United States Ambassador to Mexico Roberta Jacobson received a warm reception from a largely expat crowd gathered Tuesday, October 25 at the Lake Chapala Society in Ajijic.
The occasion, she said, marked her first opportunity to talk with a large group of fellow citizens since taking up her embassy post in May.
Her brief address to the crowd opened with comments regarding the ties between the United States and Mexico, which she described as “much more than the standard relations with most foreign nations.” While pointing to over $US1 billion in trade that crosses the common border every day, she stressed, “It’s not just a matter of abstract numbers. It’s about human beings.”
While 26 million Americans visit Mexico every year and around one million live here, as many as 35 million people living in the United States trace their heritage to Mexico.
In reference to lakeside’s expatriate enclave she noted, “The reason so many Americans come here is, yes, the weather and the beautiful surroundings, but most of all it’s about the warm people.” Commenting that she is getting close to retirement from a long diplomatic career, Jacobson joked that perhaps she should be looking a property during her lakeside visit.
The ambassador mentioned that with all the news article she reads about Mexico what especially grabs her attention are stories about Americans who explain why they chose to move here and why their experiences don’t jive the darker reports on the country that are put out in the mass media.
As for the U.S. government’s diplomatic mission here, Jacobson noted that it encompasses 30 agencies working through the embassy in Mexico City, along with nine consulates and another nine consular agencies elsewhere in the country.
Jacobson dedicated a significant portion of her remarks to the topic of cross-border educational exchange, hailing President Obama’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative as a great conduit for boosting friendship, cultural understanding and bilateral business. She sees great potential in bolstering student exchange between technical institutions and community colleges, including short-term study programs.
“We want U.S. companies here to support these programs. I’ve warned them that I’m coming for their wallets,” she remarked with a chuckle.
During the Q&A slot of the town meeting she addressed a question about her future following next month’s presidential election, saying that like all ambassadors she will tender her resignation and wait for the new president to decide whether she’ll stay or go.