About this book:

*Mexico in Global Context: Migration, Trade, and Cultural Exchange Since 1500* offers a comprehensive and synthetic history of Mexico, repositioning the nation as a vital nodal point in the narrative of global globalization. Moving away from the traditional view of globalization as a late-twentieth-century phenomenon, this survey traces five centuries of intertwined histories, from the early modern silver routes that fueled the birth of a global economy to the Pacific bridges built by the Manila Galleons. The book expertly links Mexico’s internal transformations—such as the fall of the Aztec Empire, the Bourbon Reforms, and the Mexican Revolution—to wider webs of international faith, knowledge, and finance.

The text provides a deep dive into the three pillars of the Mexican experience: the movement of people, the exchange of goods, and the circulation of culture. It explores the diverse diasporas of enslaved Africans and Indigenous resilience, the making of the U.S.–Mexico border, and the modern complexities of the Bracero Program and NAFTA. Through the lens of "social remittances," the authors examine how music, film, and foodways have forged a global Mexican imagination that transcends physical boundaries. By following commodities like oil and silver alongside stories of migrants and revolutionaries, the book offers a fresh vantage point on how global forces were made and remade on Mexican ground.

Designed for students and general readers alike, this volume connects the colonial ledger to the digital remittance and the silver fleet to the modern shipping container. It highlights the choices made by rulers, rebels, and everyday citizens in the face of external shocks, from imperial reforms to global debt crises and climate change. *Mexico in Global Context* is an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand how one nation’s past continues to shape the contemporary multipolar world, offering a sophisticated toolkit for linking the local barrio to the global metropole.

What You'll Find Inside:

• The deep historical roots of globalization in Mexico, tracing back to 1500 through the circulation of silver, faith, and colonial commodities.
• Mexico's role as a pivotal global trade node, specifically through the Manila Galleon routes linking Asia and Europe via Acapulco and Veracruz.
• The evolution of the U.S.–Mexico border from a porous frontier to a site of intense industrial integration, conflict, and massive labor migration.
• Internal transformations driven by major economic shifts, including the Bourbon Reforms, Porfirian modernity, and the move toward NAFTA and neoliberalism.
• The global circulation of Mexican cultural identity, exploring how music, film, and foodways have shaped the international 'Mexican imagination.'

Who's It For:

This book is intended for students, scholars, and general readers interested in Latin American history, international relations, and global economic development. It is particularly beneficial for those seeking to understand how local transformations in Mexico are inextricably linked to wider networks of migration, trade, and cultural exchange. Anyone looking for a comprehensive survey that connects early colonial silver routes to modern-day transnational communities will find this text invaluable.