Zedillo Calls for New Era of Understanding

On a day that harked back to California’s Mexican roots and looked ahead to its growing diversity, Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo began a three-day goodwill tour of the state Tuesday by declaring the start of a new understanding in bilateral relations.

Speaking in the state Capitol to a special joint session of the Legislature, Zedillo emphasized hope that a friendlier political climate will encourage prosperity on both sides of the border.

“I am bringing a message of affection and hope of all Mexicans for the people and the authorities of California,” Zedillo said in the state Assembly chambers, built shortly after the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo turned control of California from Mexico over to the United States.

“Our message of affection is part of the new understanding that Mexicans and North Americans are now constructing,” he continued, speaking in Spanish that was simultaneously translated into English. “This is a new understanding for a broad geographic and economic relationship as well as an intense social and cultural relationship.”

And in a major boost for Davis on one of his thorniest issues, Zedillo put his support behind the governor in his quest for court mediation on Proposition 187, the landmark 1994 ballot measure on illegal immigration that triggered much tension between California and Mexico.

“I see what he did as something conducive to his original commitment,” the president told reporters. “I trust Gov. Davis. And I hope and trust and know that in the end there will be a good solution regarding this issue.”

Davis opposed Proposition 187 but has pledged not to thwart the will of voters who passed it overwhelmingly.

Zedillo’s visit is intended to reciprocate for a trip Davis made to Mexico City in February. Davis sought to underscore his commitment to improving relations with California Latinos, which have been damaged by recent political controversies.

Like Davis’ trip, Zedillo’s tour is almost entirely a symbolic effort that is not expected to generate many new policy announcements. It is also tightly scripted to minimize spontaneous events and emphasize the symbols of improved relations.

The small crowd of a few dozen youths allowed to witness the president’s arrival was outnumbered a few hours later by an unrelated Capitol rally regarding health care issues.

With security heavy throughout the Capitol, police on horseback were called in to move a small crowd of anti-Zedillo protesters out of sight just before the president’s arrival. The crowd of about 30 demonstrators waving placards and a Zedillo effigy was critical of the president’s approach to Mexico’s poor and the country’s simmering peasant rebellion.

The disruption did little to distract from a formal and generous welcoming ceremony choreographed by state officials to approximate a high-level meeting between two powerful and friendly heads of state.

Zedillo arrived at the Capitol on Tuesday morning in a guarded limousine with a police escort that stopped at the end of a red carpet where Davis stood waiting with his wife, Sharon.

The president stood under Mexican, American and California flags draped from the Capitol’s columns as he exchanged hugs with the governor and his wife.

Inside, Zedillo was hailed as the first president of Mexico to ever speak in the California state Capitol. And his visit was called a historic turning point for a state recently torn by controversy over its rapidly growing Latino population.

“This moment represents a profound shift in our relationship, from uneasy neighbors to unwavering partners,” Davis said. “For too long, Mexico and California have stood apart. We have even occasionally pointed the finger of blame at one another. But Mr. President, with your trip here today, those days are gone forever.”

The increasing influence of California’s Latino population was also demonstrated in speeches read in English and Spanish by the state’s two highest-ranking Latino state officers--Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles) and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante.

“From the names of our towns and cities to our celebration of Mexican culture and cuisine, it is hard to forget for long how deep [these] ties go,” Villaraigosa said. “And while we deplore the economic conditions that made it so, it is still true that the California dream has come about in part by the sacrifice of Mexican workers who felt compelled to leave their villages and families to seek a better life.”

Democrats Seek Gains From Trip

Part of the warm reception for Zedillo and the elaborate schedule over the next two days has been organized by Democrats hoping for a political boost from the visit.

Recent surveys indicate that political participation by the state’s Latino population--which accounts for nearly a third of California’s total--surged in response to controversial Republican-sponsored ballot measures on illegal immigration, affirmative action and bilingual education.

Democratic leaders are hoping to seize an opportunity they consider pivotal to the state’s political future, turning the emerging Latino vote into a Democratic base of power.

Some Democrats worried that the effort was jeopardized last month when Davis decided to seek a federal court settlement of a lawsuit still pending over Proposition 187, which would end government benefits for illegal immigrants but has been ruled largely unconstitutional.

Many Latino leaders wanted Davis to drop the suit and virtually end any chance that the controversial measure might be implemented.

After his formal speech to the Legislature, Zedillo delivered a more relaxed talk to hundreds of business people, politicians and others at a lunch hosted by Davis at a downtown Sacramento hotel.

Switching to what he called his “bad English,” a smiling Zedillo--who speaks English fluently--heaped praise on Davis. He emphasized Mexico’s pride in Mexican Americans like Villaraigosa and Bustamante, noting that they appreciate their heritage but are loyal to this nation.

“They will continue to study, they will continue to fight, they will work, and they will do that as very good Americans,” he said.

Zedillo later traveled to San Francisco, where he gave a speech to an enthusiastic crowd of about 1,000 politicians, academics, businesspeople and others at the Commonwealth Club.

His three-day tour continues today with a whistle-stop-style arrival by train in Los Angeles at Union Station. Later, Zedillo and Davis will appear on a Spanish-language talk show and at a state dinner in Beverly Hills.

On Thursday, Davis and Zedillo will visit cross-border businesses in San Diego.

Speculation on Business Relations

Authorities expect some announcements during the trip about new business enterprises and government cooperation between the United States and Mexico. On Tuesday, they disclosed a plan to step up cross-border handling of hazardous materials and to crack down on migration of agricultural pests like the medfly.

But mostly, officials could only speculate about how the trip might improve business relations. California trade with Mexico grew rapidly even when political relations were strained.

Mexico remains California’s second-largest trading partner, although in recent quarterly statistics it has outperformed the state’s No. 1 market, Japan.

In his speech at the Capitol, Zedillo commented extensively on the difficult economic and political challenges his country has faced in recent years.

Zedillo’s 20-minute speech opened and closed with comments about improved relations with California. But most of his comments described domestic issues in Mexico.

Aides to the president said Zedillo focused on Mexican policies because he believes many people in the United States are unfamiliar with Mexico and the social challenges it has faced in recent years.

“There’s a contrast between the real interest [in Mexico] and the information people have,” said one aide, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Zedillo said the nation is climbing away from its economic crisis four years ago and recently posted its lowest unemployment figures in eight years. He identified the fight against poverty as the top priority for his government and noted that millions of households have been connected to water, sewage and electric service since he has been president.

Speaking directly to Mexican immigrants in California, many of whom fled their nation’s dire economic conditions, Zedillo said, “I have come to California to reassure the Mexican-origin population and all inhabitants of California that in Mexico we are working very hard to build a future of progress and justice,” he said.

“We in Mexico are working unitedly to go from economic recovery to a dynamic and lasting economic growth,” he said.