why do so many people think New Mexico is part of Mexico (Santa Fe: to rent, houses)

[city_data91]

Seriously. How can they not know New Mexico is part of America? Yesterday I wore a shirt for New Mexico State University and people in my English class (Honors English 12) didn't realize New Mexico is a state. Someone asked if there are any white people. Another person said don't drink the water.

[domino]

People choose to be ignorant.

[sjbasin]

I'm perfectly content to have the rest of the country not know we exist.

[mikereznm]

Cause we're geographically challenged as a nation. USAToday noted in a article May 2006 that 18-24 yr olds couldn't locate Louisiana on a USA map. 6 in 10 couldn't find Iraq and 48% were unable to locate Mississippi. And don't even get me started on civics.

[GregW]

Geographic illiteracy is taught instead of Geography. Kind of got left out when they shifted from Civics to social studies.

[city_data91]

That reminds me of a time my gym teacher was showing us a map of America that showed obesity by state. He had to ask me where Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia were.

[tonilee]

Originally Posted by mikereznm

Cause we're geographically challenged as a nation. USAToday noted in a article May 2006 that 18-24 yr olds couldn't locate Louisiana on a USA map. 6 in 10 couldn't find Iraq and 48% were unable to locate Mississippi. And don't even get me started on civics.

You are so right! Not to get into America bashing but it is a known fact that people here in general are "ignorant" to a degree:

1) 18-24 yrs olds can't locate Louisiana on a map

2) 48% of ALL Americans do not know where Iraq or Afghanistan are (and we have a raging wars goin' on there )

3) the MAJORITY of folks who voted in the 2008 Presidential election did not know that the Democratic Party now has the MAJORITY of members in the 2 houses;

4) the MAJORITY of Americans cannot list the 3 branches of American government...most do not know there are 3 branches

5) In a recent national survery, over 35% of college freshman did not know who Adolf Hitler was.

6) And yes...some people think that New Mexico is part of Mexico and that the Baja California Peninsula is part of California, not Mexico.

Yep...my husband and I were recently trying to rent our Santa Fe timeshare on eBay. I had 5 people contact me to ask if 1) New Mexico was in Mexico and 2) was a passport needed to go to Santa Fe from Pennsylvania?

It's not that these above facts are so important (or are they)....it's just that the lack of knowledge that many Americans have about basic facts (civics, government, American history, politics, geography, other cultures, world events, current events, etc) is rampant...and sad.

Ahhhhhhhh but ask Americans to tell you what goes into a Big Mac or what the object of the most popular Xbox game is...that's a different story.

Tragic.

[tecpatl]

Or who Paris Hilton is dating......
The level of ignorance is astonishing to me.
I'm not sure when New Mexico is going to be considered a state by the majority of Americans. Not happening yet.
When I was back in the midwest a while ago I invited two different couples to visit us...and one guy said "we'd like to but we don't speak Spanish" and the other couple asked if they needed to get passports. And these are educated people Sheesh!

[Goodpasture]

Originally Posted by tonilee

...... the object of the most popular Xbox game is...that's a different story.

Tragic.

whats an xbox game?

[GOPATTA2D]

New rules for voting:

All voters must take a simple civics test before entering the booth.