La Ciudad de los Palacios

By Elizabeth Willems, Spring 2010

This summer I was fortunate enough to take classes as part of Alliant’s Summer Spanish Language and Cultural Immersion program in Mexico City. The program immerses students in Mexican culture and allows them to earn credits toward PsyD and PhD degrees.

The five-week program consists of lectures on Latin American culture, politics, religion, spirituality, history, economics, traditions, immigration, and family roles. Students live with Mexican families and enroll in Spanish classes focused on language used in a mental health setting. Students interact with clinicians who work within the frame of Mexican culture. However, it was not the courses or the networking opportunities that created the strongest educational impact.

During the program, Alliant students welcomed to Mexico City a busload of young boys visiting from Casa Frijol, the only center for homeless children in the state of Veracruz. For several years boys from Casa Frijol have met with Alliant students to share and teach about their life experiences. The Program Director of Casa Frijol, Blanca, is another educational force. She moved to Mexico from Spain in the footsteps of her priest to do humanitarian work. She eventually fell into the role of caretaker for what seemed like a small city of young men, aged 3-16 years-old, living at Casa Frijol.

Together we traveled with the boys throughout the city and visited many historical sites that they had only heard about. Many of the boys came from difficult living situations or were abandoned by their families. However, because of the structure in their group home and the guidance of their caretakers, the boys were extremely well behaved. I spent time on a day trip with one little boy exchanging translations for words we did not know in the other’s native language. Later in the day, he found it in his heart to offer me a small angel pendant that he purchased on the trip with part of his allowance.

Despite the days of adventure, educational experience, and fantastic food, without a doubt the part of the program that both the students from Alliant and the boys from Veracruz will remember most are the bonds of friendship that were created.

The boys traveled to Mexico City to learn about their nation’s capitol and to teach some doctoral students a few things about character and resiliency. At the end of the immersion program, as the bus carried the boys away, they took with them a few donated blankets, several items of clothing as well as the previously held perceptions of a group of graduate students.

I believe getting to know these young men changed the lives of many graduate students. Perhaps some felt more fortunate about what they have at home while others learned about building rapport with children despite a language barrier. However, I’m sure we all gained some insight and perspective into the strength of the human spirit.

For information about the Mexico Immersion Program or the Casa Frijol home for boys, email Dr. Jason Platt jplatt@alliant.edu.