Soon after I began covering immigration issues in Wyoming, I realized my reporting would be significantly limited if I didn’t learn to speak Spanish. 

In some situations, things can change quickly, and there isn’t time to get a translator involved. Plus, I feel that speaking directly to someone in their language is the best way to build relationships and trust. So, my editors signed off on me taking two weeks of Spanish classes in Mexico City this month. 

Sunday evening, before my classes started, I went to see lucha libre, Mexico’s theatrical style of choreographed professional wrestling. On the crowded street outside the arena, vendors sold colorful, glittering luchador masks. Inside, the luchadores descended a staircase in their capes and masks and sparkling pants. With people ringed around, cheering and jeering, they somersaulted and flew through the air. 

The next day, I dove into two weeks of absorbing Mexico City’s language and culture. This multicultural metropolis of roughly 9 million people is pretty different from Laramie, where I live, but not the altitude — like my home, Mexico City hovers just above 7,000 feet.

Maya Shimizu Harris covers public safety for WyoFile. She was previously a freelance writer and the state politics reporter for the Casper Star-Tribune.

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  2. For anyone wanting to stay permanently….

    Mexico is not very “immigrant friendly”, if the USA trying to protect it’s borders and regulate immigration is considered “racist/fascist/nazi”, what must Mexico be considered with FAR stricter requirements than the USA???

    Mexico permanent residency requirements in 2026 mandate higher financial thresholds and stricter documentation than in previous years. You can qualify through retirement, family ties, or a four-year temporary resident transition.

    Monthly Income: A minimum of $7,430 USD per month in pension or employment income over the past 6 to 12 months.

    Savings/Investments: An average monthly balance of over $298,000 USD across the past 12 months.

    After receiving a single-entry resident visa, you must enter Mexico and apply for your official Permanent Resident Card (Residente Permanente) at an INM office within 30 days

    The 2026 total typical fees for the ‘five-year journey’ from Temporary to Permanent residency per applicant from around $25,000 pesos now (U$1,350) to over $50,000 pesos per applicant (US$2,700).

    Reply