This document discusses the connections between communities in Minnesota and Morelos, Mexico. An estimated 200,000 Mexican immigrants live in Minnesota, many undocumented, and about 60% of the Mexican population in Minnesota are youth who lack access to services and identity. In Morelos, many youth have parents in Minnesota and feel abandoned. The document proposes using the internet to better connect youth in both places and allow parents to be more involved in their children's lives across borders. It describes schools and communities visited in Morelos and ideas for future online connections between Minnesota and Morelos.

1. “ Ideas for community connections” Josey Spallarossa & Garth Willis June 2007 Minnesota-Morelos

2. Up to 200,000 Mexican born individuals currently living in Minnesota This represents 4% of the total population of Minnesota An estimated 60% of this total are undocumented. View from Minnesota

4. Immigrant youth are by law given a high school education. But after high school few services exist, including limited access to scholarships for higher education, no health care, unable to find legal work, fear of police. Youth lack identity, many have spent most of their lives in Minnesota, yet are citizens of a country that they have no connection to. Situation for youth in Minnesota

5. Can spend their lives in communities devoid of parents. In some schools up to 80% of the pupils have one or both parents living in the United States. According to a secondary school principal, Juanita Vidal, students feel “abandoned” and they see the opportunity to go to the United States as a “dream”. However she acknowledges the challenges and difficulties still facing Mexicans emigrating to the “other side”. Children ask parents to return “they don’t want their money, they want them to come home”, she tells us. Situation for youth in Morelos

6. Students in Tepoztlan raising their hand when asked if they had one or both parents in the United States

7. Primary School in Axochiapan

8. Minneapolis “The new Axochiapan”

9. The streets of Axochiapan, Morelos

10. Minneapolis and Axochiapan

11. Population: 30,000 10,000 in the United States, mostly in Minnesota. At one school 80% of the students have one or more parents currently in the United States. According to the school social worker this lack of parental supervision has lead to social problems such as troubles with behavior, lack of interest in school, and an increase problem with youth gangs in the city. When asked what their hopes were for the future virtually all youth answered to leave and go to “The other side”. Axochiapan

12. Cuauhtemoc Secondary School in Axochiapan, Morelos

13. Internet cafes in Axochiapan

14. Internet Cafes in Tepoztlan

16. Allowing parents to be more involved in their children’s education and social adjustment Giving youth the chance to connect to their community. Opportunity for youth to share their culture with peers across borders. To allow both youth and adults to find opportunities that exist in Morelos to lessen the draw of the United States as the only option for employment. Benefits of the internet for communities

17. In Morelos Internet Café’s available in almost all small towns, primarily used for youth chatting with friends and for homework. Not often used to communicate with family. While available to a small degree in schools, not used for communication. It has been a challenge for several schools to pay for internet services (Average of $40.00 a month). In Minnesota: Low use by the Mexican population, lack of time and access given as the main reasons. Current environment for internet use

18. Computer Lab in a Tepoztlan Secondary school

20. Tele Secondary School in Emiliano Zapata

21. Connecting Communities Across borders