ISSUE BRIEF 06.19.15 The Cultural Dissonance of Mexico-Texas Relations Jesus Velasco, Nonresident Scholar, Mexico Center, Baker Institute Maribel McMillian, Graduate Student, Texas A&M University

percent of Mexican students in the United INTRODUCTION States are studying at Texas universities.5 The relationship between Mexico and Texas At the federal level, border cooperation is in dire need of reassessment, given the has also increased during the Obama and the chasm between the reality of the countries’ Calderón and Peña administrations. In 2013, economic and cultural relationship and the then-US Secretary of Homeland Security political rhetoric that surrounds it. Janet Napolitano, asserted: “the United States Indeed, Mexico and Texas’ economic and and Mexico have taken unprecedented steps cultural ties are growing rapidly and continue in recent years to deepen our cooperation 6 to deepen. Commercially, about one-third along our shared borders.” of all US-Mexico trade originates in Texas. This reality, however, does not match In 2014, for example, 29.8 percent of Texas the rhetoric coming from Austin, Texas, imports came from Mexico and 35.5 percent particularly from the political elite. On the of Texas exports went to Mexico.1 That same contrary, the rhetoric from Texas’ lawmakers year, 3,744,622 (about 69 percent) of all about Mexico and the Mexican border trucks that crossed the US-Mexico border has often emphasized the negative and did so at Texas ports of entry, followed by sometimes taken a more confrontational California, a distant second with 1,187,675 tone. The deployment of the National Guard trucks.2 Many other economic indicators to the border, authorized by former Texas in investment, tourism, and trade show Governor Rick Perry and current Governor Mexico’s MC/MO policy similar interdependent patterns. Culturally Greg Abbott, has baffled Mexican citizens arose as a patchwork and demographically, the relationship also and politicians alike. In September 2014, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted of reactions to various continues to grow. According to the Pew acts by regulators and Hispanic Center, 9,794,000 Hispanics lived its “deepest rejection and condemnation” of in Texas in 2011—about 38 percent of the the measure. Similarly, Mexican President Congress. state’s population—with 88 percent of them Peña called the measure “unpleasant.” Texas being of Mexican origin. One-third of all Texas officials quickly reacted to these statements. Hispanics were born in Mexico.3 According Former Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst to a US Census Bureau report from the same declared: “I find it puzzling and frankly year, 29.21 percent of Texans spoke Spanish. offensive that the government of Mexico Mexicans are otherwise connected intimately chose the 13th anniversary of the most tragic with Texas. In 2012, the Federal Reserve Bank attack on our homeland to call on Texas to in Dallas estimated that Mexican tourists throw open our international border to illegal spend “more than $4.5 billion annually on immigration, trafficking in drugs and human food, clothing, auto parts, and other retail lives, and potentially even terrorists who wish items in Texas border cities.”4 And 43.9 to harm America.” RICE UNIVERSITY'S BAKER INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY // ISSUE BRIEF // 06.19.15

The Mexican government has been irked an enduring theme of state politics.”9 principally by the continual anti-immigration Today, this orientation is in tune with the statements made by Texas officials, their Republican Party platform, specifically the open support for US government travel Tea Party, which seeks to crack down on warnings to Mexico, and the executions of undocumented immigration and seems Mexican citizens in Texas.7 to prefer a closed border. To placate this Paradoxically, Texas officials are aware political base, Texas politicians have taken of the importance of the border and trade a more confrontational tone on these Texas officials are aware with Mexico for Texas’s prosperity and have issues—with the understanding that an of the importance also expressed an increasing interest in the adversarial attitude toward Mexico is of the border and potential business opportunities opening up politically inexpensive and keeps the most in Mexico, particularly in light of Mexico’s conservative members of the Tea Party trade with Mexico for recently liberalized oil and gas industry. This satisfied. Texas' prosperity...This awareness, however, further highlights the awareness however fact that Mexico and Texas need to reassess highlights the fact their relationship. PRIORITIES AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS What explains these ongoing strains that Mexico and Texas in the Texas-Mexico relationship? There It is possible that Texas’ politics clash with need to reassess their seems to be a gap between the reality of Mexico’s more centralized political culture. relationship. interdependence and the rhetoric between Recent surveys may illustrate that. According Austin and Mexico City. This issue brief tries to to an opinion poll conducted on February explain this discrepancy. 15, 2015, by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, Texans consider border security (21 percent) and immigration PARTY POLITICS AND THE TEXAS- (17 percent) to be the most important 10 MEXICO RELATIONSHIP problems facing the state. Texas leaders responded to these concerns, arguing that One potential explanation lies with Texas the federal government has failed and Texas politics. Over the last three decades, Texas must now resolve these problems itself. Thus has become both increasingly Republican state officials deployed the National Guard, a and increasingly conservative. According move approved by 44 percent of Texans and to a study conducted by professor Mark opposed by only 9 percent. This deployment P. Jones of Rice University, Lieutenant is viewed by Mexico as an aggressive move. Governor Dan Patrick was rated the The same poll reveals that 35 percent most conservative senator in 2013.8 He of Texans strongly agree with deporting is one of the most conservative Texas undocumented immigrants. Texas politicians’ politicians in recent years. Both Patrick rhetoric accommodates these concerns, but and Attorney General Ken Paxton are highly often ends up upsetting Mexico. sympathetic to far-right Tea Party politics, Moreover, 49 percent of Texans strongly as is US Senator Ted Cruz, a potential 2016 support the death penalty. This injects Republican presidential candidate. The further confusion into the relationship, as it Republican Party also has been in control is difficult for Mexico to accept that the US of both chambers of the Texas Legislature government cannot bring Texas to comply since 2003. with the Geneva Convention on Consular This has been a natural path for Texas Relations and other death penalty treaties to politics. According to Southern Methodist which both the United States and Mexico are University professor Cal Jillson, a leading parties. In Medellín vs. Texas, a 2008 case, expert on Texas politics, “the Texas way the US Supreme Court made it clear that has always highlighted individualism, Texas is not bound by such treaties and that small government, and a states’ rights if the US government wants Texas to comply interpretation of federalism.” In his view, with them, Congress would have to legislate “Texas against federal intrusion has been explicitly on the matter.11

2 THE CULTURAL DISSONANCE OF MEXICO-TEXAS RELATIONS

Another important issue is guns. Gun Texans argue that the United States is a control is very much a states’ rights issue nation of laws and citizens, residents, and in the United States, but Mexico, concerned foreigners alike are expected to respect with the significant number of weapons the law of the land, including immigration purchased by drug traffickers in Texas, frets laws. Governor Abbott expressed this idea over gun control in the United States. Guns in July of 2014 when he asserted, “the are an issue for only 2 percent of Texans, reasons why the United States of America and Mexico’s attempts to negotiate on guns is the premier nation of the entire globe with the US federal government do not sit is because we are a nation that is based well in Texas. upon the rule of law.”14 Although more These misunderstandings reach holistic and sustainable solutions would even into the positive aspects of the two involve greater cooperation with Mexican countries’ relationship. According to the and Central American officials, the United Mexico and the Americas poll conducted States often opts to unilaterally control by the Center for Research and Teaching the flow of undocumented migrants in Economics (CIDE) from 2012–2013, 45 simply by restricting access at the border. percent of Mexicans considered trade and Oddly enough Texas views the federal investment the most important issue to government as a failure on the matter and the US-Mexico relationship, with Texas and acts independently on what Mexico views California being very important for Mexicans. an issue for the two federal governments Texans are, on the other hand, generally to resolve. unaware of the importance of Mexico to the Worse, Mexico believes that Texas economy.12 undocumented workers come to the United All of this reveals a complicated set States primarily because the American of issues that create opportunities for labor market attracts them to do the jobs misunderstanding between Texas and Americans do not want to do. Mexican Mexico. Texas leaders’ rhetoric has been officials argue that the majority of Mexican assertive toward Mexico not only because it migrants to the United States have found reflects Texans’ concerns, but also because employment and that the US government taking shots at immigration, border security, rarely penalizes employers that hire Texas politicians and Mexico is politically expedient and costs undocumented workers.15 Moreover, Texas’s have taken a more little. At the same time, Mexico has hardly friendly business culture has contributed paid attention to the concerns in Austin to creating a job market for Mexican confrontational tone and prefers to deal with binational issues in immigrants, while at the same time fueling [with Mexico]-with Washington DC. Texans’ desire to stop immigration with walls, the understanding border surveillance, and the National Guard. that an adversarial That is a puzzling ambiguity to Mexico. attitude toward Mexico MEXICO AND TEXAS: SAME ISSUES, Security measures irritate Mexico, no DIFFERENT READINGS matter what kind. The presence of the is politically inexpensive National Guard is, according to President and keeps most of the To underscore our observations above, we Enrique Peña, “not only unpleasant but conservative members illustrate further how Texas and Mexico reprehensible,” calling the move “an attack of the Tea Party misread each other. While the Mexican on good relations and neighborliness.” government insists that immigration is a Peña continued to say that “the policy satisfied. foreign policy issue, leaders in Austin—and is completely unacceptable, and it does in Washington—consider it a domestic not embody the spirit of cordiality and policy concern. For Mexico, immigration friendship between two nations.”16 is, in fact, a central theme of the bilateral Recurring reports of unfair pay, repeated relationship. Mexico has not figured out how violations of human rights, and even killings to triangulate this issue in its favor. of undocumented workers at the hands of Moreover, a majority of Texans support Border Patrol agents and other police forces deportation of undocumented workers.13 reinforce this view.17

3 RICE UNIVERSITY'S BAKER INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY // ISSUE BRIEF // 06.19.15

Binational disagreement on the death penalty follows a somewhat similar logic, FINAL THOUGHTS as already pointed out. Although Mexico There are clear dissonances in the Mexico- did not abolish the death penalty until Texas relationship. Society is an expression December 2005, it had not been used of culture. Culture, in the view of since 1937. In Mexico, according to the anthropologist Clifford Geertz, is a system polling company Parametría, in 2004, of beliefs, values, attitudes, traditions, and only 38 percent of Mexicans approved ideas that distinguish the members of one of the death penalty, with 42 percent group or category of people from another. 18 opposed. In January 2014, 39 percent In this perspective, Mexico and Texas have favored death penalty while 50 percent a very different culture and are therefore 19 disapproved of it. On the other hand, a very different societies. All of this is 2012 University of Texas/Texas Tribune reinforced by the nature of the local poll revealed that 73 percent of Texans political and economic institutions on either approve of the death penalty, while just side of the border. This does not necessarily 20 21 percent disapprove. But Mexicans mean that the two countries cannot argue that Texas should adhere to the reframe their relationship. They share Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, a history and increasingly an economy. which demands that foreign citizens have The problem is that there has been little [Texas and Mexico] access to their consulates immediately political will to understand the perspective share a history and upon arrest, whereas Texans believe of the other, and this has created ups and that they are not subject to it. The US downs in the Texas-Mexico relationship. increasingly an Supreme Court has agreed with Texas, economy...but there has Unfortunately, this sort of dissonance will much to Mexico’s chagrin. According to remain a constant into the foreseeable been little political will Parametría, 81 percent of Mexicans, for future, unless Texas’ political and electoral to seek to understand example, expressed disapproval of Mexican interests shift so as to facilitate clearer national Edgar Tamayo’s execution, even lines of communication with Mexico and the perspective of the though he killed a Houston policeman. The other, and this has Mexico understands that its diplomatic reactions of Mexican and Texas authorities efforts in Austin must match its efforts in created ups and downs to Tamayo’s death clearly illustrate opposite Washington DC. Geography, familiarity, and in the relationship. stances on the issue. The Mexican Ministry economic interests can and should be the of Foreign Affairs condemned the execution building blocks of a new relationship, but and declared it a violation of the Vienna it is also imperative that leaders on both Convention and a direct affront to the sides of the border acknowledge that a new, decision the International Court of Justice open dialogue is required between Texans dictated in the Avena case of 2004, in and Mexicans. which the International Court of Justice ruled that the United States had breached its obligations under the Vienna Convention ENDNOTES on Consular Relations.21 On the other hand, Lucy Nashed, a spokeswoman for former 1. See United States Census Bureau, Governor Perry, maintained, “the state was “Total US Imports to Texas, Top 25 Countries committed to enforcing its law…It doesn’t Based on 2014 Dollar Value,” in State matter where you’re from—if you commit a Imports for Texas, last modified March 11, despicable crime like this in Texas, you are 2015, http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/ subject to our state laws, including a fair statistics/state/data/imports/tx.html; and trial by jury and the ultimate penalty.”22 “Total US Exports (Origin of Movement) from Texas, Top 25 Countries Based on 2014 Dollar Value,” in States Exports from Texas, last modified March 11, 2015, http://www.census. gov/foreign-trade/statistics/state/data/ tx.html#ctry.

4 THE CULTURAL DISSONANCE OF MEXICO-TEXAS RELATIONS

2. See http://transborder.bts.gov/ Rick Perry that terrorists might enter the programs/international/transborder/TBDR_ US across the Mexican border and the BC/TBDR_BC_QuickSearch.html. rejection of these allegations by Mexican 3. See “Demographic Profile of Hispanics foreign minister José Antonio Meade, see in Texas, 2011,” Pew Research Center, http:// Natalia Gómez, “Rick Perry Especula, Refuta www.pewhispanic.org/states/state/tx/. la Cancilleria,” El Universal, August 24, 4. Roberto A. Coronado and Keith 2014; Sharon Harding, “Mexican Official R. Phillips, “Dollar-Sensitive Mexican Calls Texas Governor Rick Perry’s Claims of Shoppers Boost Texas Border Retail Activity,” ISIS Crossing US-Mexico Border ‘Absurd,’” Southwest Economy, Federal Reserve Bank Latino Post, August 25, 2014; and “Mexico of Dallas, 4th Quarter 2012, http://www. Blasts Perry Comments about Islamists,” dallasfed.org/assets/documents/research/ New York Times, August 23, 2014. swe/2012/swe1204g.pdf. 8. See “Texas Lieutenant Governor 5. Alfredo Corchado and Jazmine Candidate Dan Patrick Rated MOST Aguilera, “Mexico and U.S. Join in Educating CONSERVATIVE State Senator by Rice Students to Compete in the World,” Dallas University’s Mark P. Jones,” http:// Morning News, April 10, 2015, http://res. www.danpatrick.org/texas-lieutenant- dallasnews.com/interactives/mexico- governor-candidate-dan-patrick- students/. rated-conservative-state-senator-rice- 6. Janet Napolitano, “Mexican, U.S. universitys-mark-p-jones/. Officials Discuss Partnership Along 9. Cal Jillson, Lone Star Tarnished: A Border,” IIP Digital, July 24, 2013, http:// Critical Look at Texas Politics and Public iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/ Policy (New York: Routledge, 2012), 24. article/2013/07/20130724279405. 10. See http://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/ html#axzz3c6WfWej3. latest-poll. 7. For more on Mexican President 11. Bloomberg Law, Case Briefs, Enrique Peña Nieto’s statements on US Medellín vs. Texas (2008). See http://www. immigration policy, see Fareed Zakaria’s casebriefs.com/blog/law/international-law/ interview with President Peña, “Discrimina international-law-keyed-to-damrosche/ Estrategia Migrante en EU: Peña,” El chapter-10/medellin-v-texas/. Universal, October 6 2014. For examples 12. Guadalupe González González et al., of the position of the Mexican government Mexico, Las Américas y El Mundo 2012-2013: against capital punishment in Texas, see Política Exterior: Opinión Pública y Lídres Silvia Otero, “Ejecuta Texas a Mexicano: (Mexico: Center for Research and Teaching in Pidió perdón antes de morir,” El Universal, Economics, April 2013), http://dominio1.cide. July 8, 2011. The Mexican government sent edu/documents/320058/0d79d0e8-a23d- a diplomatic note to the US Department 4e30-87db-fa73ddbe579a. of State accusing the United States of 13. According to The Texas Politics violations of international law. See Brianna Project of February 2015, 34 percent Lee, “Mexico Condemns Another US strongly agree and 25 percent somewhat Police Shooting of Mexican Immigrants,” agree to the deportation of undocumented International Business Times, February workers. Meanwhile 16 percent somewhat 26, 2015. On warnings of visiting Mexico, disagree and 19 percent strongly disagree see Silvia Otero and Natalia Gómez, “EU with the measure. Alerta de Plagio; Exagera Dice SER,” El 14. “Radio Interview: Greg Abbott on the Universal, August 16, 2014. On the protest Chris Salcedo Show,” GregAbbott.com, July of the Mexican government against the 2, 2014, http://www.gregabbott.com/radio- deployment of the National Guard by interview-greg-abbott-chris-salcedo-show/. the Texas government to the border, see 15. Spencer S. Hsu and Kari Lydersen, Natalia Gómez, “Por Guardia en la Frontera, “Illegal Hiring Rarely Penalized,” Washington Nota Diplomática SRE,” El Universal, July Post, June 19, 2006. Daniel Akst, “Illegal 24, 2015. On accusations by Texas governor Immigration: So harmful, and so Beneficial,”

5 RICE UNIVERSITY'S BAKER INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY // ISSUE BRIEF // 06.19.15

New York Times, December 7, 2003. The 21. International Court of Justice, “Avena Obama administration has adopted a much and Other Mexican Nationals (Mexico v. The stronger position persecuting employers United States of America,” March 31, 2004, hiring undocumented workers. On this http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p topic, see Julia Preston, “A Crackdown on r=605&p1=3&p2=3&p3=6&k=18&PHPSESSI Employing Illegal Workers,” The New York D=910c3f12fe366a0bad0ec88e89326bdd& Times, May 30, 2011. case=128&PHPSESSID=910c3f12fe366a0bad 16. Jacobo Zabludovsky, “Entrevista 0ec88e89326bdd. Secretaria de Relaciones al Presidente Enrique Peña Nieto,” El Exteriores, “México Lamenta la Ejecución Universal, September 12, 2014; and Brian M. en Texas del Connacional Edgar Tamayo,” Rosenthal, “Update: Texas, Mexico Escalate January 22, 2014, http://saladeprensa.sre. Border Disagreement,” Houston Chronicle, gob.mx/index.php/comunicados/3616-023. September 11, 2014. 22. “Texas Executes Mexican Edgar 17. Oscar Martínez, “The Border: Tamayo, Despite Protests,” BBC News, Funneling Migrants to their Doom,” NACLA January 23, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/ Report on the Americas 44, no. 5. (2011); “El news/world-us-canada-25848393. Gobierno de México Condena la Muerte de Otro Mexicano,” CNN, February 25, 2015; Natalia Gómez, “74 Mexicanos han Muerto por AUTHOR la Fuerza Letal: SER,” El Universal, February 15, 2015. On the abuse of detainees, see Sarah Jesús Velasco, Ph.D., is a nonresident Dávila-Ruhaak, Steven D. Schwinn, and scholar at the Baker Institute Mexico Center Jennifer Chan, “Joint Submission to the UN as well as the Joe and Teresa Long Endowed Committee Against Torture Concerning the Chair in Social Sciences at Tarleton State United States’ Mistreatment of Immigration University. He is a former visiting scholar Detainees in Violation of the Convention at the Wilson Center, the Weatherhead Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Center for International Affairs at Harvard See more issue briefs at: Degrading Treatment or Punishment,” white University, and Harvard’s Rockefeller Center www.bakerinstitute.org/issue-briefs paper, The John Marshall School of Law, for Latin American Studies. He is the author September 22, 2014, http://repository.jmls. of Neoconservatives in US Foreign Policy This publication was written by a Under Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush: researcher (or researchers) who edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&con participated in a Baker Institute project. text=whitepapers. See also “Denuncia CIDH Voices Behind the Throne. Velasco earned a Wherever feasible, this research is abuso a campesinos,” El Universal, November Ph.D. in political science at The University reviewed by outside experts before it is 3, 2012; and PBS, “Rape in the Fields,” June of Texas at Austin. released. However, the views expressed 25, 2013, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/ herein are those of the individual Maribel McMillian is a Texas A&M author(s), and do not necessarily frontline/rape-in-the-fields/. University graduate student obtaining a represent the views of 18. “La pena de muerte divide a Rice University’s Baker Institute for mexicanos,” Parametría: Investigación master’s degree in education and human Public Policy. Estratégica, Análisis de Opinión y Mercado, development. She works at the university’s September 2006, http://www.parametria. Texas Center for the Advancement of © 2015 Rice University’s Baker Institute Literacy and Learning. McMillan holds a for Public Policy com.mx/carta_parametrica.php?cp=4038. 19. “Los mexicanos y la pena de B.A. in international studies with a minor in This material may be quoted or muerte,”Parametría: Investigación Spanish from Tarleton University. reproduced without prior permission, Estratégica, Análisis de Opinión y Mercado, provided appropriate credit is given to January 2014, http://parametria.com.mx/ the author and Rice University’s Baker carta_parametrica.php?cp=4646. Institute for Public Policy. 20. Ross Ramsey, “UT/TT Poll: Texans Cite as: Stand behind Death Penalty,” The Texas Velasco, Jesus, and McMillian, Maribel. Tribune, May 24, 2012, http://www. 2015. The Cultural Dissonance of Mexico- texastribune.org/2012/05/24/uttt-poll-life- Texas Relations. Issue brief no. 06.19.15. and-death/. Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, Houston, Texas.

6