Question

Why should a person living in the United States be familiar with the trade relationship between the United States and Mexico or Guatemala and the fact that this relationship is experienced differentially on either side of the border? How might that understanding affect you as a consumer of goods and media in the U.S.? How might it lead you to question the symbolic violence that supports the structural violence?

Answer 1

People living in USA are familiar of trade relationship witb Mexico because of Free Trade deal like NAFTA deals which allows immigration of labor and mobility of capital and hence people know which kind of jobs are suitable where dependent on comparative advantage of both countries.

People living in US perceive Mexico as dependent nation on US. People in Mexico think US gets fair deal of economic advantages because of only Mexico.

This affects consumption of goods too as individuals living in USA tend to buy locally manufactured goods or brands or services rather than of Mexico unless they offer something unique which is not readily available in Us.

This free teade and agreements and symolic violence where protest Mexixan goods of also has downsides which causes structural imbalance like high number of cases of extortion and smuggling within Mexican borders and illegal trading zones which causes structural violence .