Piece Description

This week on the World Vision Report: an encore of a show previously broadcast in August 2008:

Spend an hour in Mexico without ever leaving home.

From how tourists can visit Mexico in a way that helps its economy…to the obligation of immigrants returning home to help their village…to a plate full of tasty insects…to air-dropping water bottles for dehydrated people crossing the border…to risking life and limb jumping on a train…plus, music from Lila Downs…

It’s Mexico -- the culture, customs, and music of our neighbor to the south.

The Show Rundown:

Central American Migrants  (4:45)

Like the U.S., Mexico also has immigration problems along its border.  In Mexico’s case, it’s Central Americans crossing into southern Mexico and the Mexican government is accused of using brutal tactics to control the flood of humanity.  Conrad Fox spends the night with the Central Americans as they risk their lives on the journey northward.

Vacations with a Conscience (3:31)

Mexico is a major tourist destination for Americans, but all those dollars you spend south of the border may not benefit the local economy.  Host Peggy Wehmeyer talks with Jonathan Tourtellot of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations about how to take a vacation in Mexico that puts your dollars in the pockets of locals and not some conglomerate.

It’s a Matter of Honor (4:22)

Thousands of Mexicans come to the U.S. every year looking for work.  That exodus of young people can have a serious economic impact on the impoverished communities they leave behind.  But everyone who leaves the town of El Alberto knows – at some point – they’ll have to come back -- for a year of community service.  It’s a long-standing custom that ensures the economic vitality of the community.  Workers return to the village to fix up the school, pave the streets, and do other community improvement projects.  Some of those who return to El Alberto have no intention of staying there, but they say they had to come back because it’s a matter of honor.  Jordana Gustafson reports.

Cricket Anyone?  (Not the game)  (4:38)

Instead of diving into that steak dinner or a Cobb salad tonight, why not a big steaming plate full of crickets, grasshoppers with guacamole, ant eggs in a butter sauce, or grub tacos made with a thick, yellowish worm-like larva?  Mmmmm. Mexico has 500 species of edible insects, many of which are served at trendy restaurants.  It may give you the willies, but scientists say edible bugs and insects are a potential source of ending famine in the world.  Reporter Peter Aronson shares a meal your palette will never forget.

A Musical Bridge (5:19)

Lila Downs was born in Mexico to a Mixteca Indian mother and a Scottish-American father.  Growing up, she spent time in both the U.S. and Mexico and her music reflects those cultural differences.  She spends part of the year in New York City and part in Oaxaca, Mexico.  Her songs are about everything from small town ostracism to making mole sauce.  In her interview with host Peggy Wehmeyer, Downs says her music is all about educating people on sides of the border.