Survey Results: What some Mexicans are Saying

[Longford]

One of the things which I believe helps expats assimilate into a more satisfying life in Mexico is gaining an understanding of what Mexicans think, what their opinions are on a wide-range of topics. Spanish-language fluency levels varies in the expat community, though, and it's not always easy to know these things. And then there is the "comfortability" question, where some expats, wanting to be respectful and not knowing where the imaginary line in the sand is over which you don't cross without asking or saying something offensive or Mexicans wanting also to be respectful makes the easy exchange of ideas difficult.

Pew Research Center released, yesterday, the results of this year's "Global Attidudes Project" Mexico survey. It's a survey taken in the homes of respondents in Mexico. I understand and recognize that surveys are simply snapshots in time of the opinions expressed by whatever sized group of people being asked the questions. The Pew surveys are widely respected, however, and I believe they offer some interesting insight to persons who have limited opportunities to speak with Mexicans about current events or who are interested n comparing what they know from discussions in their communities against what's being said in other parts of Mexico.

Much of what's reflected in this year's survey results comes as no surprise to me, but there are some interesting commentaries. I’ve been reading the results of a survey released yesterday by Pew Research Center. Some of what I’m seeing in the survey results and which I offer for discussion purposes - should anyone wish to discuss them:

63% are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country.
56% have a favorable opinion of the United States.
62% describe the current economic situation in Mexico as bad.
51% expect the economy to improve in the next year.
99% describe crime as a problem. 73% say it’s a “very big problem”
91% believe the corruption of political leaders is a big or very big problem.
86% believe terrorism is a big or very big problem.
79% describe people leaving Mexico for jobs in other countries a big or very big problem.
89% believe pollution is a big or very big problem.
96% describe human rights violations by military and/or police big or very big problems.
56% say they’re afraid to walk in any area within a km. of their home alone at night.
The PRD is thought to be least effective in dealing with unemployment, fighting crime or dealing with corruption, by a wide margin.
60% describe the influence of the media has as good.
51% describe the court system as having a bad influence on the nation.
58% believe the police are a bad influence on the nation.
58% have a favorable opinion of President Calderon.
56% have a favorable opinion of PRI Presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto.
54% have an unfavorable opinion of PAN Presidential candidate Josefina Vazquez Mota.
60% have an unfavorable opinion of PRD Presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
53% think they would have a better life if they lived in the United States. 14% think it would be worse.
38% would leave Mexico to live in the USA given the opportunity. 50% would do so illegally.
80% support the use of the military to fight drug traffickers.
47% believe President Calderon has been making progress in the fight against drug traffickers.
75% would support the USA training Mexican military and police to fight drug traffickers.
33% support the deployment of USA military on Mexican soil to fight drug traffickers.

Here's a link to the survey, questions and responses: http://tinyurl.com/7cl2k6q

[FHBOY]

Thx for digging this up - it is very interesting.

[Isla Verde]

Originally Posted by Longford

38% would leave Mexico to live in the USA given the opportunity. 50% would do so illegally.

Does this mean 50% of the 38%?

[tepetapan]

After checking out the PEW group and finding they are a Washington DC based think tank and their political leanings I went to the link.
One thing intresting, at the bottom half of the fast loading pdf, is that the percentages only changed a couple points throughout the history of the survey. The first reported survey done in 2002, a 4 year gap, and then nearly yearly since 2007.
Reading the OP´s post made me think at first, "wow" in some cases but going to the link I found nothing much has changed in the thoughts and minds of Mexicans.
The one thing that I wonder about is why PEW, around for over 60 years, decided to start tracking the attitudes and thoughts of their next door neighbor Mexico beginning in 2002....right after Fox was elected.

[Longford]

Originally Posted by Isla Verde

Does this mean 50% of the 38%?

Having just checked the survey questions again:

Here's the question, following the one which elicited the 38% answer:

"Q136 Ask if respondent wants to go live in the United States: And would you be inclined to go work and live in the U.S. without authorization?"

So, I think the answer is 50% of the 38%.

[tepetapan]

Originally Posted by Longford

Having just checked the survey questions again:

Here's the question, following the one which elicited the 38% answer:

"Q136 Ask if respondent wants to go live in the United States: And would you be inclined to go work and live in the U.S. without authorization?"

So, I think the answer is 50% of the 38%.

"Even though many believe life is better for
those who emigrate to the U.S., most Mexicans
(61%) say they would not move to the U.S.,
even if they had the means and opportunity to
do so. Among the substantial minority who
would move, half say they would emigrate
without authorization (19% of the total
population). These attitudes are unchanged
since last year"
page 9 of the survey .. click the link, the op is a bit misleading if you don´t .

[kazslo]

I love page 13 - It answers the majority of my concerns when I read surveys - namely who does the data actually represent.

Results for the survey in Mexico are based on 1,200 face-to-face interviews conducted March 20 to April 2, 2012. The survey is representative of the country’s adult population. It uses a
multi-stage cluster sample stratified by region and proportional to population size and
urban/rural population. All interviews were conducted in Spanish.

Very interesting reading. I wonder what the 17% of people who don't support millitary fighting in the drug war suggest be done. Also, 62% say that terrorism is a very big problem. I haven't heard much terrorism talk in Mexico, at least not like it is discussed and feared in the US. Maybe the Mexican population thinks of terrorism as something different than what I consider it to be.

[TundraGreen]

Originally Posted by tepetapan

"Even though many believe life is better for
those who emigrate to the U.S., most Mexicans
(61%) say they would not move to the U.S.,
even if they had the means and opportunity to
do so. Among the substantial minority who
would move, half say they would emigrate
without authorization (19% of the total
population). These attitudes are unchanged
since last year"
page 9 of the survey .. click the link, the op is a bit misleading if you don´t .

I don't understand. Except for rounding errors, 61% saying they would not move is the same as 38% saying they would. And 50% of 38% is 19%. So what is misleading?

[Longford]

Originally Posted by kazslo

Also, 62% say that terrorism is a very big problem. I haven't heard much terrorism talk in Mexico, at least not like it is discussed and feared in the US. Maybe the Mexican population thinks of terrorism as something different than what I consider it to be.

I hear terrorism talk in Mexico, and by Mexicans in the USA. They sometimes term it a bit differently, though. President Calderon frequently describes the violence using "Terrorist," or "Terrorists." I hear some expats use the same description. I believe using that description for much of the violence taking place is accurate. For how much my opinion matters in the grand scheme of things.

[conorkilleen]

Originally Posted by Longford

I hear terrorism talk in Mexico, and by Mexicans in the USA. They sometimes term it a bit differently, though. President Calderon frequently describes the violence using "Terrorist," or "Terrorists." I hear some expats use the same description. I believe using that description for much of the violence taking place is accurate. For how much my opinion matters in the grand scheme of things.

I also classify firebombing/grenading public places/government buildings, casinos, kidnapping random people and political figures, random extortion, and forced home invasions as acts of terrorism. Not sure who wouldn't.