The yankee dollar; Student dollar

Radio television the University of Texas presents the Yankee dollar. Why. The Yankee dollar. What is it Bud. Well that by. Radio television the University of Texas in cooperation with the National Association of educational broadcasters invites you to tour Mexico with Richard Ariano as he talks to political leaders and to voters to management and to labor to rich to poor to the people of Mexico. One thing will guide these conversations. What is the American dollar bought south of our border. What can it buy. And above all what image of us is our money creating.

American money finds its way into Latin American countries in different ways. Cheap of these are through foreign aid. The federal dollars through monies spent by vacationers the tourist dollar and through money invested by businessmen. The company dollars through the channels through which our money flows or fails to flow affect the image it creates. While the money spent by US students going to school in Mexico is small in comparison to the tourist dollar. It is money for which a number of universities and Mexico compete. What impressions do students from this country who attend school in Mexico create. Mr Ariano talked with administrative officers of Mexico City College. Here is a recording of that interview we have with us today Dr. Di Re Linley president of Mexico City College Dr. Richard Green the chairman of the Department of History and International Affairs also of Mexico City College

and Dr. Melanie make Michael the director of the Foreign Trade Center and chairman of the Business Administration Department of the Mexico City College. Gentleman were very glad to have you with us today. The first question that I would like to ask of you is that you know what road do you foresee the development of the Mexico City College in the future. In other words I've heard the term or it was used. Is this the goal which Mexico City College is aiming for that of becoming a director or a leader so to speak a motor of opinion throughout Latin America. Dr. Lee and I have sort of that question I might have referred to a study which was made recently by a group of social psychologists on this very theme of on our own blogs while the studies they made was to select as insignificant a little bit

alleges they could find. And there's Kees a village of less than 400 persons and then to select I will not mention it in the most in conspicuous man who live there. Then we gathered their data and after they had completed their studies it was their conclusion that this least important man in this very in conspicuous message. Within a years time had definitely influenced one hundred and eighty six lives. Now when we use the term our of influence for Mike's a coast city college we mean that situated as it is and the lie of today's political climate at this particular geographical center. It has a role to play

and a means to project which may be out of all proportion to its size to its enrollment. It is not necessary for us to think of Mexico City College as ever being a great big university. We do envision and role one between fifty nine hundred and twenty five hundred students. But we believe that the distinctive role of my school City College in history at this time. It is such that without enrollment it can make a tremendous impact on the cultures of North America and South America. Dr. Greene would you care to go there. Yes one of the great contributions that the college mags and one of the great influences that I have is in the proper training. I have both advanced undergraduate and graduate students one of the problems that we often have in dealing with the

Latin American area is that North American social scientists even people in the humanities and other people come to Mexico are coming to the Latin American area with a preconceived methodology conceptual framework a way of doing things which is perfectly valid in North America and they assume that the same methodology will be applicable in Mexico or in Latin America. And they often of course find that such is not the case. And we have to reschedule them from the methodological standpoint. Now there are two viewpoints of course that by living and studying for years on end in Mexico or Latin America that you are too close to the situation to analyze it scientifically. Josephus Daniels once said If you come to Mexico write your book during the first two or three weeks because you won't write it if you wait a

couple years. I'm not sure that I agree with him. The other viewpoint is of course that you can only study Mexico or Latin America from a North American vantage point a great university there where you're far enough removed to properly understand and interpret the situation. We believe that there is no offense to do for on the spot training for learning about a different epistemology a different psychology a different value system. And unless you know these things unless you proceed along these lines you are apt not to be very successful in business enterprise. You are apt not to make a very significant study in any of the social sciences and you certainly are apt not to return to the United States and teach courses as they should be taught. Consequently we go back to I think a cliche's situation but

definitely on the spot experience is necessary if one is to understand Latin America. Therefore we feel that one of the great advantages of the college is that it puts you into this situation into this methodology into this different value system. And your study and your conclusions made from the studies are therefore much more valid. We feel that it made isolated and my North American environment the reverse of course is also true. I hear it makes you think college a Latin-American student gets the correct methodology to approach any kind of problems I've described in the North American area. So it's actually a give and take situation. But we are admirably suited I think to serve both purposes.

Doctorate like of this is Dr. Greenleaf was chairman of the Department of History and international relations. I would wonder if his comments on the bridge I think are very applicable to those disciplines such as history and some of the other social sciences would these be transferrable what is coming Beatrice rebel to your area that is to one of Business Administration. I think one of the points we need to keep in mind with regard to Mexico City College of the college kids are. Gives the degree of Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts. This is highly significant in that the student who comes to Mexico City College receives a broad educational background. I'm referring to English and I'm referring to a foreign language sociology Latin American training and history and American History International Relations. I think this tends to broaden the total perspective of the individual student which is very

good. In addition to this. A student coming to Mexico City College can obtain a basic training and been his administration comparable to that of a good school in the United States giving a bachelor's in bit as administration. He has the additional opportunity to receive training in such fields of business as international trade international marketing international finance. This is highly significant to a student who is aware of the shrinking effect of the world that we are no longer living in a small market area of the United States. But if he is to be a successful business manager in the future he must recognize that business no longer operates around the nucleus of the United States that it operates without and through other countries and other other people other

cultures if you will. I think in this respect that Mexico City College can add to. An individual education in business administration by giving him new perspectives in world understanding of business and world understanding of philosophy which is extremely important to any businessman who comes to a higher level of Venice. He can no longer be a technician. He must be a philosopher to a certain extent. And we feel we would like to train businessmen who understand world philosophy rather than philosophy of you know United States. All right in connection with that note from Mike Michael. It was the Miter of having a better understanding of the Mexican Bolette ecosystem as well as the Mexican and Latin economic system. Too often times we seek to interpret the

economy of another country in terms of our own history and our own system. And I actually for those who would understand Latin American trade. It isn't that important that they have a clearer understanding of some differences politically and socially. In other words there is a difference is there not between the United States and Mexico in the political systems. Very definitely I think we could discuss both the political and economic system. First of all let's refer to the United States we have based our future on our past has been predicated on a free enterprise system. We know that from this system we have derived and are enjoying the highest level of living. The world has ever

known for us to come to Mexico and to try to transplant this free enterprise system as we know it completely and United States is unfortunate. I think we must recognize that there are certain differences in objective here in Mexico I refer specifically. To the objectives of the government here in terms of directing certain economic activity. This is not entirely true in the United States. And you've been as woman who comes here must recognize that the government has certain specific plans for the future if they are to. Succeed in Mexico I think they must be aware of these objectives. They must recognize that trans playing free enterprise exactly to Mexico will cause frustration on their part. This is not to say knowledge free enterprise will not aid assist and help Mexico into

reaching their objectives of a higher level of living. I think we must recognize that all the trans planning is not precisely what is necessary. I think recognizing the differences in culture is extremely important. I might add in this respect that a firm coming to mexico desiring to make a market study to determine where they should locate where their product will be successful and what the price of their product should be. Most recognize that differences and cultures hear the differences and the way that people think the way that people act in a way that people buy. There for a market research study here much bigger to Mexico rather than geared to the United States it must recognize the difference in culture. Very definitely. And Dr. Michael as I understand it that Mexico City College has as one of its very specific laws that training people as human beings that can evaluate in this manner that you've just spoken to that in the decisions and

understand and have basis for decisions. Latin America. Yes I would say we are hoping to train business managers who will move to trop level management positions here in Latin America and in the United States and Latin America because they have a basic background in the free enterprise system and understanding of the differences here in Latin America. Differentiations from the free enterprise system. They should be successful United States because they understand Latin America they have lived here and we have trained not only in the classical economic theory but the differences which exist around the world and economic theories they are totally educated in economics rather than narrowly educated along when I took a green leave as chairman of the Department of History. Would you say that the unit that you received from Latin America and other North American students that they received a different interpretation of history possibly than they would if they stayed at their own university of their

own. Good indeed I think one of the great contributions that Mexico City College has to give to the Latin American world is precisely in this area of interpretation of history and culture of North America. It is quite true that most Latin Americans have an image of the North American political system of North American History of the North American economic system which is in many ways not a correct one. And through my different interpretation which we attempt to get in the classroom an honest one. And in some cases slanted but in most cases I think very honest. We try to mitigate interpretations received at home and we try to indeed create new Ares of influence in the countries where these people return. For instance we have to. Make it quite clear that there is a difference in the

decision making process. And North American governments and Latin American governments whereas in North America structure is terribly important. And I particular geographic call and interest groups fed up with important and formulating our overall national policy. In Latin America you have to modify the idea of offering a structure is not particularly important. People who make the decisions what decisions are made and why the decisions are made of course are the important things to study. I thought all of these things have to be taken into consideration in history international relations and for that matter any other discipline at the college which is studied by either North Americans are Latin American. There's writings us to question what contribution a college makes to Latin

America. I think we have a fair idea of the contribution which it makes to the American students who come down here to study. But in Mexico City Colleges to. Exploit to the fullest extent its full potential role. It is important that we think in terms of the contribution which we make to both cultures. Now this contribution may be direct. I'd use the contribution which it might make to a Latin student who the rolls are and might be and I ranked it is the contribution which it makes to Latin America as a result of the new N sides and the news guild. What you are given to the students from the United States who come down to study the charm of the department of language use of one of our

great American universities has been on our campus in recent days. He says we have been our screw He says that they have in their school. They find his language laboratory an excellent staff. Almost a hundred students majoring in Spanish but he said the problem is that we give them the best training we can. They graduate to go out and teach Spanish in the public schools. And they still can speak the language. He said that if he had his way he would require our all. Majors in Spanish do have a junior year in Mexico City College in order to perfect their ability to speak and think in their language. But then there is the question of the contribution to Latin students. At this point I think that we can go much farther than we have been able to go in the past. It is a part of our goal to building a role model of Latin students up to

50 percent of the total enrollment of a college selected students coming not only from Mexico but from all Latin countries. In line with the US. It is our goal to the only scholarship fund to aid these do to help make it possible for them to study here. Many students can come to Mexico City College more economically and they can. Going into the States many students can come here who could not go to the States to study. In addition to those who do go to the States to study could go much better prepared if they had a period of time studying in Mexico City College or they could become introduced to the American culture in the American economy the American way of life. The American educational system and at the same time could improve their English before going on to the States to study

productively returning for just a second to a point that you made that the Latin American students will take back with their reservoirs of knowledge that they can then use in the development of their nations. With this follow along the lines of a school of economic thought which is a product actually of the United States and that is either the Indian school that believes that the most dynamic force in society is that of technology. In other words it isn't the gold hoard or the amount of capital equipment that one has at a given point in time but rather its technological store of resources it is a force I would not discount the importance of technological scale technological education. Yet if this were the only contribution we had to make I would be discouraged. I think that the more essential education that is needed today education in

terms of human values and truly enter cultural and international education. Let me put it like this. We know that the educated mind ruled the world and yet just as Robert Jackson siad that he is one of the contradictions of history that today we have need to hear only the educated man a man who is a trained technologically but who does not have a basic foundation in terms of human vied use. He was one of the world's greatest men he says today. This is the reason that I like the kind of curriculum and the kind of purpose of Mexico City College which is rooted in any solid liberal arts education and which brings together the students from different cultures. You see the problem is that. If we said in our own country and start about another culture.

Not only do we get an adequate picture of that culture but there is a sort of an innate tendency to suspect peoples of a different race and never have knowledge. But when we come to know them as persons then we have a very different attitude in a very different appreciation of them. I think one of the great gonna be going to Mexico City College is the fact of being able to bring together the future leaders of two great Kocher so they can get to know one another and to respect one another as individuals. Well I think. Certainly this emphasis on human values and enter culture relations is very important. Also though I would say that one of the things that the college tries to do in international relations and history and in the business administration and economics departments is to teach courses both on the

undergraduate and the graduate level which stress not only the North American way of life and the free enterprise system but to make the courses definitely core courses than non Marxian economics and non Marxian politics. Dr. Greene leve you have been here much longer than Dr. Mike Mike you know in the south and you might be able to give. And evaluation at this point we know that one of the great industries of Mexico is tourism and the Tories running American dollars and the Mexico it would help to provide a balance of trade for the country. Does Mexico City guys have any value to Mexico at this point. Indeed it does and this is one of the things that we often like to stress when talking about the college in Mexico and the United States. It is estimated by

some Mexican economists that tourism contributes to about 20 percent of the gross national product of Mexico and of course Mexico City College participates quite handsomely in this 26 percent. We have estimated I think from a conservative standpoint that the value of the college to the Mexican economy is perhaps two and a quarter million dollars a year. In this calculation of course we figure such things as the buying of goods and services the transportation of tourists and their parents who visit them to Mexico to ation which of course is channeled into wages and eventually into the Mexican economy and many other things. So we cannot stress too much the fact that the dollar flow into Mexico. I

have two and a quarter million dollars a year approximately. It is very important to the overall picture of tourism and gross national product. Dr. Greenleaf would you think that it was groups that operate in Mexico that attract North American students do so just because of the Yankee dollars. Well of course there is a great competition for the dollar. I would say that charges are made that the dollar is the main attraction but I don't think that I would go along with this entirely. I think I still the basic approach is one of intercultural relations. Getting to know each other better. I think that perhaps the major institutions in Mexico who do this Mexico City College included perhaps do it with a different rationale with a different base.

But I I don't think that I would say the competition for dollars is one of the major reasons right in the connection with a very keen observation you made about the dollars which make schools any goalie's brings into the country I think used to be taken into consideration not only the dollars which the American students bring but the scholarships which are raised for Mexican students also are done in dollars and you had to present time. We have two Asian scholarships available for my second students and we would welcome applications from deserving and qualified my skin's students for these governorships we will have a number of available beginning the first of the year. This has been another in the series of interviews conducted by Richard Ariano in

Mexico. Mr. Ariano has been talking with officers of the Mexico City College Dr. then late president Dr. Green they've chairman of the Department of History and Dr. Mac Michael chairman of the Department of Business the Yankee dollar was produced by RCA Norris and directed by B W Crocker at radio television the University of Texas under a grant in aid from the National Association of educational broadcasters. This is the end E.B. Radio Network.