I try not to criticize my country, or my countrymen, while standing on foreign soil. But I’ll make an exception.

A lot of Americans have an annoying habit of feeling really passionate about subjects they don’t really understand. What we lack in knowledge and wisdom, we make up for in ego and self-confidence.

In that vein, if you’re an American who thinks you know a lot about the present-day relationship between Mexico and the United States, chances are you know far less than you think.

For example, at this moment, the United States would appear to be one of the most interesting places on the map. A former U.S. president is getting a do-over at leading a horribly divided nation that he helped divide. Now, in a burst of political karma, the divider-in-chief has to referee a nasty civil war between the CEOs and the KKKs. Tech bros Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are defending the use of H-1B visas to recruit highly skilled foreign workers in a global economy while “America First” nativists such as Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk want to keep out all immigrants and create a new kind of affirmative action where American jobs are reserved for Americans.

To a domestic audience, that professional wrestling cage match might seem “interesting.” But I craved something more complicated. I didn’t have to go far. Living in the American Southwest — prime real estate representing eight states that used to be the northern half of Mexico until 1846 when President James K. Polk, intoxicated on the elixir of Manifest Destiny, made an audacious land grab — all I needed to do was look southward to the motherland.

As a Mexican American who has had several soapboxes in my 35 years as a journalist, I’m frequently told by racists who prefer that people like me serve up chips and salsa, not opinions and commentary, to shut up and “go back to Mexico.”

Yet the “American” part of my identity is ornery. It has a bad attitude and a John Wayne swagger. Empowered with Jeffersonian independence, it doesn’t like being told what to do. So for many years, I’ve ignored the know-nothings and stayed on this side of the border.

Besides, I hold a grudge against mother. A little more than a century ago, Mexico spit out my grandfather — and hundreds of thousands of other refugees from the Mexican Revolution — like a mouthful of bad salsa. Now Mexico wants a hug from me? I’ll pass.

But, at the same time, the “Mexican” part of me was tired of suburbia. It was jonesing for delicious tacos, smooth tequila and the soulful rhythms of mariachis. Meanwhile, my Mexican-born wife — who came to the United States legally with her mother and sisters as a child more than 40 years ago — was aching to see friends and family.

So we traveled with three teenagers to Guadalajara, my wife’s hometown. I’ve been here twice before, but that was more than 20 years ago. It is now a sprawling metropolis in the state of Jalisco. This city draws people from all over Mexico — nearly 80,000 in 2024 — looking for jobs and other opportunities. Dubbed the “Most Mexican City” in all of Mexico, Guadalajara has always been a gem.

Today, foodies from all over the world are finding their way here to savor some of the most unique and scrumptious cuisine in the hemisphere. And the tequila tourism business is humming.

Yet this metropolis of 1.3 million people — with another 4 million to 5 million in the surrounding area — is also a city in flux. It’s plagued by graffiti, traffic, sprawl, urban decay and street violence.

My timing for the trip was spot-on. The U.S.-Mexico relationship is also in flux. With President-elect Donald Trump threatening to send back millions of Mexican workers who could capsize the Mexican economy and impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Mexico, some wonder how Mexico intends to fight back.

One of the most surprising things I learned from a week’s worth of conversations with family, friends and assorted Uber drivers is that many Mexicans don’t want to fight back.

As incredible as it sounds, some of them are actually rooting for Trump.

Ruben Navarrette’s email is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.

They’re frustrated with the corruption that keeps the Mexican government wedded to powerful drug cartels that control the Mexican people through fear. They see the neighborhood bully as their only hope for salvation.

So you see what I’m telling you? The United States is boring. Mexico is fascinating.

Ruben Navarrette’s email is ruben@rubennavarrette.com