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Once upon a time, America believed in free trade. Mexico joined in and then its economy melted down.
I was there and caught it
all on videotape.

mExpats

A Sitcom Documentary

About the Series.

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In 1994 Mexico turned its back on years of protectionism to join forces with the US and Canada as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Shortly thereafter, an armed rebellion broke out in the south, political chaos ensued and and the currency was severely devalued. All this lead to one of the worst economic crisis in the country's history -- inflation hit 52% and many people lost their homes and livelihoods. I was one of many young Americans, the mExpats, who had gone down south seeking their fortunes, only to find themselves in the midst of the madness. 

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I lived in Mexico City from 1991 - 1997, first as a student and then as an economist at the American Chamber of Commerce. By day I conducted original economic research and assisted companies and government officials who were trying to make sense of the chaos. By night I played in a funk rock band that was trying to make it to the big time -- ultimately appearing on Mexican television several times. All along I captured my experiences on videotape. Somehow, I always ended up being in the right place and the right time -- becoming the "Forest Gump" of 1990s Mexico.

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With time I had forgotten much of the detail of what had happened while in Mexico; however, during the pandemic I rediscovered the video footage in the basement and began to piece things back together. In light of America's recent retrenchment from globalization and the fall of the primacy of rock music, I felt now was a good time to explore how we got here. I was able to take advantage of the advances in AI to bring the low-quality VHS footage back to life, releasing the episodes as a "Sitcom Documentary" -- perhaps the first such effort in what could be an exciting new media genre! 

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Most of the music highlighted in the series is either from one of my various bands, or material that is in the public domain (for details see the YouTube descriptions). Special thanks go out to my sister Wendy Cohen, a filmmaker based in New York City, who served as a creative consultant throughout the series. Outside of that, mExpats was a one-man effort that was slowly edited together over the course of a couple of years, late in the night, after Laura and the kids had gone to bed. 

Episode 1 - Opportunity

In this episode we get to know the cast of characters that are down in Mexico seeking opportunity as the country joins NAFTA. Josh's roommate Steve Postek decides he wants to make a few bucks selling coke.

Episode 2 - The Crisis

While the country enters into full blown crisis as a result of Peso devaluation of 1994, Josh, the Director of Economics at the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico seems to have an unhealthy obsession with the size of his Christmas Turkey.

The Episodes!
Watch the episodes below or via the full YouTube playlist.

Episode 3 - Devaluation

Our fearless mExpats explain what it is like to live through a major currency devaluation. We then get the tourist perspective on the same subject.

Episode 4 - Hoarding

With high inflation looming and a major increase in sales taxes about to be put into effect, Josh realizes that it is time to start hoarding imported products. He heads to Sam's Club.

Episode 5 - The Apartment

After the arrival of an heir to the dead owner of their apartment, Josh and Steve are subjected to some nasty intimidation. Will they be scared off or stand their ground?

Episode 6 - Law And Order

Here we get a primer on Mexican constitutional democracy with a little help from the Colegio de México law professor Samuel Del Villar and America's fraudster-celeb Kaleil Isaza Tuzman. The episode also delves into Josh's many run-ins with corrupt police and his evolving outlook on the future of the Rule of Law in Mexico.

Episode 7 - The Dart

Though inflation hit 52% in 1995, in 1996 Josh started feeling more confident about the future. It was time for him and his new roommate John Moody to buy a car. What could be better than a 1973 Dodge Dart? Join our mExpat friends on their journey to find a car and see what a cell phone looked in 1996!

Episode 8 - Missing Out

Despite increasing success at his job at the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico, Josh starts to express dissatisfaction with his lot in life. This episodes searches for the roots of the problem by transporting us back into Josh's childhood.

Episode 9 - Give up the Funk!

Josh continues to feel disconnected from his generation in the United States and tries to recapture his identity by taking a trip to Woodstock '94. We are also introduced to Josh's Mexican band "Signos y Sombras" and travel with them to the recording studio as they try to jump start things after more than a year of being stuck in a rut.

Episode 10 - San Mateo Tlaltenango

Josh's band Signos y Sombras starts gigging at the Cafe Caribe in the south of the city. While it helps them gel as a group, it's a hole-in-the-wall of a club and the fellas want to break out. Singer Raul signs the band up with Mexico City's SOCICULTUR program with hopes of playing outdoor festivals in hot spots throughout the city. Instead they get sent to the village of San Mateo Tlaltenango in the mountains surrounding the city. Is this the opportunity they've been waiting for?!

Episode 11 - Mexican Schoolhouse Rock!
Just a couple of months before Josh arrived in Mexico in 1991 to go to school, INXS was the very first foreign rock band to play in Mexico City in 22 years. For many years rock music had been effectively banned in the country. This episode takes a "Schoolhouse Rock!" inspired approach to try to uncover the mystery as to why this happened. Come along for a musical journey through the history of economic development and rock-n-roll in Mexico.

Episode 12 - Riding The Wave
In the 1990s rock-n-roll is once again flourishing as Mexico opens up to the rest of the world. Josh's band "Signos y Sombras" finds itself in the right place at the right time -- benefiting from the economic liberalization that is sweeping the country. This leads them to places that could have never imagined. They become the darlings of "Coca Cola Liquid Rock" on Aztec television.

Episode 13 - The Big Time

After its triumph on Aztec television, the Josh's band charges full steam ahead throwing everything they can against the wall. The band starts hobnobbing with many of the big rock acts in Mexico. Are they about to hit the Big Time?!

Episode 14 - The Promise Of NAFTA


As Josh realizes that his band is going no where, he asks himself what his mission in Mexico is and if he can contribute to making the promise of NAFTA a reality. After doing a bit of original research, he has a grand revelation that will reverberate forward for the next 30 years!

Episode 15 - On The Road

 Faced with an uncertain future in the country, Josh is reinvigorated when his brother Dan arrives in Mexico for the 1996 Christmas holidays. The brothers Cohen hit the open road to do a little soul searching; however, issues with Josh's 1973 Dodge Dart just might get in the way of their goals.

Episode 16: Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

After his brother Dan heads home, Josh must make some hard decisions about whether or not he should stay in Mexico. He seeks guidance in his family values and upbringing in historic Fishkill, NY.

Episode 17: Exodus

Josh contemplates the roots he has planted in Mexico prior to saying his goodbyes. He then undertakes an exodus of biblical proportions, heading north in his 1973 Dodge Dart.

The Hero's Journey: A Kind of Good Analysis and Epilogue to the "mExpats" Series

Find out what the whole Mexican experience meant to Josh and how he used his newfound enlightenment to bring boons to his fellow man upon returning to the states. 

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