Whether your interest is environmental or historical, cultural or culinary, there’s a great deal to learn from our southern neighbor. Mexico is a country of many different landscapes and climates; its cultures, both contemporary and historical, are no less diverse. From the mountains of the north to marvelous Mexico City, and from the Pacific coast to the Mayan Yucatan, this is a country that merits a dozen visits. What’s more, Mexicans embrace a culture of genuine hospitality, one in which just a little Spanish goes a long way.

Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, is one of the most fascinating of the country’s 31 states. The state’s capital is also called Oaxaca and is known for its cobbled streets, shaded squares, colonial churches, and busy markets. The city has some outstanding restaurants, cafés, and bars, too, together with top-notch museums, art galleries, and numerous festivals.  In between classes and everything else, you can relax in the Zocalo, Oaxaca’s main plaza.  A little further afield, don’t miss the Mesoamerican architecture of Monte Alban, where some 25,000 Zapotecs (the original inhabitants of Oaxaca) once made their homes. Nearby Benito Juárez National Park is a wonderful place to stretch your legs.

Program Description

Today, Rutgers is positioned at one end of a transnational migration corridor that extends from Oaxaca, a largely indigenous state in southern Mexico, to New Brunswick, NJ, a city with a diverse population including a rapidly growing number of migrants from southern Mexico.

The Culture and Community Health in Mexico program aims to expand awareness of health issues in Oaxaca, Mexico and among the Mexican immigrant community in New Jersey. Students will provide community service in a variety of public health programs in Oaxaca. In addition they will participate in a seminar on the medical anthropology of Mexico, a course in medical Spanish, an integrative seminar linking community service with course readings, and cultural excursions.


Information at a Glance

• Academics

• Program Itinerary

• Accommodations and Meals

• Program Costs

• Scholarships

• Travel Brochure

For more information about this program, please contact the Rutgers Study Abroad office.

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