The Mexico-U.S. Paradigm: The Southern Neighbor and the Scenes of Contemporary International Affairs

3 units

Since the foundation of both republics and up to the present, the relationship between Mexico and the United States has played a central role in defining a variety of paradigms in international affairs. In addition, Mexico's unique approach to diplomacy is at the core of various economic and diplomatic doctrines influential across the Global South. This course explores the ways in which this relationship helps us think about questions of development, international security, immigration and political intervention. The first part of the course looks at the relationship historically, focusing on the complex relationship between the two countries in the Cold War as well as Mexico's role as a negotiator with Cuba and the Soviet Union. The historical section will also discuss the role that Mexico played in the creation of developmental paradigms from the 1930s onward. The second part of the course looks at the three hot-button issues between the two countries: trade, immigration, and the Drug War. It will discuss the ways in which Mexico is an essential laboratory for policies related to security and commerce in the United States. The course will allow students to rethink ideas about economics, security, and other questions in international affairs from a unique yet fundamental point of view.