The Mexican Shock: Its Meaning for the United States

by Jorge G. Castañeda

One of the most trenchant critics of the Latin American scene and American foreign policy, Jorge G. Castañeda has been hailed as the "leading Mexican voice in the U.S. media" ( In These Times ). In The Mexican Shock Castañeda examines the major issues in Mexico in recent years and their effects on the United emigration, the relationship between politics and economics, the assassination of presidential candidate Luis Colosio, and the rapid devaluation of the peso. He also explores the United States's changing perceptions of Mexico and the historical and cultural outlooks that still divide the two countries. Finally, he examines the campaign behind Proposition 187 in California, discussing the dangerous mix of ignorance and bias that has formed so much of America's reaction to Mexico.

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1995

About the author

From Wikipedia:

Jorge Castañeda Gutman (born May 24, 1953) is a Mexican politician and academic who served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs (2000–2003).
Castañeda was born in Mexico City. He received the French Baccalauréat from the Lycée Franco-Mexicain in Mexico City. Then after receiving his B.A. from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Economic History from the University of Paris (Panthéon-La Sorbonne) he worked as a professor at several universities, including the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the University of California, Berkeley, Princeton University, New York University, and the University of Cambridge. He was a Bernard Schwartz fellow at The New America Foundation. He also authored more than a dozen books, including a biography of Che Guevara, and he regularly contributes to newspapers such as Reforma (Mexico), El País (Spain), Los Angeles Times (USA) and Newsweek magazine.
His father was Jorge Castañeda y Álvarez de la Rosa who served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs (1979–1982), during the administration of José López Portillo. He was married to Miriam Morales (a Chilean citizen) and he has one son, Jorge Andrés.