Mexican Wholesale

posted by AetnaJo on Mar 8

Emiliano Zapata

For most of Mexico’s developing history, a small minority of the people were in control of most of the country’s power and wealth, while the majority of the population worked in poverty. As the rift between the poor and rich grew under the leadership of General Díaz, the political voice of the lower classes was also declining. Opposition of Díaz did surface, when Francisco I. Madero, educated in Europe and at the University of California, led a series of strikes throughout the country.

Mexican revolution

Díaz was pressured into holding an election in 1910, in which Madero was able to gather a significant number of the votes. Although Díaz was at one time a strong supporter of the one-term limit, he seemed to have changed his mind and had Madero imprisoned, feeling that the people of Mexico just weren’t ready for democracy.

Mexican Revolution

Once Madero was released from prison, he continued his battle against Díaz in an attempt to have him overthrown. During this time, several other Mexican folk heros began to emerge, including the well known Pancho Villa in the north, and the peasant Emiliano Zapata in the south, who were able to harass the Mexican army and wrest control of their respective regions. Díaz was unable to control the spread of the insurgence and resigned in May, 1911, with the signing of the Treaty of Ciudad Juárez, after which he fled to France.

Madero was elected president, but received opposition from Emiliano Zapata who didn’t wish to wait for the orderly implementation of Madero’s desired land reforms. In November of the same year Zapata denounced Madero as president and took the position for himself. He controlled the state of Morelos, where he chased out the estate owners and divided their lands to the peasants. Later, in 1919, Zapata was assassinated by Jesus Guajardo acting under orders from General Pablo Gonzalez.

It was during this time that the country broke into many different factions, and guerilla units roamed across the country destroying and burning down many large haciendas and ranchos. Madero was later taken prisoner and executed and the entire country existed in a state of disorder for several years, while Pancho Villa rampaged through the north, and different factions fought for presidential control.

Eventually, Venustiano Carranza rose to the presidency, and organized an important convention whose outcome was the Constitution of 1917, which is still in effect today. Carranza made land reform an important part of that constitution. This resulted in the ejido, or farm cooperative program that redistributed much of the country’s land from the wealthy land holders to the peasants. The ejidos are still in place today and comprise nearly half of all the farmland in Mexico.

Carranza was followed by others who would fight for political control, and who would eventually continue with the reforms, both in education and land distribution. During this period the PRI political party was established, which was the dominant political power for 71 years until Vicente Fox of the conservative PAN party was elected. The holiday itself commemorates the day, November 20th of 1910, when Madero denounced President Díaz, declared himself president of Mexico and called for a national insurrection.

I hope you are enjoying Mexican history. Is there something in particular that you would like me to research and write about. Let me know. In the meantime, enjoy!

posted by AetnaJo on Mar 4

Yuriria in Michoacan Mexico

It was a chance thing, really. We were heading for Patzcuaro, almost due south of Guanajuato where we had spent the past several days on a photography and business junket. While we were checking out of our small hotel just this side of the tunnels that snake under old Guanajuato, the otherwise taciturn gentleman who owned the establishment told us — almost as an afterthought — that, well, if we were heading for Patzcuaro, we might want to take lunch in Yuriria because there was a very old and beautiful convent that we could visit.

Intrigued, but facing a rather longish driving day, Tracey and I were ambivalent about the idea of taking time away from the journey and jeopardizing our planned arrival in Patzcuaro before dark. So, when the exit sign for Yuriria appeared several hours later, we hesitated for a moment too long and missed the turn.

Sailing down the road at a fast clip, it seemed a momentary impossibility to retrace our steps. Hesitation, then decision, and more than a little laughter, as Tracey hit the brakes, came to an abrupt stop at the side of the narrow two-lane highway, and made a U-turn in the middle of the road. Moments later, we were driving down a dusty road into what looked like a backwater farming town in central Mexico.

Yuriria in Michoacan Mexico

A long time ago, Yuriria was an important center in the area. Also known as Yuririapundaro — a name which means “Lake of Blood” in the Purepecha language, a reference to the lake waters that turn red during seismic events — the town became an administrative center and stop-off point on the “silver highway” that connected Mexico City with Guanajuato and Zacatecas. Mine owners were required to register their holdings with the Spanish crown but, as more and more silver mines were discovered, administrative centers were opened at points closer to the new locations, and Yuriria gradually lost its prominence. These days, Yuriria is home to only 26,000 people with 90,000 or so living in the surrounding area.

The Ex-Convento de San Pablo Apostol is easy to find — it dominates the town’s humble skyline. After parking the car, we walked the few short sunny blocks through the little town’s center towards the edifice. Families were Saturday-promenading in the park, balloon vendors were sailing their colors, and the small market was bustling with a lunch-time crowd.

Yuriria’s Ex-Convento is among the largest in Mexico and resembles, as do many ex-convents, a medieval fortress. For us, “convent” meant that this must have been a place of women, but in fact, the Ex-Convento was a monastery. The word convent finds its origins in the Latin words con and venire, meaning “to come together;” it was a word commonly used in Spanish to refer to such a place occupied by either a society of men or women.

Yuriria in Michoacan Mexico

Its resemblance to a fortress is no accident. As a result of the Spanish settlements during the mid-1500s, the area became a war zone with ongoing clashes between the local people and the Spanish Crown. Conventos were erected all over Mexico as the Catholic Church engaged in evangelization and pacification, actively supported in its efforts by the colonial government. By the end of the 16th century, only 75 years after the Conquest, there were 400 monasteries in Mexico; almost half of them were built by the Franciscans, with the Dominicans and Augustinians nearly tied for second place. It has been estimated that 9 million native people were converted as early as 1543.

The religious orders in Mexico tended to be regional with the Franciscans working in central and northern Mexico as well as the Yucatan; the Dominicans could be found mainly in the southern regions of Oaxaca and Chiapas; and the Augustinians worked in the states of Hidalgo, Morelos, Guanajuato and Michoacan. The Ex-Convento in Yuriria is an Augustinian invention; the monastery was founded by Friar Alonso de la Veracruz, who had professed as an Augustinian in 1537 shortly after his arrival in Mexico. Formerly an instructor at the prestigious University of Salamanca in Spain, Veracruz has been considered one of the outstanding scholars and intellectuals in 16th century Mexico and has been credited with the founding of the University of Mexico.

Construction on the Convento San Pablo Apostol began in 1550 and was completed in 1559 (though some date the completion to 1567). Its erection and lay-out were overseen by Fray Diego de Chavez, nephew of the famously cruel conquistador Don Pedro de Alvarado. While only a few records exist of professional architects working in Mexico during this era, and most convents and churches were conceived by local friars with little — if any — formal training, the architect responsible for the plan of Yuriria’s convent is known to be the renowned Pedro del Toro. (It’s thought that Del Toro and De Chavez also worked together at nearby Cuitzeo in Michoacan on the construction of the Santa Maria Magdalena Convent.) The construction force consisted of nearly 40 masons, both Hispanic and indigenous, and more than 300 Indian laborers. Rock was transported some ten miles from Cerro de la Cantera, about ten miles distant from Yuriria.

Today, one enters the Ex-Convento through a portico embraced by large graceful arches, disappearing at first into the cool shadows of the porteria, or porter’s room, then emerging into the walkway that surrounds the verdant and tranquil central courtyard. On the day of our visit, we were nearly completely alone, save for the fellow who oversaw the entrance and two other employees who quietly lingered in the passageways. We passed only a handful of other visitors. The convent consists of two levels, with common rooms below and former living quarters above. Entrance to the rooms is via surrounding Gothic arcades, whose graceful arches overlook the courtyard and provide shade to the entryways of the building’s many rooms.

We began by walking slowly around the lower level’s arcade, our pace slowed by the magnificence of the place and the redolence of its history and significance. Decorations are sparse, possibly because of the devastating fire of 1814 which destroyed much of the town itself and the convent’s religious artwork. We could see the remnants of once-spectacular murals that graced most of the entrances leading from the arcades into the inner hallways. The staircase that rises from the main level to the floor above gave us much pause. The stairway is still astonishing after nearly five centuries, and we ascended slowly and in solitude, pausing to revel in the metal filigree windows and the illusionistic handrails that are painted on the walls.

On the second floor, we continued our slow apprehension of the convent, wandering from one quiet room to the next, with the gloom of corners alleviated by bands of sunshine pouring in through each room’s single window. Long dark hallways gave way to brilliant sunlight at their terminuses and through occasional oculi above. Our mood was reverent and contemplative, perhaps evoked by the atmosphere of the place, a disposition that seemed to exist in the air as a result of all the events that had taken place here so many years ago. The moment that truly took our breath away, though, was when we came upon Her, the Virgin of Guadalupe. At the end of a very long hallway, illuminated today by only one bare low wattage bulb, and though the ravages of the centuries have taken their toll, she still glows on the wall with a presence that is palpable and wonderful.

At the time of the Spanish Conquest, which began in 1519 with the arrival of Hernan Cortes, the native populations were estimated at between 15 and 30 million. By the end of that same century, numbers had dwindled to only about 2 million. Smallpox, famine, severe labor conditions in the silver mines, and plagues all contributed to the genocide. The encomienda system is of particular note; a Spanish institution that dates from the second voyage of Columbus in 1493, the encomienda was a legal system that allocated groups of Indians to privileged colonists. The colonists were entitled by the Spanish Crown to extract tribute and labor from their designated Indians, and were required in turn to attend to their Christian welfare. Tremendous advantages were taken by the colonists, making it impossible for the native people to look after their own needs.

Friar Alonso de la Veracruz, the founder of the Convento de San Pablo Apostol, believed that the native peoples of Mexico had the right to dominion over their land, labor and tribute, a right that was inherent in their communities and could not be taken by force. Given the beliefs of Veracruz, one can hope and imagine that life around the convent in the 1500s was perhaps a little less harsh than it might have otherwise been.

We left the Ex-Convento reluctantly, in the late afternoon, with the long road to Patzcuaro still ahead of us. Before departing, we paused for an early dinner in the restaurant of what appeared to be the only hotel in town and enjoyed the hospitality of the townspeople, a very lively mariachi band, and possibly the country’s largest molcajetes. And we reflected on our extraordinary good luck of this chance encounter with Yuriria’s Ex-Convento, thanks to the brief remarks of our Guanajuato host and a quick U-turn on a narrow highway.

Such is traveling, such is Mexico.

These images are available from Olden Mexico.

posted by AetnaJo on Feb 25

Mexican Mariaches

This is really interesting information on the Mexican Mariachi.

Musicologists and folklorists have argued for years over the origin of the word – Mariachi. The explanation that appears most frequently – especially on record jackets and in travel brochures – is that it is a variation of the French word mariage, meaning wedding or marriage, and comes from the time in the nineteenth century when Maximillian, a Frenchman, was Emperor of Mexico.

According to this myth the Mariachi was named by the French after the celebration with which it was most commonly associated. But this explanation, always regarded as highly doubtful by linguists, was totally discredited recently when a use of the word was found that predated the time when the French arrived in Mexico.

Currently, however, the best scholarly opinion is that the word mariachi has native roots. One theory is that it comes from the name of the wood used to make the platform on which the performers danced to the music of the village musicians. But whatever its true source – and the truth may never be discovered with absolute certainty – the word today has one meaning that is crystal clear: Mariachi means on of the most exciting and enchanting musical ensembles found anywhere in the world.

The Beginning of the Mariachi We Know Today

Although the origins of Mariachi music go back hundreds of years, in the form we know it the Mariachi began in the nineteenth century in the Mexican state of Jalisco – according to popular legend, in the town of Cocula. The Mariachi was the distinctive version of the Spanish theatrical orchestra of violins, harp and guitars which developed in and around Jalisco. In other areas such as Veracruz and the Huasteca region in the northeast, the ensemble evolved differently. By the end of the nineteenth century, in Cocula the vihuela, two violins, and the guitarró n (which had replaced the harp) were the instruments of the Mariachi.

The principal music played by these early Mariachis was the SON, the popular music of the day. A mixture of folk traditions from Spain, Mexico, and Africa, the son was found in many regions of the country. The son from Jalisco is called the son jalisciense. La Negra is the best-known example.

Sones from other regions include the son jarocho or veracruzano, from the region around the Gulf port of Veracruz; and the son huasteco, from northeastern Mexico. The most famous example of the son jarocho is La Bamba . A typical son huasteco, also known as the huapango, is La Malagueñ a. It is interesting to note that there are some sones, such as El Gusto, which are common in all three regions and clearly date back to a common ancestor.

Enjoy Mexican Mariachi Music.

Editor’s Note: Jorge Tamayo (tamayoj@imac-ac.edu.mx) operates the IMAC Instituto Mexico Americano de Cultura, A Spanish Language School in Guadalajara, Mexico

posted by AetnaJo on Feb 22

Semana Santa is Mexico’s second most important holiday season of the year, behind only Christmas, and runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. In addition to attending Mass on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, many Mexicans will also take advantage of the holiday to go on vacation. If you’re planning to visit Mexico during Semana Santa, make sure you checked on availability in advance.

Semana Santa in Mexico

Semana Santa, or Holy Week, celebrates the Christian holiday of Easter. Mexico is nearly 90 percent Catholic, so this religious holiday takes on a special meaning that the entire community shares and participates in.

All of Mexico celebrates Semana Santa, but certain cities and villages are better known for celebrating the holiday, and often provide reenactments of the events leading up to Christ’s crucifixion on the cross. The best known cities are Ixtapalapa (in Mexico City), Pátzcuaro, San Cristobal de las Casas (Chiapas), and Taxco. Smaller and silent torch lit processions, Processión del Silencio, also take place in Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosí.

Each community celebrates the holiday with it’s own regional flavor, however, popular with the whole country is the breaking of cascarones, colored egg shells filled with confetti, over friends and family. Churches will be filled with those attending Mass on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and families will take this opportunity to be together.

The most moving event of Semana Santa is the reenactment of the Passion of Christ, or the Passion Play. The event’s in the mentioned cities are sponsored by religious or community groups, and can include large processions of penitents, sometimes on their knees, a portrayal of the last supper and the crucifixion itself.

In many cities, important religious images from the church will be displayed, traditional altars are decorated at home and in the streets, and flower decorations and palm crosses will be found everywhere. The central colonial cities seem to celebrate this holiday with the most reverence and tradition, and if you wish to see the beauty of traditional Mexico, Semana Santa would be well worth seeing for yourself.Mexonline.com

.Enjoy!

posted by AetnaJo on Feb 19

Los Voladores Papantala

In colorful thousand year old costumes, the voladores, the flyers, of Papantla appeal to the gods by performing a traditional, highly symbolic dance at the base of a tall, tall pole reaching high toward the gods in the sky.

Four flyers carrying long ropes and a fifth, their leader, with his flute and small drum begin the long upward climb. Atop the pole is their platform—an disc for the leader and slabs like one-by-fours making a square for seating.

Los Voladores De Papantala

Slowly the flyers rotate their platform and wind their ropes, four ropes side-by-side, around the pole. When there’s no slack left, and with the free ends of the ropes tied well around the waists of the flying-men, the leader appeals to the gods once again.

High atop the pole he plays his flute, and beats a cadence on his tiny diameter drum. Standing he dances to the four cardinal points.

And then, ever continuing to play, he sits. And the flyers fall—fall over backward from their seats.

We gasped and jumped to our feet. We were the first-timers in the crowd. The pull on the rope turned the platform, and the platform spun the fliers in long slow circles around the pole—the lower they came the wider the circle.

Suited in white shirts and red pants and trimmed in bright colors, as they have done for more than a thousand years, the flyers, heads downward or sailing birdlike on their sides, spun their traditional 13 circles from the sky to the ground.

This religious ceremony now turned commercial used to happen throughout Mexico, and in Central and South America. The pole we faced was at El Tajin, the most magical ruins in the State of Veracruz. The flyers, the voladores, are Totonacs. And although only five climb the pole, we found out that there are six voladores per group.

The sixth volador passes through the crowd asking for a donation of a dollar or two. Sometimes the sixth volador is rudely treated by foreigners who’ve forgotten that in Mexico making a living is not easy and today flying is an important supplement to a volador’s income.

Long ago, so the story goes, terrible drought and famine descended upon Totonacapan, the land of the indigenous Totonac peoples. Five brave men set out looking for their chance to appeal to Xipe Totec, the god of fertility. They went to ask that the rains return and the land turn green with crops to feed the hungry people.

A long journey deep into the rugged forested land brought them to the tallest, straightest tree, a tree reaching almost to the sky. They wished the tree’s spirit to carry their words to Xipe Totec. They prayed and fasted and stayed the night high in the tree’s branches. And the next morning they felled the tree.

Without letting the tree touch the ground, they carried it to the people, to the heart of Totonacapan with its temples and pyramids and ball courts and dwellings, and deciding upon the perfect spot finally the five brave men let the tree touch the ground.

They stripped the tree of its branches and returned the tip of the tree to the sky sinking the bottom of the trunk into the earth.

Los Voladores Papantala

Costumed in bright plumage that would attract the attention of the gods, they climbed the pole, and as we had seen, they wrapped their lines (long thick vines in days so long ago) around the tree. They sent last prayers and music to the gods, and then from high in the sky, they set themselves flying.

The rite of the flyers, as we always hear talking to our Totonac friends here in the City of Veracruz, reminds them and tells us who they are—a brave and daring people deeply respectful of their past and highly proud of their present. Every loving retelling of the story of the fliers is a little different from every other retelling we’ve heard. And every retelling yet to come will be a little different.

Today the city of Papantla, is the center of Totonacapan. The region is famous for its production of Mexico’s rich, highly aromatic vanilla. Close to Papantla is El Tajin, the greatest cultural center of the Totonacs. El Tajin is a large ruins with pyramids and temples, and ball courts and housing. Not as large as Teotihuacan or Palenque, El Tajin has a more human scale, and one feels an almost mystical communication with those who were there a thousand years ago.

Papantla and El Tajin are especially safe places to visit. Not many locals speak English, but plenty speak a little “Spanglish.” Any tourist knowing just a bit of survival Spanish can enjoy the voladores, the pyramids, the culture, the close-by ocean, and warm and friendly people of Veracruz.

posted by AetnaJo on Feb 15

Paricutin, the volcano that grew out of a cornfield.

Volcan Paricutin

Paricutin-Mexico’s most famous volcano.
One day in 1943, a farmer in a small village in central Mexico in the state of Michoacan set out to plow his cornfield. It seemed like any ordinary Saturday, the month was February and the skies were clear. The farmer, Dionisio Pulido, was attending his crop of corn when he heard low rumblings emanating from the earth. This in itself was nothing particularly new; indeed, the area in which he lived, just outside the quaint village of Paricutín, had been experiencing small earth temblors for the past 2 months.

Little did he realize that his life was to forever change due to the impending events that would soon unfold. Suddenly and without warning, much to the farmer’s consternation, the earth started to open up before his very eyes. A huge crack appeared in the dirt directly in front of where he stood. Instinctively, Dionisio Pulido attempted to fill the hole with earth. This was to no avail. Soon a terrible odor could be smelt coming from the fissure in the ground, a smell that can only be described as rotten eggs.

Volcan Paricutin

This odor, which was actually sulfur rising from the fissure in the earth, portended more events yet to come. Much to the farmer’s dismay, smoke started billowing out of the ground, the rising gray vapors filled with soot and ash. A terrible heat could be felt rising from the earth’s inner core and wisely, Dionisio Pulido fled the scene. Incredibly, what the farmer was unknowingly witnessing first-hand was the birth of a new volcano. Exhausted from the day’s extraordinary events and with the sun quickly setting in the western sky, Dionisio retreated to his home for the evening.

The next day, Dionisio, along with several others from the village, went out at dawn to examine the location. What they saw both amazed and justifiably terrified them. Rocks were furiously shooting into the sky while the cone of the previously underground volcano now broke through the surface and started growing before their very eyes. Lava started to pour quickly out of the cone’s spout and this was enough to convince the villagers to get away as fast and far as possible. The entire cornfield was soon transformed, its surface filled with molten rock that continued to expand across the landscape.

Two villages were buried by the volcano’s lava and ash, Paricutin and San Juan Parangaricutiro. A striking example of the volcano’s effects can be seen in photos of the church that was buried neck high in San Juan Parangaricutiro. Only the steeple of the church can be seen today with the landscape forever and dramatically altered with acres upon acres of lava rock stretching out in all directions. Incredibly, there were no fatalities from the falling rock or scalding lava, although lightning that accompanied the original event was blamed for 3 deaths.

The former residents of the two villages had to relocate with the memory of that fateful February day forever etched in their memories. What they had witnessed was extraordinary, for what they had observed with their own eyes was the birth of a volcano. The volcano’s cinder cone ultimately reached its full height of 1,391 feet where it stands today. Thankfully, the type of volcano that occurred in Paricutin is classified as monogenetic, meaning that it will never erupt again. In 1952 all activity ceased and it is now considered a dormant volcano.

Volcan Paricutin

Many people come to visit the volcano which is located approximately 200 miles west of Mexico. The city of Uruapan, located 20 miles south of the site, is a good jumping-off point to take a day trip to see the volcano and the surrounding lava fields. It is a good idea to stock up on supplies in this city, especially water. From this city you’ll board a bus to the small village of Angahuan. This small outpost is the closest village to the site and it is here that you can hire a guide for the day. This is highly recommended as the trails are not clearly marked. As well, the option to travel by horseback is available as this adventure will take a full day in any event (14 miles round-trip). Angahuan offers cabins for rent and there is a small cafeteria on the premises. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes as the lava rock can be very slippery and dangerous.

The volcano of Paricutin now bears the honor of being listed as one of the world’s 7 natural wonders. It holds the distinction of being the only volcano on the planet born in modern times. Eruptions from volcanoes are commonplace occurrences but the birth of an entirely new volcano is genuinely rare.

posted by AetnaJo on Feb 5

Vicente Guerrero

The first African-Mexicans to come to Mexico, and their descendants, have greatly influenced the Mexican culture. Throughout the centuries, Afro-Mexicans have made vast contributions to the country of Mexico and they deserve to be recognized and acknowledged for their many accomplishments. Afro-Mexicans share a rich history and count heroes and presidents among their ancestors. One was Vicente Guerrero, Mexico’s 2nd president and a hero in Mexico’s War of Independence from Spain. The state of Guerrero in Mexico was named after him.

Amongst other things, these immigrants have contributed to the modern Mexican culinary gamut. Unlike other groups, they unquestionably did not come willingly. Their arrival was a product of what was perceived as economically beneficial by the European conquistadors of Mexico,but during the post-conquest years they have added important and vibrant contributions to Mexico’s culture and cuisine.

It is said that during the Colonial era, approximately 200,000 African slaves were brought to Mexico. The first group of six was brought by Cortez in 1519 and the rest during 1580 and 1650. They were transported from the West Coast of Africa to wok as domestic servants and in the sugarcane fields. Many of them came in through the port of Veracruz and were sold at the slave market in Antigua. Another large group entered Mexico through the port of Acapulco and to this day inhabit the Costa Chica, a portion of the Pacific coast of Guerrero and Oaxaca. The inhabitants of Costa Chica did not mix with the European and indigenous people to the extent that the slaves in Veracruz did and they have retained a distinctly African identity.

In Veracruz tribal and family groups were alienated to a great extent. Therefore much of their original culture was absorbed into the regional identity that has come to be known as ‘Jarocho,’ a term by which the people of the state and the port in particular, define themselves. The mixing of races in Veracruz was one of the reasons why the people who came to be known as ‘afromestizos’ had a more insightful gastronomic impact in Veracruz than on the Costa Chica.

The fact that nearly all food imported from Spain came into Mexico through Veracruz is another reason that a large variety of ingredients was accessible there from the beginning of colonization. Of all of the African influences, including music and dance know as Afro-Cuban, was brought by the slaves who came to Veracruz through the Caribbean and the influence on the regions cooking is one of the deepest and most far reaching.

As the colonial period in Mexico extended, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries, the indigenous population of Mexico became decimated by sickness. To make up for this labor shortage, African slaves were brought to Mexico to toil in the sugar fields and in underground mines. They were worth four times more than their indigenous Indian counterparts. These African workers were highly prized for their physical endurance and stamina in the hot, tropical sun. They were made to work in atrocious conditions and attempting escape was the only viable option for these enslaved Africans. Those who were successful in their escape, fled to areas high mountain ranges where jungle and canyons would hide and shelter them. Indigenous Indians who had also fled to these remote areas joined forces with the escaped African slaves, forming communities and families.

After 30 years, an African slave named Gaspar Yanga was able to negotiate a treaty with the Spanish. Yanga achieved his desired goal after great hardship. Today, the town of Yanga In Veracruz is a living testimony to his incredible achievement.

Gaspar Yanga

The mingling of blood that occurred between the Spanish and Indigenous Indians took place also with African slaves. This third root of the Mestizo race is a topic seldom acknowledged. Traditionally, the Mestizo race is identified as being a mixture of European and Indigenous Indian blood but in truth it can also include the blood of Africans. These are referred to as ‘mulattos.’ Over the years, this bloodline has been absorbed into the fabric of the Mexican population. Some scholars believe that 200,000 slaves were brought to Mexico while others believe the true number is closer to 500,000.

The Costa Chica is one of two regions in Mexico with significant black communities, the other being the state of Veracruz on the Gulf Coast.

What makes this story illuminating and mystifying is the profound lack of documentation and discussion on this subject.

posted by AetnaJo on Feb 3

Mexican Volcano Popocatepetl

As requested, I am re-posting this article. It has a beautiful romantic theme that is perfect for the month of February.

The legendary Mexican Volcano’s ‘Popocatepetl’ and Iztaccihuatl with their towering white peaks of snow can be seen on a clear day from the great metropolis of Mexico City. Mexico’s Popocateptl Volcano is a steep volcanic cone located about 45 miles southeast of Mexico City and rises beyond 17,000 feet in elevation. This majestic mountain is breathtaking to the viewers sight and is snow capped year round. Popocateptl Volcano has captured peoples’ imaginations throughout the ages and has a story that reaches back into the mists of time. Next to the Popocateptl Volcano is the Iztaccihuatl Volcano. Iztaccihuatl meaning, “white woman” in Nahuatl. This mountain actually has four peaks, the tallest reaches 17,158 feet and many see the silhouette as resembling that of a sleeping woman.

Iztaccihuatl Volcano is located next to the Popocateptl Volcano. Speaking geographically, these two volcanoes represent the second and third highest mountains in Mexico. Iztaccihuatl is an extinct volcano. Popocatepetl is still active having spewed smoke and ash as recently as 2001. Popocateptl means “Smoking Mountain” in the Nahuatl language. As Aztec mythology has it, Popocateptl and Iztaccihuatl were once humans who were deeply in love. The legend is about two star-crossed lovers, the young brave warrior Popocatepetl and the princess Iztaccihuatl. Iztaccihuatl’s father who was a mighty ruler, placed a demand on Popocatepetl before he could take Iztaccihuatl as his bride. He required that Popocatepetl first engage in a battle against the tribes enemy and return victorious. Some variations of this legend include the stipulation that Popocatepetl must return with the enemys’ head as proof of his success. Story has it that Popocatepetl went off for war with.

Iztacclhuatl waiting for her beloveds’ return. Popocatepetl won the battle and was ready to return to Iztacchuatle when word reached the ruler that the warrior had been slain. Upon hearing the false news, the princess, Iztaccihuatl falls ill and succumbs to her deep sorrow, dying of a broken heart. When Popocatepetl returns to his people with triumph, he encounters his beloveds’ death and he is heartbroken and inconsolable.

Popocateptl carries Iztaccihuatl’s body to the mountains where he has a funeral pyre built for his princess and himself. Grief stricken, he dies next to his beloved. The Gods, touched by the plight of the lovers, turns the humans into mountains so that they can finally be together. Today, they remain with Popocatepetl residing over his princess Iztacclhuatl. On occasion, Popo will spew ash, reminding everyone watching that he is always in attendance and that he will never leave the side of his beloved Izta.

Volcanos Popocaterple and Iztaccihuatle continue being one of Mexico’s most popular tourist sights.

Volcano Iztaccihuatl

posted by AetnaJo on Jan 29

Los Niños Heroes

The Niños Heroes (Heroic Children) were six teenage military cadets who died defending Mexico at Mexico City’s Chapultepec Castle (which was the Mexican army’s military academy,) from invading forces from the U.S.in the Battle of Chapultepec on September 13, 1847. Mexico has had many heroes through its long and eventful history but conceivably none have mesmerized the thoughts and stirred the hearts to the extent that Los Niños Heros have. These brave young men fought valiantly for their country during the Mexican-American War but sadly, they died defending México’s honor.

These cadets ranged in age from 13 to 19 years of age. Their commanders ordered them to fall back but the cadets did not and instead they resisted the invaders until they were all dead. The six young men refused to relinquish their posts and bravely met the superior forces of the Americans.

· The last survivor Juan Escuitia born in Tepic between 1828 and 1832 was a second lieutenant in an artillery company, and is said to have draped himself with the Mexican flag before jumping to his death to prevent it from being taken by the enemy.

· The other five were Juan de la Barrera, born in Mexico city in 1828 He was the son of an army general who enlisted at the age of 12 and died defending a gun battery at the entrance to the park. He was 19 and the oldest of the six.

· Francisco Marques, born in Guadalajara, Jalisco in 1834 and was the step son of an army cavalry captain. He applied to the Academy on January 14, 1847 and belonged to the first company of cadets. His bullet riddled body was found on the east flank of the hill. He was the youngest of the six;

· Agustin Melgar born in Chihuahua, Chihuahua between 1828 and 1832. He was the son of Esteban Melgar, a lieutenant colonel in the army and Maria de la Luz Sevilla, both of whom died while he was very young and he applied for the Academy on November 4, 1846. He was able to shoot and kill invaders before taking refuge behind some mattresses in one of the rooms but was mortally wounded.

· Fernando Montes de Oca born in Azcapotzalco, Mx., Mexico between 1828 and 1832 to Jose Maria Monted de Oca and Josefa Rodriguez. He applied to the Academy on January 24,01847 and was one of the cadets who remained in the castle. His personal record reads “Killed for his country on 13 September 1847″;

· Vicente Suarezborn in 1882 in Puebla, Puebla and was the son of Miguel Suarez, a cavalry officer and Maria de la Luz Ortega. He applied for admission to the Academy on October 21, 1845 and was killed at his post in hand-to-hand combat.

They were buried in the grounds of Chapultepec Park in an undisclosed location and on September 27, 1952, they were re-interred at the monument top of the Heroic Cadets in Chapultepec.

This grand monument was raised in their honor, “Los Niños Heroes Monument,” and stands proudly at the entrance to Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. This impressive monument was made of Carrara marble by architect Enrique Aragon and sculptor Erlesto Tamariz in 1952.

In 1947, President Harry S. Truman of the United States visited the “Los Niños Heroes” monument where there was a moment of reverential silence observed by the President as a sign of respect for the young boy cadets. When President Truman was asked why he stopped at the monument his response was, “I respect bravery wherever I see it.”

Monument "Los Ninos Heroes

posted by AetnaJo on Jan 24

Maximilian I Emperor Of Mexico

Maximilian I (1832-1867), Emperor of Mexico from 1864-1867, qualifies as one of the country’s most ill-fated rulers. Hailing from a european dynasty, Maximilian was duped into accepting the role of Mexico’s emperor. Brought to the country under false pretenses, the archduke of Austria was led to believe his presence would be welcome by the people of Mexico. In fact, the opposite was true.

Mexico was experiencing the painful residues of a civil war (The War of the Reform) when Maximilian arrived in Veracruz in 1864. Mexico’s president, Benito Juarez, supported wide sweeping reforms for the country. This deeply angered the conservatives and the church who sought to maintain the status quo.

In 1861, President Juarez suspended interest payments to Britain, Spain and France. Juarez took this drastic measure out of necessity to help stabilize the country’s infrastructure. This decision, however, set off a chain of events that ultimately culminated with Maximilian’s arrival.

Maximilian I

In response to President Juarez’ decision, Napoleon III of France persuaded Britain and Spain to join forces with his country and demand repayment from Mexico. The Treaty of London was signed in 1861 for this purpose. However, France had ulterior motives that went beyond the settling of a debt. Napoleon III sought to take advantage of Mexico’s instability by establishing a monarchy in the country.

Once Britain and Spain learnt of France’s true intent, they withdrew from the treaty. Napoleon III remained resolute and French soldiers were promptly dispatched to Mexico. The Battle of Puebla occurred during this time, a rare Mexican victory over a foreign country. This famous engagement gave birth to the tremendously popular Cinco de Mayo holiday so widely celebrated today.

Despite Mexico’s success at the Battle of Puebla, the French soon emerged victorious and took command of Mexico City. This occupation was welcomed by the conservatives and members of the clergy who hoped to have their powers restored by the forthcoming monarchy.

Maximilian was enjoying the life of a country gentleman when Napoleon III approached him concerning the role of emperor. A member of the Imperial Habsburg-Lorraine family of Europe, Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria had a received a fine education. However, he possessed a naive nature that led him into dangerous circumstances. As a result, Maximilian became embroiled in an international melee that would have no happy ending.

Napoleon III convinced Maximilian that Mexico had authorized his appointment. In truth, a mockery of a vote had been staged. Led to believe their presence would be welcomed, Maximilian and his wife Charlotte looked forward to their new home and dominion. They set sail for Mexico.

Maximilian was crowned Emperor on April 10, 1864. Both he and his wife immersed themselves in Mexico’s culture. Charlotte changed her name to the Spanish equivalent and was known as Empress Carlota. A humanitarian at heart, Maximilian could not help but notice the great disparity between the country’s rich and poor. To the great dismay of those who had put him in power, Maximilian supported the liberal social reforms set forth by President Benito Juarez.

The United States had been embroiled in its own civil war during the French occupation of Mexico. However, once this war was over, the United States made it clear that they recognized Benito Juarez as Mexico’s legitimate president and reminded France of the Monroe Doctrine. As a result, Napoleon III was successfully pressured to withdraw his troops from Mexico.

Without military support, the Maximilian monarchy was destined to fail. Empress Carlota returned to Europe to beg Napoleon III and the Pope to reconsider their decision. Her pleas fell on deaf ears and these futile attempts proved to be the downfall of Empress Carlota’s sanity. She lived out her life in Europe, in seclusion, never to see her husband again.

Maximilian was encouraged to flee for his life. He adamantly refused, fully committed to Mexico and her people. Maximilian had grown to love his adopted country and felt responsible for her future. Before long, Maximilian was captured and sentenced to death. Pleas came from around the world, imploring President Juarez to spare Maximilian’s life. These pleas were in vain. Maximilian was executed by a firing squad on June 19, 1867. A famous chapter in Mexico’s history had come to an end.

Maximilian I Emperor Of Mexico