Interior Minister Adán Augusto López Hernández spoke about casino licenses issued by previous governments.
“As the president commented yesterday, not a single permit for the operation of casinos has been granted during the current administration,” he said.
López Hernández said that 229 licenses for casinos or other gambling establishments were issued by federal governments between 1970 and 2000, and that the 2000-2006 administration led by former president Vicente Fox granted 340.
AMLO at the Friday morning press conference with Interior Minister Adán Augusto López (left) and Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard (right). (Gob MX)
He took aim at former interior minister Santiago Creel – currently a federal deputy – saying that he was “directly responsible” for the issuance of 153 licenses during the Fox administration.
López Hernández also pointed out that the previous two governments led by Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto both issued over 100 casino licenses, while the López Obrador administration has shut down 47 “irregular casinos.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard replaced the interior minister at the mañanera lectern and reported that the expiration of Title 42 hadn’t caused any “confrontations or situations of violence” at the northern border.
He also presented a video showing United States Senator John Kennedy speaking to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. Kennedy said that the United States should be using its economic clout to force López Obrador to enter into a deal that would allow the U.S. military to go into Mexico to combat cartels.
“We buy $400 billion [worth of products] every year from Mexico. Without the people of America, Mexico, figuratively speaking, would be eating cat food out of a can,” the senator said.
In response, Ebrard declared that Kennedy is a “profoundly ignorant man,” a “persona non grata in Mexico” and a “liar.”
AMLO, as promised, provided an update on Mexico’s economic situation. Among the data he highlighted was an unemployment rate of 2.8% in the first quarter of the year, an exchange rate of 17.58 pesos to the U.S. dollar and foreign investment of just under US $35.3 billion last year.
“Mexico is the main economic-trade partner of the United States. We have now displaced Canada, China, Germany and Japan,” AMLO added.
He also highlighted that the economy has recovered after GDP dropped sharply in 2020, but conceded that inflation remains a concern.
One reporter asked the president about the madres buscadoras, or searching mothers, who took to the streets on Mother’s Day to protest against authorities that have failed to locate their sons and daughters.
Protesters in Mexico City accuse the government of doing nothing to help families find their missing loved ones. (Cuartoscuro)
“They have all our support,” he responded. “… It fills us with sadness … and … we’re working to protect them, to find their missing family members, we’re dedicated to that. This is a humanist government, not a conservative, authoritarian government.”
AMLO later revealed that he would like to travel to the United States to meet with Mexican migrants, but indicated that such a trip might not be possible.
“I don’t want them to have reasons to say that I’m getting involved in the internal politics of the United States, that we’re violating our foreign policy of non-intervention,” he said.
“… The important thing is for … [Mexican migrants] to know they have the support of the Mexican government,” AMLO said.
“… We’re always going to defend migrants, and not just Mexican migrants. … We’re in favor of universal fraternity, of justice,” he said.
” … I would prefer that there were no discriminatory, racist acts, that we really loved each other as human beings. I’m in favor of a world of love, of fraternity,” López Obrador said.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
You can mix the dark, glossy batter in the pan you’ll bake it in or in a bowl. Either way it'll be equally delicious!
Is it simply nostalgia that makes me yearn for chocolate cake? No sé. But it’s certainly the case that sometimes nothing hits the proverbial spot like a rich, dark, moist and thickly frosted piece of chocolate cake.
What follows is one of my favorite recipes; I’ve been making it for more than 35 years and it’s still in my regular dessert repertoire. When my kids were little (three of them, two years apart), this was a godsend and a great bribe to get them to eat their dinner.
It’s easy — all the ingredients are mixed in the pan you’re going to bake in — dairy free and totally dependable. If you like, you can make some frosting, but it’s really not necessary. On its own, it’s perfectly delicious.
You can find this recipe all over the place, usually called something like One-Pan Chocolate Cake. I originally found it in a small recipe booklet put out by Hershey’s, and now I almost know it by heart. If you wanted, you could call this a vegan cake, as it has no animal products (eggs or butter). I’ve included an applesauce spice version too, in case that’s your fancy.
Full disclosure: often I mix this in a bowl and then pour the batter into a square pan; I find it hard to stir in square corners.
As always with a simple recipe that has few ingredients, you’ll want to use the best quality of each. Hershey’s cocoa will be OK, but Ghirardelli Dutch process cocoa will yield a far superior, darker and more flavorful cake. Same thing with chocolate chips — if you decide to add some; yes, you can use store brand, but the flavor won’t be the same; they are sweeter and less chocolatey than a brand that builds its reputation on the flavor of its chocolate.
This one-pan wonder tastes as good as it looks.
I realize these kinds of ingredients can be difficult or even impossible to find in Mexico, and will cost more, but you’ll be much happier if you use them. I have a shortlist of things that I ask visitors to bring if they’re able, and cocoa and chocolate chips are on it.
Two more caveats: Don’t overcook this cake! Time it carefully and test for doneness about five minutes before it’s supposed to be ready. If a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, take it out of the oven. Part of its glory lies in its luscious moistness.
One more thing: It only keeps for about three days before it gets noticeably dry, even if refrigerated. Still edible, but not the same. That just means you have to eat it quickly or share with neighbors.
Speaking of friends, I can’t tell you how happy people are when I show up at a potluck, party or get-together with this chocolate cake! It brings a smile to everyone’s face, and it’s easy to double the recipe and make it in a 13×9-inch lasagna pan. Leave it plain, or top with chocolate or vanilla icing, sprinkled with powdered sugar, spread with cherry or raspberry preserves or serve with a scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream on the side.
Mix-In-The-Pan Chocolate Cake
1 ⅔ cups flour
1 cup white sugar, grated piloncillo or packed brown sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process if possible)
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup water OR ½ cup water and ½ cup cooled fresh-brewed coffee
⅓ cup melted butter, coconut oil or mild vegetable oil
Heat oven to 350 F (177 C). Using a fork or small whisk, mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in an ungreased square pan, 8x8x2 inches, or an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan. Mix in remaining ingredients using a small spatula or fork, stirring thoroughly to be sure ingredients are completely incorporated. (If you like, sprinkle ½ cup chocolate chips or coconut over top before baking.) Use a damp paper towel to clean off the edges of the pan, if needed.
Double the recipe to make two layers, and then freeze one for later enjoyment.
Bake about 30–35 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean, being careful not to overcook. Remove from oven, and cool on rack. Once cool, if desired, dust with powdered sugar.
For cupcakes: Line and fill 10 cupcake tins. Bake 20–25 minutes till knife inserted in center comes out clean.
For Applesauce Spice Cake: Omit cocoa. Mix 1½ tsp. allspice or cinnamon into flour mixture. Decrease water to ½ cup and stir in ½ cup unsweetened applesauce. If desired, add ½ cup raisins and/or ½ cup chopped pecans. Bake as above.
Continental Frosting
1 cup milk
6 Tbsp. flour
16 Tbsp. (2 sticks or 1 cup) butter, softened
1 ½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (known in Mexico as azucar glas)
1 tsp. vanilla
In a saucepan, whisk milk and flour until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Mixture will be very stiff. Remove from heat and let stand until cool.
With an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the cooled milk/flour mixture and continue beating at high speed for about 2 more minutes until the frosting is soft, light and fluffy. Makes enough for 2 layers or one 13×9-inch cake.
Meet the Black American entrepreneurs who have built their homes and businesses in Mexico. (Tiara Darnell photographed by Carlos Requenes)
Walking around popular expat neighborhoods, you might think that foreigners in Mexico are almost always white. But indeed there are Black people from various countries living in Mexico, the largest group being Black Americans.
United States media such as USA Today and Bloomberg have covered the migration of young Black Americans to Mexico and other countries, often focusing on racism in the United States as a driving factor. An Insider interview with expat Amber Blackmon quotes her as saying, “As a Black American, I didn’t feel safe in the U.S. anymore, so I left the country for Mérida, Mexico.”
Tiara Darnell’s Blaxicocina is a Black-owned soul food restaurant in Colonia Narvarte, Mexico City. (Google Maps)
These articles do note that the decision to migrate is multifaceted; Black communities have all the same considerations as any other migrant/expat community: economics, culture, lifestyle, etc.
Entrepreneurs are an interesting subset of expats as their work combines elements from their personality, life stories, race, socioeconomic class, along with developing business opportunities.
I had the opportunity to meet some Black American entrepreneurs who have found Mexico to be home. While Tiara Darnell, William “Bud” Lee, Mark Bishop and Brian J. Gerrard all mentioned racial issues, their stories demonstrate the range of influence their lives in the U.S. have had and how their home experiences affect their being in Mexico.
Tiara Darnell’s Blaxicocina restaurant in Mexico City is a “classic” immigrant business, deeply tied to being both Black and physically in Mexico. Her previous entrepreneurial experience included goat milk products and wine, but Blaxicocina’s inspiration is the home-cooked soul food of her Washington, D.C.-based family. The business began last year with cooking events at Darnell’s apartment, but once she was cramming 70 people at a time, she decided to take it to the next level.
A happy accident: a Mexican farmer mistakenly buys collard green seeds and restauranteur Tiara Darnell becomes his exclusive customer. (Photo by Lilliani Moran)
The restaurant’s location is a beautiful site in Mexico City’s Colonia Narvarte, just off of Las Americas Park. Murals on the outside of the building announce that this is Black American cultural space — as does the menu, with classics such as fried chicken and collard greens. But she is not adverse to experimentation; just try her Buffalo wings with al pastor sauce.
Blaxicocina straddles two cultures conceptually, but as a formal business, it is 100% Mexican. However, many of Darnell’s colleagues work online, which allows them to take advantage of being binational in more ways, such as having the business legally registered in the U.S. while they themselves reside in Mexico.
William “Bud” Lee was no stranger to entrepreneurship when he decided to come to Tulum during the pandemic. There, he went on a yacht cruise. He noticed that it did not cater to the preferences of people of color, so as a “fun project” (his words), he started Yacht Club Company. The “project” was an instant hit, leading to articles in various magazines and newspapers.
“But people kept telling me I had to check out Mexico City,” he said, so he took their advice and found the capital very much to his liking.
Yacht Club Company started when founder “Bud” Lee noticed an underserved niche in the Yucatán yacht rental industry. (@yachtclubcompany/instagram)
Travel is a major passion for Lee, who believes it is essential to development as a person. However, he says, “I’m really mindful of being a person of color and I know my half-Black, half-Latina business partner is as well. As you know, my people were often forgotten about in my country.”
Mexico City gives Lee a whole new set of inspiration to draw from, which is now being channeled into World City Tours. Specifically, he is looking to create a more intelligent alternative to AirBnB experiences, which he criticizes as being too focused on tacos and alcohol.
Lee is taking his time with this project, looking to work with local, vetted experts to create tours to truly appreciate what the city has to offer.
App-developer Mark Bishop’s project is Join Joyfully. The app looks to provide instantaneous access to encouragement and advice from trained “uplifters” — skilled listeners providing reassurance and encouragement.
Join Joyfully is inspired by several of Bishop’s corporate and entrepreneurial experiences, starting with feeling like an outsider in corporate America, and later succeeding under the wing of supportive managers. His earlier Afro Roots DNA project not only provided app development experience but also an appreciation of how much people need a sense of belonging.
Bishop has done much of the development work while living in Mexico City, finding that Mexican uplifters, technical people and other entrepreneurs have provided him with perspectives he would not have found in the U.S.
Mark Bishop says that working with Mexican “uplifters” and other professionals has been essential to the development of his app. (Photo courtesy of Mark Bishop)
Brian Gerrard of Hyyer is an important recruiter of professional talent from Latin America for U.S. companies. In 2019, Gerrard sold just about everything he owned to travel, first to Mexico then to Latin America and beyond. Despite traveling to over 25 countries in only a few years, he is back in Mexico, convinced it is the best place in the world.
Gerrard’s previous entrepreneurial success was with a dating app called Bae, created because “…African Americans are 10 times less likely to get a match or message on traditional dating apps.”
In Latin America, he saw that there were many capable young professionals here, especially in design, software, sales and more, but with limited opportunities in their home countries and “… no way of getting in front of that start-up in Seattle.”
But Gerrard says he has those connections to “… build a bridge of opportunity.” According to Gerrard, that bridge has connected tens of thousands of professionals with U.S. companies.
It is important to note that these entrepreneurs have more in common than just race or even nationality. All are young, for whom the digital world has always existed. All show a willingness to embrace and manage risk, both likely developed by being entrepreneurs previously and having lived and traveled extensively outside of their home cities in the northeast U.S.
And all find Mexico irresistible.
Brian Gerrard says that Hyyer is on track to place 100,000 Latin American professionals in U.S. employment opportunities by 2030. (Photo by joxography)
These entrepreneurs share a value system concerned with questions of identity and privilege. Curiously, despite being disadvantaged in the U.S., they find themselves at least somewhat privileged in Mexico for being American.
“I think that the status that I have as an American, as a foreigner, helps me out a lot more here,” Darnell said. “But I don’t have that same privilege in the U.S.”
Lee agrees.
“I am also just really really mindful about what it means to [have] the privilege that it is to be an American in another country.”
This means that they are also sensitive to how their personal and business presence in Mexico may affect the country. As Lee says, we don’t want to “continue the stereotype of coming into places, monetizing it and pushing people out. We have the power to really engage the community and make it a part of this experience.”
Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico over 20 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019). Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily.
When the U.S. dollar falls in value against the peso, we often forget that many Mexican families are being supported by U.S. dollars — through remittances. (Illustration by Angy Márquez)
I don’t know about you all, but this weakening dollar business is getting me all kinds of nervous: it was down close to 17.50 pesos as of earlier this week and could still be on its way down.
Things are getting tight.
Pair it with the inevitable march of AI ready to very soon render my marketable work skills (writing, editing, translating) worthless, and it’s a wonder I’m not in full-blown panic mode.
I mean, just give me a little time.
As much as people try to assure me that AI isn’t all that good and that people will “always value good work produced by real people,” the writing’s, quite literally, on the wall: AI is improving, and fast, and no company is going to say to itself, “Gee, I think paying people lots of money to do these things that machines could do for almost free and instantaneously is the better way to go.”
For now, I’m working while I still can and hoping that the future won’t be as grim for working people like me as it seems. The money I earn, meanwhile, is worth less and less with literally every day that goes by.
When I first thought about writing about this — “this” being rising prices, dropping dollar, precarious work situations — I felt downright contemptuous, the proverbial Barbie look-a-like complaining about being fat in front of all her “normal” friends. Few people in Mexico, after all, have much sympathy to muster up for someone earning in dollars, especially if they’re “working from home.”
But I’ve come to an important realization here: I’m not some lone privileged person in a sea of disadvantaged poor people. There’s actually quite a bit of money floating around, and a lot of that money comes from people earning about what I do north of the Rio Grande sending it back home.
I’m supporting my family on U.S. dollars in the same way many other families are being supported by U.S. dollars through remittances; I’m just doing so from here, fortuitously exempted by time and circumstance from having to do so from thousands of miles away. As the country’s “second-largest source of foreign revenue,” remittances help keep Mexico’s economy afloat in a major way… in 2022, to the tune of US $58.5 billion, to be exact.
What does that mean?
Well, first it means that workers, most in legally and economically precarious situations in the U.S., are supplementing employers in Mexico who don’t pay a living wage to their own workers by making up the difference: they fill in the gap between what employers in Mexico pay and what their workers need to live.
In a big way, they’re also supplementing government programs to the poor, who would have a much bigger crisis to deal with if it weren’t for those remittances. Heroes, indeed.
It also means that the weakening dollar is going to hurt a lot more people than just me and my fellow “digital nomads” — a group in which I do not, in fact, count myself; I “grew into” remote work while already here and am quite settled.
A lot of us, foreign and Mexican alike, are feeling the heat as prices continue to rise despite slowing inflation while our money suddenly becomes worth 10% less.
So while foreign companies gleefully come to “nearshore,” in large part attracted by the fact that they can pay such low wages, the reality is more nuanced than that.
While some services and housing, which takes up a big chunk of people’s income in the U.S. is indeed cheaper in many parts of Mexico, many goods in Mexico cost just as much or more than in the States. Food prices have gone up astronomically, and any kind of electronic products, cars or other items that might be considered “luxury” but are actually necessary for most people (think cell phones and computers, for example), cost the same or more. Gas is certainly more expensive.
And as a friend of mine recently pointed out, Henry Ford’s famous policy of making sure workers were paid enough to actually buy the products that they make seems to have been abandoned. Consider chains like Chili’s, Sears and a coming-soon Toys ‘R’ Us: while I haven’t seen any specific pay stubs, I very much doubt that workers are being paid what their U.S. counterparts are, even though the prices at these establishments are exactly the same.
In fact, it often feels like there are two distinct economies in Mexico: those who earn, perhaps, around what many middle-class U.S. families in the 1990s did, and those who seem stuck below the poverty line by perpetually suppressed wages and counting out their pesos for the day’s tortillas — the latter still a quite sizable portion of the Mexican population, one that reaches just above 50% in rural areas of many states.
Like I’ve said before, many of us — including Mexicans — are working in one economic reality (that of dollars) and buying in another. If I had a “regular job” here in my part of Mexico, my lifestyle would be about 10 times humbler.
Those U.S. dollars are keeping a lot of us afloat (for now) in an economy that is quickly becoming much less economical than its reputation.
But with a weakening dollar, the precarious situation of both remote contract workers like me and laborers in the U.S. sending remittances, the coming wave of AI technology ready to turn the entire world’s economy upside down and consistently rising prices, change is coming.
Let’s hope we can find a way to get all our heads above water.
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com
This is the highest-priced listed property in Tulum, located in peaceful Tankah Bay. (Courtesy)
Tankah Bay is the new “hotspot” in Tulum for those still looking to invest in an exclusive beachfront property in Mexico’s gorgeous Riviera Maya.
This private beachfront community between Akumal and Tulum boasts beautiful homes, condominiums with 5-star amenities, boutique hotels, pristine beaches and stunning views.
Tankah Bay is a reminder of “old” Tulum. (Courtesy)
The low density requirement of the bay keeps tranquility and privacy compared to properties on other Tulum or Playa del Carmen beaches. Located 15 Km from Akumal and 10 Km north of Tulum Centro, Tankah is a protected area, spanning coral reef rich shoreline with amazing diving and snorkeling sites.
Imagine waking up in your bed to waves crashing on the coral reef, sipping a cup of coffee with your feet in the pool to watch the sunrise, and then catching a quick workout in your own private gym before breakfast.
After that, put on your snorkel gear to swim with the Green turtles, often found from August to November, coming to the bay’s beaches to lay eggs or take a swim with the likes of French angelfish, queen angelfish, yellowtail damselfish, blue tang and Bermuda chub, just to name a few of the species found in the thriving marine habitat of the bay.
Welcome to Casa Lola, an exclusive beachfront home of nearly 11,000 square feet with two stories, five bedrooms and a grand entrance including a 16-foot ceiling, and inspired by contemporary design, with wood beam ceilings and concrete floors.
Casa Lola boasts breathtaking views of Tankah Bay. (Courtesy)
Take a walk up the floating staircase under the skylight and check out the bedrooms, each with an unobstructed ocean view. The master bedroom is equipped with a luxurious closet (to fit a designer wardrobe) and a spacious bathroom with a sleek standalone spa tub.
Downstairs there is a fully equipped gym where you can see the ocean through the glass windows. The oceanfront pool is perfect for a morning swim or to relax and enjoy the afternoon sun with a cool breeze on the pool chairs.
The house can accommodate up to 14 guests, with expansive outdoor space on the patio for grilling and dining space. There is also a recreation room with a pool table, perfect for hosting an evening of movies and games.
Whether you need an escape from the hustle and bustle of your daily life, or you want to own a piece of oceanfront Caribbean property as an investment, Casa Lola is a smart choice. The house can generate rental income of up to US $2000 a night.
Unobstructed ocean views from one of Casa Lola’s bedrooms. (Courtesy)
Casa Lola is currently the highest-priced listed property in the Tulum area and is an incredible opportunity to be on the ocean, near one of the most popular and growing cities in the world.
Known for its natural beauty, Tankah Bay is the perfect spot for those looking to invest in an exclusive beach front property in the Riviera Maya. Nearby attractions include Casa Cenote, unique for its river-like windy shape through the mangrove forest, feeding Sac Aktun, one of the longest underground cave systems in the world.
This setting is a reminder of “old” Tulum with its incredible tranquility, rich marine life, outdoor activities and delicious food options. The Tulum area will only continue to grow as infrastructure projects such as the Maya Train and the Tulum Airport will be inaugurated soon.
Casa Lola is designed in sleek, contemporary style. (Courtesy)
Tankah Bay is the only seaside community with luxury beachfront houses and apartments and therefore, Casa Lola offers a unique investment opportunity.
Hopeful migrants have been acting peacefully at the Mexico-U.S. border following the expiration of the U.S.'s Title 42 policy on Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard said. (Presidencia)
The expiration of the United States’ Title 42 migration policy hasn’t caused any major problems at Mexico’s northern border, Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Friday.
The pandemic-era rule, which for over three years allowed U.S. authorities to quickly expel asylum seekers as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, ended at 11:59 p.m. Thursday.
Title 42 was designed to prevent asylum seekers from entering the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. As it approached its expiration on Friday after midnight, Mexico and the U.S. were preparing for increased numbers of migrants attempting to enter the United States. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
Ebrard told reporters at President López Obrador’s morning press conference that there have been no reports of “confrontations or situations of violence at the border.”
The New York Times, which has run a live blog of developments related to the end of Title 42, reported Friday that “concerns had been building that the lifting of the order … would bring scenes of chaos at the border as more people tried to enter [the U.S.] with the expectation that they would get to apply for asylum.”
“While a greater number crossed the border than usual in recent days, putting pressure on processing facilities and border towns, there were few signs of disorder in the hours after the policy expired at midnight,” the Times said.
Citing information from the Defense Ministry (Sedena), Ebrard said there were approximately 10,000 migrants in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and 5,500 in Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
The Biden administration will implement a new rule that presumes that those who don’t use lawful pathways to enter the U.S. are automatically ineligible for asylum. (Juan Ortega Solis/Cuartoscuro)
“The situation is calm and normal … without major conflicts,” he said.
Reading from a Sedena report, the foreign minister said there were around 500 migrants between the border walls that separate Tijuana, Baja California, from San Diego, California, and that they intended to cross to the United States. “They remain peaceful,” he added.
Ebrard also said that 24 migrants broke through a border wall between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, Texas, and were detained by the United States Border Patrol.
Mexican National Guard personnel deployed to the northern border are unarmed and carrying out “dissuasive patrols” aimed at “avoiding confrontations with groups of migrants,” he said.
Ebrard said that a lot of migrants had been tricked into thinking they would be allowed to remain in the United States if they claimed asylum after Title 42 was lifted.
However, migrants will “probably” be repatriated if they cross into the U.S. without going through established legal pathways, he said.
Migrants hold cash out between bars at the border in Tijuana. (Omar Martínez Noyola/Cuartoscuro)
The United States Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that a new migration rule that took effect when Title 42 expired “presumes those who do not use lawful pathways to enter the United States” — which have recently been expanded — “are ineligible for asylum and allows the United States to remove individuals who do not establish a reasonable fear of persecution or torture.”
It added that “noncitizens can rebut this presumption based only on exceptionally compelling circumstances.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday that 24,000 Border Patrol agents and officers had been deployed to the United States southern border, and he stressed that “the border is not open.”
“… We are ready to humanely process and remove people without a legal basis to remain in the U.S.,” he said.
Ebrard told reporters that Mexico has notified the United States that it won’t accept more than 1,000 deported migrants per day, a quota he said has been in place since the Title 42 policy was enacted in March 2020.
“We don’t have the capacity [to receive more]. … We’re not going to accept more than that number,” he said.
Starting tonight, people who arrive at the border without using a lawful pathway will be presumed ineligible for asylum. We are ready to humanely process and remove people without a legal basis to remain in the U.S. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/JnpSw6793v
— Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (@SecMayorkas) May 12, 2023
“… What do we do [with migrants returned to Mexico]? … What is Mexico’s policy? Normally it’s to give these people shelter; we give work to a lot of them; that’s the Mexican policy. But we do set a [maximum] number, and that daily number hasn’t been exceeded in the entire period since March 2020,” Ebrard asserted.
The federal government has come under pressure from the United States to do more to stem the flow of migrants to its northern border, especially while former U.S. president Donald Trump was in office.
In 2019, it deployed the National Guard to detain undocumented migrants after Trump threatened to impose blanket tariffs on Mexican goods if Mexico didn’t take “action to dramatically reduce or eliminate the number of illegal aliens crossing its territory into the United States.”
Mexico has continued to detain and deport migrants, but the number of undocumented migrant crossings into the United States nevertheless reached a new record high of almost 2.8 million in U.S. fiscal year 2022, which concluded Sep. 30.
López Obrador said Thursday that additional National Guard troops would be deployed to Mexico’s southern border in light of the termination of Title 42. He stressed that he hadn’t reached an agreement with U.S. President Joe Biden to reinforce the southern border, explaining that his government took the decision of its own accord.
“Both leaders underscored the value of managing migration in a humane and orderly fashion with expanded legal pathways and consequences for irregular migration,” the White House said.
