Routledge’s United States and Mexico: Between Partnership and Conflict

A Harvard professor for more than 45 years, Jorge I Dominguez also holds both a master of arts and a doctorate in political science from the esteemed university. An expert on the internal policies and international relations of Mexico and Cuba, Jorge Dominguez has written widely on related subjects.

One of his books is The United States and Mexico: Between Partnership and Conflict. Co-authored with R. Fernández de Castron, this book begins in the early 1800s and chronicles conflicts between the US and Mexico through the modern era. Routledge first published The United States and Mexico as part of its Contemporary Inter-American Relations series in 2001. The book is currently in its second edition from 2009.

Taking a complex and in-depth look at US/Mexico relations over the decades, The United States and Mexico highlights the vital trade partnership and close relationship between two countries that share one of the longest continuous land boarders in the world. It also examines their frequently tense migration relations, as well as problematic issues such as drug trafficking, trade agreements, and various economic/environmental concerns.

Mexico’s President Moves to Increase Mexico’s Minimum Wage

A former professor at Harvard University, Dr. Jorge I. Dominguez also served as Antonio Madero Professor for the Study of Mexico. Focused on economic and trade trends, Dr. Jorge I. Dominguez continues to maintain a strong interest in developments in Mexico.

A recent Forbes article drew attention to a second recent move by president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to increase the minimum wage, this time by 20 percent. The aim is to address persistent inequalities. Despite Mexico’s economic transformation over the past three decades, in which manufacturing and exports have soared and investment has been made in areas such as automotive, electronics, and aerospace, wages are among the lowest in the OECD.

Unlike most industrial countries, Mexico still has a minimum wage that is extremely low relative to the overall economy. With the average minimum wage worker earning just $2,000 in 2018, this has allowed the country to compete with countries such as China when it comes to labor intensive, low productivity jobs. Unfortunately, a corollary impact has been a stunted market for services and goods domestically.

The new minimum wage for 2020 is 123.22 pesos per day (approximately $6.50), which if properly enforced will raise wages for approximately 10 million Mexicans.

A major issue is that many Mexican workers have informal employment with family-run businesses and receive cash salaries that are not officially reported. This may prevent the move from having its intended effect in generating broad improvements for a large segment of the population. It also remains to be seen whether the minimum wage hike will dampen activity in the formal employment sector or increase inflation.

China Moves to Boost Investment and Trade Presence in South America

Shipping containers
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With a background as a past professor and researcher at Harvard University, Dr. Jorge I. Dominguez has long focused on the economics and policies of Latin America. Maintaining a close watch on current trends, Dr. Jorge I. Dominguez has a strong interest in the region’s changing relationship with China.

As highlighted in a recent U.S. News and World Report article, China’s presence across Latin America has witnessed a rapid expansion over the past two decades, with annual trade growing from $12 billion to more than $300 billion. A shift has also occurred in which China is not simply seeking raw materials across the region, but taking an active role in infrastructure and other investment projects.

This reflects a reality in which Chinese money comes without often onerous IMF and World Bank restrictions, as well as a diminishing US presence throughout the region. This has accelerated with the current US administration, which is perceived as being most interested in working to build walls and trade barriers, while reducing foreign aid. China has deftly stepped in to fill this leadership vacuum.

A Layman’s Look at Collective Security

Jorge Dominguez currently focuses on his work in comparative politics and international relations in Latin America. Until his retirement in 2018, he served Harvard University since 1972 as a professor as well as director and chair of various departments. Among Jorge Dominguez's achievements is his involvement in the World Peace Foundation as a member of the Steering Committee for the project on Collective Securities in the Americas.

Collective security is the term used for different states' collective efforts to attempt to prevent or mitigate wars. The expression was first coined in the 1930s. In a collective security arrangement, the security of every member state becomes a concern for all member states. As a result, all member states act together to deal with the threat.

Collective security is considered to be the most viable approach in order to achieve international peace, as it is designed to protect not just one state but all states part of the agreement. The United Nations and League of Nations were both founded on the collective security principle.

What Does the Inter-American Dialogue Do

Jorge Dominguez has actively worked in international relations, focusing on Latin American affairs. With an extensive professional background, Jorge Dominguez also became a member of the Inter-American Dialogue from 1983 to 2018.

For over 30 years, the Inter-American Dialogue has continuously been involved in shaping policy debate, devising solutions, and encouraging cooperation among states in the Western Hemisphere. 

The Inter-American Dialogue is made up of more than 100 distinguished professionals and citizens from the United States and Canada, as well as Latin American, European, and Caribbean countries and states. These members actively participate in the organization’s work through advancing debate and sharing information. 

Based in Washington, DC, Inter-American Dialogue takes pride in its reach, influence, and quality of analysis. It partners with premier institutions around the world in various areas crucial to development including energy, education, migration, and rule of law, among others. 

As a network of global leaders, the Inter-American Dialogue engages its members to drive democracy, social equity, and prosperity, particularly among the Caribbean and Latin American states.

The Ladies in White - A Group Focused on Freedom of Conscience

A scholar expert in recent Latin American history and politics, Jorge Dominguez, PhD, served for 12 years as the Antonio Madero Professor for the Study of Mexico at Harvard University. He is the author or editor of scores of articles, book chapters, and books in his field. In addition to Mexico, Dr. Jorge Dominguez maintains a strong research interest in Cuba.

In May 2016, Latin America Advisor published a dialogue including Dr. Dominguez and other experts on the subject of United States President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Cuba. In the course of the conversation, Dr. Dominguez mentioned how the president had called Cuba’s denial of human rights to the world’s attention. In particular, President Obama met with dissidents, among them the “Ladies in White.”

These “Damas de Blanco” have spent a decade and a half protesting the detention of the country’s political prisoners in a quietly pointed way. Every Sunday, dressed all in white, they leave Havana’s Santa Rita Church and march through the streets as a living symbol of innocence and of the freedom denied their countrymen.

In 2005, the Ladies in White received the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, given annually to reflect the values of the late Russian dissident Andrey Sakharov. It took eight years, but in 2013, the Cuban regime at last allowed these women to travel to Brussels to claim their award.

Catholic Church Gradually Recovers Influence in Cuba

A tenured Harvard University professor, Jorge Dominguez provided academic leadership as director of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard. Knowledgeable about the complex relationship between Cuba’s Catholic Church and Communist government, Jorge Dominguez moderated a John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum that focused on the topic in 2013. 

As reported last year in National Catholic Reporter Online, the Cuban Catholic Church is gradually recovering from decades of repression, which began with Fidel Castro’s taking power in 1959 and resulted in the expulsion or imprisonment of thousands of lay leaders and priests, as well as nationalization of Catholic schools. For many years, practicing Catholics could not take on leadership roles, and were excluded from the Communist Party.

With tens of thousands of Catholics fleeing, a pivotal moment of re-evaluation came in 1986. The National Encounter of the Catholic Church (ENEC) found that only 200 Catholic priests remained ministering in Cuba and less than two percent of the population attended Mass regularly. This led to a renewed commitment to the churches’ missionary role and in 1992 Cuba was classified as a secular, “but no longer atheist,” state. 

John Paul II made a groundbreaking visit to the country in 1998 that further reinvigorated the Catholic Church. Most recently, Pope Francis visited Cuba, which opened new doors, including priests in the United States being able to temporarily visit the country and minister. With approximately 350 priests practicing in Cuba today, about 60 percent of Cubans describe themselves as Catholic and 10 percent attend church regularly. A major lynchpin of change has been the Cuban-American community, with recent funding going to church-organized entrepreneurship training programs and the first new Catholic church built in the island country in 60 years.