With all of its improvements, Mexico is still an underdeveloped country. Its poor economy, although capitalist, is not well developed yet. Mexico is not a self-sufficient country; therefore, it depends on foreign investments to maintain its struggling economy. Seventy-five percent of all manufacturing companies in the country are foreign companies established in Mexico to take advantage of the low cost of Mexican labor. Baja California is one of the most important centers in the manufacturing business. But even with the advancement of industry in Ensenada, most people still work in the fields, earning poverty level wages. Along the drive from Tijuana to Ensenada, the first experience with the poverty of a developing country is almost overwhelming. It is not uncommon to see people living in cardboard boxes, burned out trailers, or literally in the streets and sewers. The country continues to worsen with a disastrous economy and a people with little hope other than Jesus Christ.
The Mexican culture is the result of the blending of the Indian and the Spanish cultures. Indian traditions were assimilated into the Spanish traditions brought into Mexico by the Spaniards. Some of the more obvious influences of Spain in the Mexican culture are the language and the Catholic religion. From the Indian culture, some religious celebrations, such as the “Day of the Dead”, and feasts before and after harvest season are still important in Mexican culture. Mexican people are the product of these two cultures, with a strong Spanish influence, and a diminishing Mayan Indian influence, especially in the big cities. Ensenada’s culture is a mixture of all the different subcultures of the many different states, brought by the immigrants from their home states. Ensenada does not have a well defined culture of its own but instead, it is an assimilation of all the traditions of different states brought together.
There is also a strong influence of the U.S. in the culture of Baja. The assimilation of American traditions such as Thanksgiving and Halloween, as well as American music and fashion, fills a gap between the culture of Baja and the culture of the rest of the country. Because the children at the City have such a diverse background, they are difficult to describe. The important commonality is a sincere gratitude for the new life they have found through love, acceptance, and the family of God’s people. So why are they so poor? The Bible tells us: “The poor you will always have with you” Mark 14:7.