Category: Mexican

None of the Mexicans I sent the questionnaire to feel they had been personally impacted by any natural disasters however, the most common impact is getting a flat tire because of holes in the roads. Also, my participant from Mazatlán, Sinaloa stated that they lost their car due to one of the really heavy floods. Another one of my participants from Guadalajara said that they feel they have lost the beauty of the countryside as the forest fires has resulted in the closure of some national parks and country roads. Lastly, my participants from Culiacán, Sinaloa said they have seen people losing their homes and their lives due to severe flooding in the city.

Another interesting fact I found from chatting with all of my Mexican participants are that they don’t enjoy living in Mexico, this is because of everything that has happened and that will continue to happen regarding natural disasters. The moral in everyone’s hometowns aren’t great.

This dissertation has understood Mexico’s history of Natural Disasters. In the history of Mexico’s natural disaster section it details the five most fatal disasters in Mexican history. These are The Birth of the Paricutin volcano, 1943, The hurricane of 1959, Chichonal eruption, 1982, Tabasco flood, 2007 and The Twin Earthquakes in 2017. Collectively these five fatal disasters wiped out millions in total and ruined lives. This dissertation also discusses present day disasters and how my six participants personally feel on the matter and how they’ve been affected. The most active times for natural disasters to take place is in June to September, none of my participants have been in a natural disaster but the most likely ones to occur are earthquakes and hurricanes. Most of my participants do not actually know the difference between a drastic weather change and an actual natural disaster, this is perhaps lack of educational information given to them. This dissertation also identifies and understand the short and long term impacts natural disasters can cause, this is also further highlighted through my participants answers. Some of the short term impacts are aspects such as businesses and roads closing temporarily, whereas the long term impacts are people can die and peoples home are destroyed. There are some Governmental policies in place to try and help mitigate and adapt to natural disasters. Such as the updated version of the 2012 General Civil Protection Act. This act is a mechanism for emergency situations to allow all aspects of response service to coordinate with each other in the event of a natural disaster occurring. It also offers a full framework for Natural Disaster Risk Management and the National System of Civil Protection (SINAPROC).

This dissertation has also done a comparison between Mexico and other countries with their National Emergency Response. Lastly, this dissertation has covered what adaptation methods and what mitigation methods have been implemented so far and if they are currently successful.

This dissertation has been based around Natural Disasters in Mexico. I have managed to gather information from six Mexican Citizens, from a variety of different towns to discuss what natural disasters occur in their hometowns, if they feel it is their responsibility or the Governments to do more. Also, if they have been personally impacted by a natural disaster.

The six towns my participants come from are Monterrey, Guadalajara, Sonora and Sinaloa. I have three participants from Sinaloa, the towns in Sinaloa they are from are Culiacán and Mazatlán.

As previously seen above in my result section, the areas in which my participants live in aren’t severely affected directly by natural disasters, it is mostly adverse weather conditions like heavy rain and flooding. Whereas, in other parts of Mexico such as Mexico City and Guatemala which is located on the Pacific Coast and around the Caribbean – Gulf of Mexico. These areas are more prone to tropical storms, hurricanes and earthquakes. The reason the Pacific Coast and the Caribbean- Gulf of Mexico are more affected by natural disasters is because of high speed winds, the current from the ocean and the mass earth movements in these areas are much stronger at the coast as opposed to inland Mexico. Inland is less likely to be affected as the Coast takes most of the damage of the disasters and the inland only received the adverse weather conditions, floating debris or perhaps flooding as part of the aftermath of a natural disaster.

From the year 1980 till now the Pacific Coast and Caribbean – Gulf has been affected by 79 major natural disasters. It has since cost the Mexican Government over $6 Billion to try and recover the cities of Mexico affected by these disasters.

The affects are similar in-regards to the short and long term effects of natural disasters.

The short term affects for Mexico are roads and businesses are temporarily closed due to flooding or adverse weather conditions. Whereas, the long term affects for Mexico are homes are destroyed, schools and hospitals were demolished, and people can also die from natural disasters. Essentially, peoples livelihoods and or lives are taken.

Overall, the areas which my participants are from are not affected directly by natural disasters, fortunately. The areas along the Coast of the Pacific and along the Caribbean – Gulf of Mexico feel the severity of natural disasters as they are closer to the ocean. The short and long term affects are the same for both areas, as a community the devastation will cross the state after a natural disaster. The natives don’t feel the current methods in place are effective. However, the Government do feel the methods are effective, but they are working at a slow pace to ensure accuracy and precision.

In the grand scheme of things all my participants feel like the Government aren’t doing anything as it is ‘organised chaos’. My participants believe there are policies and mitigation/ adaptation schemes in place, but they don’t feel the government are following the correct protocol. This comparison would have been more fulfilling, as would the section on Mexico’s efforts to try and mitigate and adapt to natural disasters if there was English versions of the documents.

However, there are small mitigation and adaptation methods which have been done to try and improve the standard of living in Mexico. Every small change helps at this point and eventually Mexico will be able to say they have successfully mitigated and adapted to natural disasters.

This chapter will bring all the data I have previously researched and bring my analysed results to light, we will see what the real issues are and find the appropriate effective solutions for each of them. This is the last and final chapter of my dissertation which includes my conclusions and recommendations.

To conclude this dissertation, I have investigated Mexico’s Mitigation and Adaptation methods to try and tackle Natural Disasters; specifically, Hurricanes and Earthquakes. There are a variety of chapters throughout this report, each with its own purpose and explanation on my chosen topic.

My first chapter is my introduction to the topic, my aims, objectives, Mexico’s history of natural disasters, my rationale, the purpose of this dissertation, the approach to my data collection, the research methods used and lastly my ethics.

My second chapter is predominately the literature review, which is detailing everything I could find on natural disasters in Mexico, the background on Mexico, the early history of Mexico, Mexico today, different types of natural disasters, Mexico’s efforts to try and mitigate and adapt to natural disasters, the governmental priorities and policies involved and comparing the world response services from other countries to Mexico.

My third chapter was relating to my methodology. I also included the limitation which I faced during this time, the ethical considerations, alternative approaches I could’ve taken and lastly, my intended approach to data analysis.

My fourth chapter detailed my results, I also explained and discussed all results and interpretation on any statistical figures found, there was a thematic discussion also provided based on my objectives previously set out and a comparison on my participants hometowns and other parts of Mexico regarding short and long term effect of the disasters.

The first and foremost objective which I had set out for this dissertation was to understand Mexico’s history of natural disasters, this was to see if there was a pattern or reoccurrence with specific natural disasters.

The second objective I set out was to identify the most common natural disasters of my participants hometowns and to establish the difference between them.

The third objective was to investigate the short and long term affects natural disasters have had on Mexico as a whole compared to the hometowns of my participants.

The next objective was to research the Mexican Governments priorities and policies on natural disasters.

The final objective of this dissertation is to identify the current Mitigation and Adaptation methods in place and see if they are successful and effective.

My main method of data collection was through the use of questionnaires. The purpose of undertaking the questionnaire, was to analyse whether or not the Mexican citizens hometowns are or have been affected by natural disasters. After all the participants answered all my questions I then analysed all the data and complied all the responses into a separate word document to make it clearer to understand.

Specifically, from the responses I received, I felt that I have found the Mexican citizens don’t feel the Government are doing anything to help them. The citizens feel it is their responsibility, but the Government is very unorganised regarding natural disasters. Not all provinces are prone to natural disasters in Mexico. So therefore, some of the citizens are ignorant towards the aftermath of natural disasters as it hasn’t affected them personally, almost like it isn’t reality for some of them.

Another interesting find from chatting with all of my participants are that they don’t enjoy living in Mexico, on account of everything that has happened and will continue to happen regarding natural disasters. By the Mexican government not doing anything major in times of need it is resulting in the locals immigrating into other countries.

The main conclusions to take from this are that the Government need to make the whole Country aware of the potential impacts rather than just the affected areas and ignoring what could potentially happen as no one knows what the future holds.

My dissertation has contributed to the community and hopefully some towns in Mexico, as I will make my dissertation available for anyone to read and all of my participants are entitled to a copy as their individual inputs helped my research massively. It has contributed from an educational view point, as this dissertation has facts and figures relating to real disasters starting from the nineteenth century. It has highlighted the key issues from a non-bias viewpoint and weighed will hopefully educate my candidates and anyone else who wishes to read it about the possible solutions.

Even though this dissertation has successfully investigated Mexico’s Mitigation and Adaptation methods to try and tackle Natural Disasters; specifically, Hurricanes and Earthquakes, the aims and objectives which I had previously outlined, there are still a variety of things the Mexican Government could do to help the poorer areas of Mexico to try and help minimise the impact of natural disasters. My recommendations are;

⦁ The first recommendation I believe would be of benefit would be for Mexico’s mitigation and adaptation methods, particularly the non-affected areas is to try and educate themselves on how to try and tackle natural disasters.

⦁ The Government could also send out newsletters, leaflets or have a section in the local newspapers dedicated towards natural disasters, how to mitigate and adapt to them for each individual community. Perhaps some preparation tips or methods in the event of a disaster would also be helpful;

⦁ There could also be more stricter weather warnings issued on the news or perhaps a programme dedicated to the cause. For example, a documentary on how natural disasters have affected Mexico since the 1900s and ways to solve these issues;

⦁ The local universities, colleges or schools could hold seminars or lectures about it to try and further educate the younger citizens of Mexico, to make them fully aware of what is happening;

⦁ The Mexican Government could also start a savings pot. For example, they could take a certain percentage of the tax received at the end of each month into a ‘Natural Disaster Aftermath Fund’ to help further support this ongoing problem;

⦁ Lastly, everything needs to be explained in more detail by the Government because the Mexican citizen are not actually aware of what is going on around them, especially the inland cities. I feel this would benefit the whole country.

I feel these recommendations would have widely contributed to my dissertation if one or all of them were already in place as this would have helped me in my results section. This would have helped as if my Mexican participants were already educated and knew the long lasting effects of natural disasters then as a community they would have been able to mitigate and adapt against the disasters together.

Growing up my two favorite dishes were all I would think about the minute the sun set down and the kitchen lights turned on. I knew it was time for my mother to serve up a quesadilla with jollof rice. A quesadilla is essentially a tortilla bread with cheese prepared with various spices and vegetables, while Jollof rice is a rice that’s made with tomatoes, tomato paste, and cooking oil served with fried plantains and chicken. The aroma of these dishes would make my mouth savor and my stomach rumble as the smell of the spices used in making this dish just complement each other! So, you can imagine it is to my surprise as these two dishes are from two different cultures, Mexican and Nigerian culture. Even though Nigerian and Mexican cultures are predominately two distinct cultures in the ways of Cuisine, music, and traditions they still hold many things similar.

Nigeria’s cuisine takes a new direction in cooking with frying and stewing is a very popular method of cooking. The ingredients used to prepare the exquisite cuisine are from all over the top shelf as many spices, herbs, vegetables are added to make one special dish. It can be said it is a long process to make Nigerian but agreed that it is well worth it in the end. Unlike Mexican food that is the total opposite as boiling and grilling are popular methods in the cuisine. Corn is a common ingredient used in dishes such as burrito’s and quesadillas.While a common ingredient in Nigerian style cooking is peppers, Nigerians have a vast use of peppers to create a more intense flavor in their dishes with the use of herbs to brighten these flavors creating a perfect harmony in their dishes.

Music is known as a way of expression, so it isn’t a surprise with the style of Mexican music being more traditional and inviting as in Mexican culture is very family oriented. Mexico’s style of music is very diverse and ranges across many genres . Mexican music predominately encompasses many styles of dance such as bachata, salsa and reggaeton due to the heavy use of string instruments in the music. The music is started with the sound of an instrument and the instrument dictates the tempo and genre of the music and brings meaning. Unlike Mexican culture , Nigerian culture uses beats to dictate the tempo and the vibe of the music . Afro beats are a very popular style of music with artificial beats and autotune is used a lot in a repetitive beat that goes from a medium tempo to fast tempo. Instruments such as rattles, drums and Xylophone are used in Afro music but sampled on a computer and manipulated to be interpreted in a different rather than Mexican music using the natural sounds of a guitar or ukulele.

Tradition is a thing many cultures have overlooked and don’t much importance but both cultures are persevering to be distinct from others. Nigerian traditions are very family oriented as such it is a tradition that every member of a family that has someone that will give birth to a child give names of the child. Another tradition occurs during marriages as the groom will not see his bride unveiled until after the marriage ceremony is over to preserve the beauty of there new marriage to be shared between them. In many parts of Nigeria is more than normal for a bride and grown to have three different weddings.” The first wedding is traditional, the second wedding is to be held in a court among family members and the third wedding is to be shared Infront of god in a church or a mosque depending on religion. The importance and reason for this is for a marriage to be looked as a legitimate the bond needs to be put in front of God, the law and tradition. “ Mexican tradition is not as sacred and is more focused on music and dance. Mariachi music is a very important tradition in fiestas as it brings excitement and joy as it is the most widely known form of music. Among Mexico’s many celebrations there are fiestas known as posadas which are held nine days leading up to Christmas eve. This tradition incorporates religion as “ the biblical story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem are reenacted by groups of friends and family.” It is a time where carols, candlelit processions and pinata rituals are enjoyed. Christmas is a festive time for Mexico in contrast from Nigeria. The key tradition that both cultures is remembrance for the dead but defrientiate as Mexican cultures.” Egungun is a tradition that comes with the belief that each person comes with two souls and that after death , the indri returns during the time of Egungun to dance and bless the community.” In Mexico , dia de los Muertos is are two days November 1st&2nd that’s about remembering and celebrating past family members with shrines built in the homes with specialty foods and music played all over the country. Education can be believed to be something important in all cultures, but for Nigerians education is a tradition that you go to school and become either a Doctor , Engineer or Lawyer depending on what your family consisted of and anything aside from those three careers is frowned upon. “ Your life is in your hands just be your definition of successful “ , Mexican cultures are concerned with individuality and being able to do something your happy with and feel that you are successful unlike Nigerian cultures where you often have your future decided for you and have no sense of individuality.

Family, music and beliefs are very important aspects of these cultures it can be said that these are the very foundations of these cultures. Commitment and sacred things are more important to Nigerian culture as you have a list of expectations from when you are young and your expected to be all about family. Mexican culture leaves you with individuality and letting you make your own choices in your life but at the end of the day coming back to your family. They both run on the foundations of there country’s history which cause them to be very different. They haven’t really come across each other but if both cultures were to their goals would be aligned as religion is a very big thing and impacts the way both countries think and handle their business. Both countries have a vague differentiation from the US who doesn’t value any of these values, so it is to be understood why superiority is felt when morally looking at the US. The future of these countries are held in the youth as they are ones held to change the world and bring Innovation and move them from a era that they are considered to be in decline in comparison to the world.

Catholicism has played an important role in Mexico since its introduction to present day. With a majority of Mexican people being catholic, 85% in 2010 according to a study done by the Pew foundation (Liu). Mexico’s catholic population is second in the world only behind Brazil which leads with a catholic population of roughly 126,750,000 while Mexico has a Catholic population of roughly 96,450,000. Catholicism was first introduced to Mexico through Spanish conquistadors or conquerors in their conquest of the Aztec kingdom. From 1519 to 1521 the Aztecs to preserve their way of life and the Spaniards in the hopes of winning land for the Spanish crown, gold, and lastly, to spread their faith.

The Aztecs were easily defeated by the Spanish who were led by Hernan Cortes and had guns and military technology. The Spanish then began the gradual process of converting the Aztecs to Christianity. This was not an easy process for the Spanish as the Aztecs understandably did not want to replace their long-standing culture and religion for a new religion imposed by a cruel and foreign European rule. However, ultimately the resistance weakened and Christianity began to spread throughout the newly named Mexico. The question of how the Aztecs were converted is a complicated question which is not easily answered. Some claim that the Aztecs believed the Spanish to be gods and were more complacent in being converted because of this. While this was one of the many reasons why the Spanish were able to conquer the Aztecs easily, it is not clear if this perceived power had the same effect on converting indigenous peoples. Another theory which explained the Aztec conversion was that their conversion was mostly forced. This is more plausible given the harsh and brutal nature of the Spanish.

This is easily seen when the conquistadors branched out from Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City, to “tame” the indigenous peoples. In the process, they spread death and destruction throughout Mexico both through the brutal massacre of the native peoples and through the spread of European diseases that took the lives of an estimated two-thirds of Mexico’s population. Cortes, sensing a resistance by the Aztecs to convert, also destroyed Aztec idols and temples. From this destruction came the concept of building churches on or near the site of Aztec temples which enabled them to continue their pilgrimages. This leads me to my next and arguably most convincing factor to how the Aztecs “agreed” to be converted: that missionaries aided the adaptation of native Mexican culture to European Spanish Catholicism which made Christianity seem less imposing to the Aztecs. This theory of adaptation and mixture of Spanish and Aztec culture and religion is perhaps best represented in the story of the Lady or Virgin Guadalupe. She appeared to a 57 year old indigenous man who a recent convert to Christianity had changed his name from Cuauhtlatohuac to Juan Diego. He was on his way to a nearby barrio, or neighborhood to attend mass, when on his way past a hill called Tepeyac he heard beautiful music. A radiant cloud appeared and within it stood a Indigenous woman dressed like an Aztec princess.

She spoke to him in his native language and sent him to the Franciscan bishop of Mexico, Juan de Zumarraga, who was to build a chapel where she had appeared. The bishop asked Juan to have the angelic woman send him a sign, and at the same time Juan’s uncle became seriously ill. (ibid.) Juan tried to avoid the woman thinking she was responsible for his uncle’s sickness but she appeared to him once again with the assurance that his uncle would recover. She gave him roses for Juan to carry in his cape and give to the Bishop. On December 12 when Juan opened his cloak before the bishop the roses the woman had given him fell to the ground and on the cape where the roses had appeared there was an image of Mary as he had appeared to Juan on the hill of Tepeyac. Coincidentally near the site of the hill where there had been an Aztec temple to the goddess Tonantzin. This was a turning point in the influence of Catholicism in Mexico.

The native people of Mexico once deterred by Christianity now came in droves, and as a result 9 million indigenous Mexicans became Catholic in a very short period of time. Undoubtedly our Lady of Guadalupe would become one of the most import symbols in Mexican Catholicism and national identity. The image of the brown-skinned “Virgencita” standing on a crescent moon surrounding by golden rays with her head covered in a familiar blue-green cloak has become iconic in Mexican culture. One reason why she was so successful in converting native Mexicans was that the Lady of Guadalupe or the “dark” virgin was able to relate to the native people. With her dark skin and relation to the Aztec gods as she was dressed like an Aztec goddess and appeared near the old site of an Aztec goddess temple. This led historians to claim that she blended native Mexican culture with Spanish Catholicism and evolved from the Aztec goddess Tonantzin (Agren). This combination which was able to convert masses went on to develop a new and unique form of Mexican Catholicism where religious piety was emphasized and freely expressed, with the sacramental and social side taking more of a back seat (Agren). If the intention of the Lady Guadalupe was to unite Mexican and Spanish culture, the vision was certainly a success and it’s reverberations would be felt throughout Mexican history.

For example, Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, considered the “father” of Mexican independence in 1810, used the flag with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to ignite the people’s rage against oppression since it was the only graphic symbol he could find that identified with the whole Mexican nation both indigenous (indigenous Mexicans) and mestizos. She was declared the Patroness of the Americas by Pope John Paul II and the basicillia built for her located in Mexico City draws hundreds of thousands of who people to travel to worship at her shrine. Our Lady of Guadalupe symbolizes that God’s love and identification with the poor is an age-old truth that stems from the gospel itself. This message would support the Mexican Revolution against its antiquated serf-like economic system. Our Lady of Guadalupe would ironically become the symbol of a revolution which would ultimately suppress Catholicism in Mexico.

Originally, the church enjoyed a privileged position in the newly liberated Mexico, where only Catholics were counted as citizens. However this would soon change and, although Mexico had and has a strong Catholic identity, the church would be outlawed for most of the 19th century. This harsh and tense relationship between church and state began in the 1850s with the rise of liberals and the indigenous president Benito Juárez. Juárez adopted a policy of anticlericalism which was a movement in opposition to the Catholic Church’s dominant power in Mexico, both as the largest landowner and majority religion of the people. Juárez passed laws which confiscated church property, subordinated church courts to civil authority and prohibited priests from wearing clerical dress in public. Mexico’s first religious civil war was fought between 1857 and 1860 in reaction to this legislation. (Mexico – Religion) Anti-clericism would play a role in various revolutions throughout history in predominantly Catholic countries such as France, Mexico, Spain, and Portugal as well as communist countries who viewed religion as a form of capitalist oppression. The revolution of 1910 and the New Mexican Constitution took on an even stricter anti-cleric policy. The New Mexican constitution called for secular education and prohibited the Catholic Church from engaging in primary education, outlawed the monastic order, forbade public worship outside of churches (Anti-Clericalism). It also placed restriction on the right of religious organizations to hold property. The most restrictive article by far was article 130 which deprived the clergy of basic political rights. These restrictions grew as the country’s new leader feared that religion would hold back progress and passed even stricter anti clerical laws. One such law was the banning of any preaching relating to politics in churches. This prompted Pope Pius to write an encyclical in 1926 claiming that the new Mexican government had placed priests in the same category as the “criminals and the insane”.

This conduct highlighted the difference between secularism and anti-clericalism. While secularism simply highlights a distinction between church and state, anticlericalism calls for a, “complete subordination of the church to state.” (Jim Tuck) The strictest enforcement of these laws came in the late 1920s under the presidency of President Callas. While he was in power Mexicans were imprisoned simply for wearing religious items and for saying “adios” or “with God” in public. Public worship was a crime punishable by death, either by hanging or firing squad. It was during this period from 1926-1929 that the Cristero Rebellion took place. After a decree was passed which required the registration of priests and the confiscation of church property, Mexico’s Catholic bishops made the decision to close churches and go underground. In opposition to this, the National League for the Defense of Religious Liberty (LNDLR) was founded in March of 1925. LNDLR reversed its previous strategy of passive resistance and called for action, which was answered the following year. The sounds of rebellion first broke out in with the Mexican rallying cry “Viva Cristo Rey!” meaning ‘Live Christ the King!’. This began the Cristero rebellions, with the Mexican rebels amasing a force of 50,000 cristeros, or soldiers of Christ. The uprising left a shortage of priests however a faithful following who developed a new form of Mexican Catholicism where they practiced in private, praying the rosary, venerating the virgin Mary and their chosen saints, and baptising their children though not attending mass or receiving the sacraments. The revolution ended in 1929 with over 90,000 killed. This was the end of any major religious revolt in Mexico although Cristero diehards would appear sporadically and unsuccessfully through the 30s. Butler 1929 also saw a new clerical authority over the laity with the Rome endorsed ACM or Mexican Catholic Action which reconfigured previous Catholic associations into 4 controlled groups. Under the surveillance of this group, the state, and the Catholic church, lay people would be directed to apolitical, pious and catechetical projects. The enforcement of anti-catholic laws lessened to some extent and there was a slight decrease in tension, but the church remained in fierce opposition of the state’s policy of socialist education, which was largely anti-catholic.

This ended in the 1940s when the education system changed and restrictions lessened. In 1945, the Guadalupan anniversary showcased a new Christian rooted pan-Americanism which was further when the Virgin of Guadalupe was declared the Patroness of the Americas. In the 1960s, a new relationship developed between the Catholic Church and the state. The church became increasingly more vocal as a critic of the state, antagonizing both the Institutional Revolutionary Party failing socioeconomic model and, especially in the 1980s, its authoritarian political practices. In places, radical strains of Liberation Theology helped to guide indigenous and urban protests against the regime, while also posing an internal, ecclesial problem for the church itself. Although Mexico had remained a Catholic majority throughout this time ,it was not until 1992 that the church was restored as a religious entity in Mexico. Mexico despite it’s strange and tense relationship with the church, has a larger majority of Catholics than many other Latin American countries.

A decline in Catholicism had been sweeping across Latin America with the portion of people who identify as Catholic declining considerably in recent decades, from at least 90% in the 1960s to 69% in 2014. This is most likely due to the increase in protestant denominations as well as some leaving the religion altogether. However in Mexico this trend is less pronounced with 81% of adults identifying as Catholic today, compared with 90% who say they were raised Catholic, according to a 2014 Pew Research Center report. Mexicans continue to practice religious and cultural traditions mixing Aztec and Catholic traditions such as Day of the Dead. Another important holiday in mexico is the day of the Virgen de Guadalupe which became a national holiday in Mexico in 1859. People from all over Mexico gather each year on Dec. 12 at Mexico City’s Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe to celebrate the patron saint’s birthday.

Over the past century, muralism, the art of social and political engagement, has become a staple of Mexico’s identity. Analyzing the visual, cultural, symbolic, social, and historical work of the three most famous Mexican muralists such as Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Jose Clemente Orozco is an obligation when trying to understand the history of Mexico. Murals, to start things off, is a piece of artwork, most commonly a painting that is so huge and requires so much time and effort that it becomes pretty hard to miss out on. Murals are most commonly known to achieve a specific goal or draw attention to a pretty serious matter, most commonly political. Murals have a tendency to cost a lot of money, something that most of the artists at that time did not have much off, so they needed someone to fund them, someone that either has a high role in society or has a lot of money. In this case, Jose Vasconcelos was the key.

The Mexican mural movement began in 1921 at the hands of Jose Vasconcelos when he was assigned to be the dome of the Secretaria de Education Publica. Trying to promote the revolution, which was won by middle-class workers and peasants, was no easy task since more than half of the population at the time was illiterate. Jose thought that it would be a great idea to create a strong national identity through art and to draw attention to what has happened to their beloved country. 36 years of age with vast experience and status, Rivera commenced his work on the Bolivar Amphitheatre, and a little bit after, Siqueiros was appointed to paint murals in the Colegio Chico, which translated means, “small college,” in 1922.

Mural painting during that period of time was something everyone got baffled by. Having a huge image on walls of public buildings using vast techniques such as mosaic, fresco, sculpture painting, and encaustic, made the people remember their past and try to find ways to accept what has happened and move forward towards a brighter future. The muralists not only established a new identity for their beloved country, they never forgot nor denied their Indian past like some of the higher-class people did. In fact, some of the muralists made it very clear that they were in complete support of their Indian heritage, and not only that, they drew out the Spaniards to be villains.

Symbolism plays a huge part in art, it can be seen in almost every painting done by everyone, but when talking about the mural movement and the Los Tres Grande, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros took that to a whole new level. They did not symbolize one portion of their murals, or different parts of the image, in fact, the whole mural was covered completely with hidden meanings.

Orozco’s, Catharsis painting had plenty of symbolism such as the fire at the top of the image that symbolizes the release of hidden emotions, and the laughing face that draws you towards immorality. The same thing can be said about Siqueiros, Torment, and Apotheosis of Cuauhtémoc painting and how he symbolized the bloody female to be the motherland and how it is trying to protect the original habitants of that land.

Rivera on the other hand, unlike some of the other muralists, had inspiration from other parts of Europe and was not only confined to Mexican influencers. Rivera traveled to many different countries such as Spain, France, and England, but his greatest developments in art came from Italy and France since they were the greatest centers of art at that time. He did not only paint murals that were influenced by politics, but he also painted portraits and Cubist paintings, but he did not hold on to the cubist technique since he wanted to steer more towards the classical and traditional technique. One of his most used and loved things to do was to include Catrina to show the people that in the end, we will all have the same destiny, death.

Taking a look and seeing what has happened during the past century in Mexico without drawing any attention to the history of art, and how that helped solve so many things would be a pure waste of time. Los Tres Grande not only have a great influence on how the people viewed the government, but it also showed the people what their roots were, and how they should be proud of their heritage, present, and future.

There are Mexicans who believe there’s ‘real Mexican food’ and ‘fake Mexican food.’ But the idea of authenticity has driven the popularity of Mexican food among Americans for 100 years. This brought up the idea of installing American-formed ‘Mexican’ stores all around the U.S. But that does not give off a negative input necessarily. It can also provide easier access for native Mexicans in the U.S. to gather their products closer than having them imported. Now there seems to be a lack of interest from Mexicans to receive imported traditional foods from Mexico because there are now what we call ‘Mexican stores’ that make and sell products as well as if they were from Mexico itself. It has made it easier and faster for Mexicans to receive their ‘regular’ food with these stores so close by. It’s simply that American-formed ‘Mexican’ stores’ may instead bring some Mexican Americans a feeling of authenticity or at the least a feeling of familiarity through the access to Mexican foods in American-owned stores bringing a sense of familiarity and home to people who immigrated from Mexico to the US.

The migration of how Mexicans in the U.S. obtained their authentic food became difficult when Mexicans also migrated from Mexico to the U.S. themselves. When people came to the U.S. for a new start per se, it is no doubt that their ‘regular’ food was highly missed. As a solution to their missing food, a few Mexicans either made their food completely from scratch gathering the materials and products from companies that imported food from Mexico. Their interpretation of Mexican food in the U.S. has been made to be ‘Americanized’ where different or more flavors are added that don’t relate to the authentic food itself. What is most popular to import are volumes of grains, especially corn, wheat, and soy imported to the United States as well as meat (beef, pork), carbonated beverages, and various types of dairy (Mexico Food Imports, 2018). The difference between having “Mexican food” made here in the U.S. is that the products added to the food make more processed to last longer, whereas the food in Mexico is fresher.

To begin the introduction of my research process, I conducted an over-the-phone interview with my grandmother Guadalupe Revera who is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico and now lives in California, U.S.A. The interview took place on February 16, 2019. I selected my grandmother for the reason that for many years my family from Mexico has brought over specific sweets and foods that are hard to come by in America, so it was my belief that having authentic food imported had some value to it. Yet, further curiosity got me to also wonder if the importation still continues to this very day and who to best to know of the family’s tradition would be my grandmother.

Carrying on this research I discovered many topics such as the value of authentic food, what is considered to be Americanized food now, the migration of food products from the cultures of Mexico into the U.S., and even though changes are made in food production they are neither positive nor negative. This research has come to be more complex than expected. There is value in having authentic food, so the solution is to import it, but as Mexican stores rise in numbers, getting the required products have become easier, yet not all of the products taste the same. At the same time, I learned the value of authentic food comes from the expression of cultural identity. In this case, Mexicans in the U.S. bring the food of their origins with them wherever they go and cook their traditional food in a way to preserve their culture when they move to new places.

Upon the beginning of my interview with my grandmother, the topic of the discussion was how have Americans adopted a Mexican tradition, specifically food, in a U.S context. This topic then changed to how the importing of authentic and fresh products from Mexico has changed because now close enough product is available nearby. My grandmother, Guadalupe Revera, came to the United States in 1974. As of course, she missed her family, she also missed the food. Her favorite foods were pinto beans and enchiladas, in which she had to substitute some of the ingredients for what was available to her at the time in America.

Continuing the interview, I called my grandmother on a Saturday night to first talk about when she left Mexico to come to the U.S. and while she was here how soon did she start ordering foods to be imported from Mexico to the U.S.

I asked, “ So grandma, after leaving Mexico when did you start having certain products and goods imported from Mexico to the United States?”

She said, “Well I started ordering by ingredients for foods in the ‘80s when I was working at a low-end Mexican store. My job at the Mexican store was also to order stuff from Mexico to their too. It’s not like I imported the products myself, they had to go through a company and finally be brought to a store after ordering what I wanted.”

“Did you know a lot of other Mexicans from where you lived in the 80s that also ordered to have foods and sweets imported from Mexico?”

“A few at first, now there is barely any because of how close you can get the foods now.”

“What are the traditions around making food?”, I asked.

“There was the tradition of making tortillas by hand”, she replied, “and now it has become different in a way we’re only small towns do it by hand and bigger cities do it by machine in Mexico. As for it being Americanized in the US, making tortillas by hand here is used for the aesthetic rather than having it done with a value tradition.”

“How do you obtain your tortillas?”

“Well Mija, I buy them at the store down the street oh, of course. It’s much easier that way.”

I replied, “Are you not worried that the practice of having authentic food imported is not as valued?”

“Not really. Just because it is easier this way doesn’t mean it’s bad. I just how I used to get the cheese but Mexico and put it here and cookies and chili for authenticity, now they sell them fresh at the Mexican store across town. It makes it easier and I don’t have to wait long.”

“Then would you say these products from Mexico now made here are in a way the same? Like, do they taste the same?”

“ In a way, they do taste the same.”

“What do you mean “in a way do they taste the same”? Like, do some of the foods or products taste “White” or not as authentic as they will in Mexico?”

“Some of the products like cakes taste different. The cakes that would be made in the Mexican stores would be too sweet. Like people would add too much sugar and end up not being authentic. These cakes that would be made in Mexico for special occasions like weddings or birthdays taste super good, but at these Mexican stores like the ones down the street would include too much sugar into the cake having it to lose its authenticity. Even the tortillas now taste a bit different. Getting them here at the stores you can tell the ingredients include something that preserves the tortillas to make them last longer, but when I was in Mexico my brother and I would make dinner and would get the tortillas from across the street because they were made that day and for that day only. They were fresh.”

“Grandma, are their values behind getting the food straight from Mexico?”

“Getting the food from Mexico as I can almost guarantee that it would taste good and regular. There’s not so much I value getting food imported here, it was that my being here in the United States made me miss the food back home which is why I got certain products imported here. At the time I came to the United States there were just not enough options for me to make traditional foods, so this was the solution I sought out.”

“So Grandma, just to wrap things up, I was wondering if you’re upset that products are nowhere in America instead of Mexico, so getting them would be different as well as the condition of the product. From what you said about getting your products here now, is there a guarantee for their authenticity?”

“No. It just makes it easier for Mexicans here like myself to get what they need to still feel like they are eating from home. We are great cooks, so we will make it by with what we have. This is just easier and faster for us.”

From here, my grandmother moved on from the topic of missing food from Mexico to missing family. After discussing how important it was for my grandmother to outsource her first in the beginning seemed that overall Mexicans have a deep value to what their traditional foods imply. Things have been made easier for her not to go through so much trouble to obtain her foods, but the concept still stands of going through all this work means obtaining authentic fresh ingredients for the purpose of carrying the creation of traditional food alive. Importing food meant something. It meant ordering food from home and knowing that once it arrives to you, it will taste as though you never left home.

In conclusion, the importance of this research essay is to show the social and cultural adaptation to carrying Mexican traditions while living in America. Initially that all together, it is a tradition of the Mexican people to value their food with a sense of home and identity. Food plays an important part in Identity, it helps to understand how Mexicans label themselves and see their own identities as being. Food is such an important factor in Mexicans’ lives that the culture comes alive through the food. Here in America, It is what reminds them of home and brings them peace of mind. They are content with the idea that wherever these people go they can bring part of their home with them (Felix & Saldana, 2011).

When two different viewpoints are constantly going head to head, sometimes it seems like violence is the only answer. This was certainly true about the history of Mexico, as until a compromise was finally made, the newly independent nation saw many violent battles over power, especially from the political parties of the Centralists and the Federalists, and the later independent Republic of Texas with and without the support of the United States Army. The main issues that Mexico struggled to agree on were their views on slavery, the strength of the government, and the power of the Roman Catholic Church.

The path to an independent Mexico began on September 16, 1810, with Miguel Hidalgo and ended in the signing of the Treaty of Córdoba on August 24, 1821, by which Spain recognized Mexico as an independent empire. The first emperor was Agustin Iturbide, one of the men who were finally able to free the Mexicans from the control of Spain. His reign as emperor only lasted about a year though, as Guadalupe Victoria, not wanting Mexico to be an Empire, removed Iturbide from power and became the first president of a new Mexican Republic. With this, the Constitutive Act of the Federation was signed in as Mexico’s Constitution and shortly thereafter, slavery was abolished in Mexico. The abolition of slavery, however, caused retaliation by those settling in Texas (Tejas) as they needed their slaves for their cotton and sugar plantations. Victoria rode out his presidency until 1829, while the Texians continued to build up frustration and began to demand their independence.

In 1833, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna took the presidency. While Santa Anna was first seen as a Federalist, he began to implement a Centralist way of government. The Centralists (conservatives) advocated keeping the Catholic Church as a strong power and having a centralized government. Alternatively, The Federalists (liberals) felt that the Catholic church inhibited the economic development of the nation and wanted to reduce the amount of power and influence it had. The Federalists also did not like how the church saw usury, the loaning of money with interest, as a sin. This contradicted Capitalism, which the Federalists sought to advocate in their new nation, along with a weaker central government. Despite what the Federalists wanted, in 1836, Santa Anna formed a new constitution with the backing of the Catholic Church, still granting it a large amount of power.

Meanwhile, the pressure building up in Texas over independence had begun to erupt and the settlers there were now revolting. This led to a series of gruesome battles, by which many Mexicans and Texians died. Although Texas declared its independence after defeating Santa Anna in 1836, Mexico did not recognize Texas as independent until the Mexican-American war came to an end in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Mexico was then forced to cede a large portion of territory to the United States which would later become the states of Texas, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Colorado.

After signing the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Santa Anna became largely unpopular. Additionally, as the Catholic Church still had considerable power over the Mexican government, tension against the Centralist viewpoint really began to surface. Many of the Federalists blamed the Centralists and the Catholic Church for the large sums of land that they lost and were ready to take back power from the Centralists. In 1855, Santa Anna was forced out of power, and in 1857, he was exiled from Mexico.

Once Santa Anna had stepped down, the Federalists finally won the election and appointed Benito Juarez as the head of the Mexican Supreme Court. With that power, Juarez began implementing reforms that fostered capitalism and weakened the power of the Catholic Church. They did this by taking away a large portion of the Church’s land and giving it back to the state. Because of this shift in power, Mexico had to adopt yet another new constitution, now enforcing Federalist policies. The Church, being upset about losing its power, responded to the implementation of the Federalist policies by stating that the cholera epidemic was a sign from God that the Federalist ways of governing were evil. This led to further backlash and tension between the Centralists and Federalists. In 1858, Juarez was elected president, and shortly after, the Mexican Civil War broke out. This war between the two parties lasted three years.

Even after the war, tensions between the Centralists and Federalists persisted and a compromise could not be formed until the Constitution of 1917. This new and final constitution was very nationalistic and focused on the people’s rights rather than the individual parties’ views. Being the constitution that Mexico still uses today, it took about 100 years of gruesome battles for power for the nation to finally compromise and create an acceptable means for running its government.

We can find Mexican influence throughout the city of Houston due to the massive amounts of immigration from our neighboring country of Mexico. Their ideas and products have spread to the United States due to relocation diffusion. Texas has been historically influenced by Mexican culture as the region was part of Mexico until it got its independence in 1836, marking the end of the Texas Revolution. Mexican culture can be found in Roman Catholic churches, Mexican grocery stores, traditional restaurants, architecture, and it’s folk food mixed with food with its hearth in Texas to create Tex-Mex.

We went to a Mexican store called “La Michoacana” one of our cultural locations as seen in the picture of us by the storefront. La Michoacana is a fruit store, a butcher shop/meat market, a taco shop, and a bakery, as written in Spanish below the store name (Fruteria means fruit shop, carniceria means butcher shop or meat market, taqueria means taco shop, and panaderia means bakery). On the outside of the store, advertisements and signs are written in English as well as in Spanish. Mexican culture is found here as many items that are sold here are of Mexican hearths and origins along with the architecture. In addition, the store chain was started in Houston by a Mexican family in 1986 as mentioned by their website, which is also written in Spanish.

The traditional architecture of the store seems to be inspired by Mexican styles, as the exterior seems to be made of adobe or a material of similar tan color to resemble the adobe-style homes made in Mexico. The hearth and origin of the architectural style are from the Aztecs using the sun-dried brick construction of the material adobe. Red roof tiles seem to be used above the doors and running throughout the front of the store. This reflects the Spanish roof style that is commonly used in Mexico as Spain used to occupy the state before its independence. This roof style was used in the construction of cathedrals and palaces for an artistic and dynamic look for hundreds of years.

A picture contains a rack full of Jarritos as they are a very famous drink in Mexico. Made by Don Francisco Hill in 1950, they come in 12 different flavors: Jamaica, Tamarind, Mexican Cola, Grapefruit, Strawberry, Mandarin, Lime, Guava, Fruit Punch, Pineapple, and Mango. The drink was originally made in the flavor of coffee, but the founder decided to use fruits to make fruity flavors. Jarritos spread through contagious diffusion spreading to 80% of the 31 Mexican states and soon became a part of their cultural identity. Jarritos means “little jugs” in Spanish, which are used to serve fresh juice as the clay keeps it cold.

Jarritos diffused to the United States in 1988, due to it being a healthy option. Caffeine was not used as an ingredient in the soda, and it was made with only natural sugars. This diffusion occurred due to the concerns about healthy eating as the packaged foods industry revolutionized in the state. It quickly became the best-selling Mexican product in the Hispanic market of the United States.

The product is packaged in a clear glass bottle and now has a label with the Jarritos logo. Before, the drink was not packaged with the label, but real fruit flavors were evident in the taste, so they were easily identified. The Jarritos logo comes from the original clay jugs that were brownish-yellow at the bottom and green all around. 1,500 bottles of Jarritos are exported from Mexico every minute, and 45,000 bottles are filled per minute at the factories.

Mihir can be seen holding two votive candles in a picture. As a majority of Mexico are followers of the Roman Catholic denomination of the religion of Christianity, these candles are burned, and the light signifies Christ or His presence. This is done with respect to the holy scriptures since Jesus stated that he is the light of the world. Votive candles are also burned as a symbol of grace, wisdom, faith, and dedication to prayer as done in funeral processions, taking of Holy Communion, Sacrament of Baptism, during prayers, and several other religious occasions. Other candles are burned for functions and celebrations in Mexico, but the white candle is only burned during religious occasions.

The candle in Mihir’s right hand has Jesus on it, signifying the importance of the Roman Catholic denomination of the religion of Christianity in Mexican culture. Catholicism was introduced to Mexico through relocation diffusion due to Spanish colonists in the 16th century. About 80% of the population of Mexico identify themselves as Roman Catholic, and the denomination is practiced uniquely as pre-Hispanic traditions are still practiced along with Catholicism.

The candle in Mihir’s left hand has the design of Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a two-day holiday that reunites the living and the dead. Family members create offerings and altars to honor those who have passed, so their souls can visit from the land of the dead to see their families. On this holiday, family members place flowers and light candles on the burial sites of their loved ones and celebrate. The Day of the Dead is an example of syncretism as the Hispanic tradition of honoring their loved ones who have passed is combined with Catholicism as pictures of the Virgin Mary and rosaries are included in modern altars.

Opuntias, otherwise known as prickly pears or cactus pears, are seen in a picture in both colors red and green, but can also appear to be orange or yellow. The fruit’s origin is thought of to be between the end of the Pleistocene and the beginning of the fifth millennium AD, in the semi-arid basins and valleys of many states in Mexico. Since the arrival of man in the semi-deserts and deserts of Mexico, opuntias have been an important source of food, drink, and medicine.

Opuntias are a typical plant of the natural landscape of Mexico and are a major part of the cultural identity of the Mexican people. The fruit was consumed abundantly by ancient Mexicans. There was a prophecy that according to the Sun and War god, the Aztecs should build a city where they see an eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus, devouring a snake. This city that they built became the ancient capital which is now in the center of Mexico City and is symbolized on the Mexican flag as an eagle sits on a prickly pear cactus with a snake in its mouth. This occurrence created the foundation for what Mexico has become today and is seen as a symbol of hope and endurance.

Sabah is holding a popular Mexican candy called chili gummy worms in his right hand. They are made with chamoy, a bright red condiment in Mexican cuisine that can range from a liquid to paste consistency. Chamoy is traditionally made from salt-pickled fruits such as sour plums, apricots, or mangos. It is used to coat many dishes and snacks of Mexican cuisine, and it is part of their cultural identity. Chamoy is blended with other ingredients such as citric acid, sea salt, toasted chili powder, and Tajin, a popular chili and lime seasoning used to coat many Mexican snacks and fruits. These gummy worms are coated with this concoction and are eaten by many. Each bite of this candy begins with a tangy, sour sensation, then an intense burst of chili spice, and finally the sweet taste of the gummy worm itself. The heart and origin of this candy are in Mexico, and it is very popular there, becoming a part of their culture.

Sabah is holding a Mexican snack called fiesta mix in his left hand. This snack is a mixture of many traditional ingredients and nuts such as roasted and seasoned peanuts, pumpkin seeds, cashews, and corn sticks. The ingredients vary for every brand, but all fiesta mixes come in an assortment of nutty and savory flavors, and chamoy or Tajin is often mixed to add a sour and spicy taste to the assortment. This snack encompasses many traditional nuts and snacks mixed together with traditional spices or seasonings of Mexican culture.

I, Rafael Leal, am Mexican American. I was born in the United States, but the blood and cultural values of my Mexican ancestors run through my veins. I feel like I am special because I don’t only just belong to just 1 culture, but two cultures. Both of my parents are 100 percent Mexican along with my extended family. I do not feel ashamed of being part of Mexican ancestry, I actually feel proud because I feel like it gives me more opportunities in life such as being able to communicate with more people and being able to be friends with people that only speak Spanish because of my fluency of both languages and the ability to transition through both of them with ease. When I am at home I only speak Spanish because that is the only language my parents know, but when I’m with my friends or at school, I only speak English because I am more comfortable speaking it even though I am fluent in both.

Today more than ever we hear a lot of derogatory things said about Mexicans and all Hispanics. Today anti-immigrant waves are occurring across the country and are as harsh as ever. Ice agents are tearing families apart for no reason. Many Undocumented Mexicans have lived In the United States for 20,30,40 years illegally without getting in trouble with the law and just trying to make a living by working 12-hour days 6 days a week but they are still getting deported. Many Mexicans crossed the border to the United States illegally to have a better life and escape violence and poverty. Both of my parents came to the United States illegally in the 1990s because they were so poor in the little town they were from. They worked hard their whole lives and gave me and my siblings a good life. I respect and love my parents for the values they taught me. They taught me to work hard and that nothing is just going to be handed to me. Before my parents became legal and got their citizenship I would always tell them that sometimes they were scared to go to work because of the fear of ICE agents pulling up to their place of work. They would also be scared to enter an airport when dropping us off when we used to go to Mexico to visit our Grandparents. Now that they have their citizenship they feel safer in this country but I will never forget living in fear of my parents getting deported. Donald trump the US president called Mexicans “rapists” and “criminals”. That speech just added fuel to the already never-ending racism toward Mexicans. He also signed an act to separate children from their parents along the US – Mexico Border and kept kids locked in cages. Many people think that Hispanics are just Mexicans and think we are all bad. We Mexicans and Blacks are targets in the United States. We have fewer opportunities, we are stereotyped, and we were born in low-income cities where we were born to struggle more than others and are constant victims of racism. I thought America was supposed to be a “ Country of Immigrants “ where everyone is welcome regardless of race and religion.

My binary culture has shaped my personality and who I am today. I love my family’s cultural ties. I respect my parents and what they’ve been through to get to where they are right now. I love eating tacos, burritos, and everything that has to do with Mexico. I like communicating with my family in the language that they only know. I like listening to both English and Spanish music. I do not feel ashamed to say that My parents are Mexican.

Summary

The year is 1909, and the people of Mexico begin to rise up against the tyrannical regime of President Diaz. This revolution is led by Emilio Zapata. a simple peasant farmer who wants to bring justice and freedom to his people. But as time goes by he is drawn deeper into a civil war where allies and enemies are often difficult to tell apart.

Section 1:Differences between Film and History

Viva Zapata! follows the traditional plot where the hero rises up after becoming disillusioned with the system that rules over him. This is shown at the beginning of the movie, where Zapata is portrayed as nothing but a simple farmer who ignores the calls to join the revolution in order to marry the love of his life, Josefa. However, upon witnessing the death of an innocent man he realizes that there can be no compromise with Diaz and joins the rebellion with his brother Eufemio. This was done in order to portray Zapata as the common man fighting for the people against Diaz’s and later Madero’s evil empire. However according to historyonfilm.com “this plot does not match Zapata’s life.” ((March 1st, 2012)“Viva Zapata!” https://historyonfilm.com/) In fact, as Britannica states, Zapata was actually the son of a mestizo peasant who trained and sold horses. (Alba, Victor (August 28, 2019) “Emiliano Zapata” Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.) This as historyonfilm.com expands upon by stating his family “ provided him with enough formal education to be able to read” which only goes destroys the movie’s image of Zapata as the stereotypical peasant leader but also contradicts the scene where Josefa rejects Zapata’s marriage proposal on the basis that he is poor. ((March 1st, 2012)“Viva Zapata!” https://historyonfilm.com/) Zapata was also always completely aware of the abuse Diaz’s regime brought upon his people, as Britannica brings up that he was arrested in 1887 for participating in a protest against the haciendas that had appropriated the lands belonging to him and other peasants in his village. This led to him being elected the village’s president of the board of defense in 1909 which allowed him to create the army needed to fight back. (Alba, Victor (August 28, 2019) “Emiliano Zapata” Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.) As Smith and Green explain the members of Zapata’s army had “seen their traditional land rights taken away by the haciendas who exploited the new laws of ‘liberal” inspiration”. (Smith, Peter. H & Green, James. N (2019) Modern Latin America (9th Edition) New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Pp 57) And they felt by regaining their land “the Zapatistas saw the rebellion as a chance to restore justice.” (Smith, Peter. H & Green, James. N (2019) Modern Latin America (9th Edition) New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Pp 57) This early chapter in Zapata’s life completely contradicts the image of Zapata as this simple man of the people fighting against the tyrannical elites of Mexico as seen in the movie.

Later on in the movie, when Zapata receives a message from Francisco Madero is in exile in Texas, the Zapatistas briefly discuss how wonderful the US Government is compared to the Diaz Regime with this line ‘Up there they protect political refugees! They’re a democracy! Up there the government governs, but with the consent of the people. The people have a voice! They also have a president, but he governs with the consent of the people! Here we have a president of no consent. Who asked us if we wanted Diaz for 34 years?’ This line seems to imply that the Zapatistas were inspired by the united states revolution and wanted to implement a government similar to the United States after overthrowing Diaz. However, the real-life attitudes towards the United States by Latin American countries seem to contradict this idea. From around this time up until the end of WW1, the United States had complete control over the interests of most Latin American countries. This greatly upset Victor Haya de la Torre who like Zapata had seen the elite class of his country taking over their land in order to suit their interests. This led him to form the APRA (Popular Revolutionary American Alliance) in order to as de la Torre writes in his doctrine of anti-imperialism “Unite the actions of the countries of Latin American against Yankee (United States) Imperialism”. (de la Torre, Victor Haya “What is the ARPA?” The Labour Monthly Vol 8 (December 1926) pp 756-59) de la Torre goes on to explain that the governing class of their countries is actually allied with the US and that as a result of the imperialist policies “the natural resources which form the riches of our land are sold or mortgaged, and that the working classes are subjected to brutal servitude.” (de la Torre, Victor Haya “What is the ARPA?” The Labour Monthly Vol 8 (December 1926) pp 756-59) This movement goes against the movie’s idea that the Zipara lead revolution would support the interests of the United States as they too had seen the Mexican ruling class take away their village’s land through the previously mentioned laws of ‘liberal” inspiration as well as the authoritarian abuse brought about by Diaz’s regime. If anything, the real-life Zapatistas would be more inclined to focus their new government on The doctrine of anti-imperialism as both point 3 “The nationalization of land and industry” and point 6 “the solidarity of all oppressed people and classes” (de la Torre, Victor Haya “What is the ARPA?” The Labour Monthly Vol 8 (December 1926) pp 756-59) seem to fit the interests of the group much better and point 3 you can argue influenced Zapata’s “Plan de Ayala” written to create a true land reform of Mexico after Madero failed to implement them the way Zapata had demanded.

Section 2: Message of the movie

As history on film explains “It is vital to remember that the film was made during the early days of the Cold War when Stalin’s tyranny had become better known, so the film was meant to be an anti-Communist statement”. ((March 1st, 2012)“Viva Zapata!” https://historyonfilm.com/) This is justified as Viva Zapata!’s director Elia Kazan was a former communist member who wanted to educate people that power corrupted those in charge. He did this by rewriting history to make Zapata become President of Mexico despite that history on film telling us that Zapata never had any interest in politics and preferred to be left alone in his village of Morelos. ((March 1st, 2012)“Viva Zapata!” https://historyonfilm.com/) This leads us to a pivotal scene near the end of the film with President Zapata and Morelos farmers that mirrors the opening scene with Diaz and Zapata Zapata in the role of Diaz. The scene starts with the farmers reaming silent due to being intimidated by Zapata’s presence, with Zapata (just like Diaz before him) demanding an explanation on their visit. We then learn that the men are here due to Eufemio taking over their land that he had distributed just like how at the beginning of the movie, Zapata had lost his land to the Haciendas. Like Diaz, Zapata tries to get out of the situation he created by telling the men that he needs some time to evaluate his options, but is stopped by one of the farmers from leaving telling him that the matter needs to be taken care of immediately. Clearly taken aback by this farmer’s objection, Zapata tries to reason with the man by telling him that he should trust him as he is a man of the people, just like what Diaz did when Zapata questioned his authority. The farmer continues to challenge Zapata, he demands to know the farmer’s name so he can circle his name for death, just like Diaz. However, in the middle of the act, he realizes that he has let the power of the presidency corrupt him and make him a tyrant just like Diaz, and decides that he is unfit to serve as president and returns home to Morelos.

While the historical background of the scene was completely fictional, I actually believe the message behind it, is that power can corrupt anyone to tyranny because according to Smith and Green, we actually see this happen towards the end of the Mexican revolution. In 1917, Venustiano Carranza formally assumed the presidency after Pancho Villa and his forces were forced to retreat and the Zapatistas withdrew their forces. This allowed him to sign the Mexican Constitution of 1917 which brought multiple policies that the Mexican people (including the Zapatistas) wanted to be implemented since the days of Diaz such as Article 27 which empowered the government to properly redistribute the land (something that both Zapata and Haya de la Torre advocated for in their respective doctrines) and Article 123 that created labor rights that as Smith and Green described as “never been heard of in North America”.(Smith, Peter. H & Green, James. N (2019) Modern Latin America (9th Edition) New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Pp 59) However, three years later, Carranza’s tyrannical side came when he appointed Ignacio Bonillas to be his successor. This was considered tyrannical as Smith and Green explain, “No re-election” had become an important symbol of the revolution in response to Diaz jailing members of the opposition in the 1910 election which included Madreo, which lead to it being implemented in the Constitution of 1917. (Smith, Peter. H & Green, James. N (2019) Modern Latin America (9th Edition) New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Pp 59) So to the people of Mexico, this was seen as Smith and Green describe “Carranza violating the spirit of the rule by imposing who would act as his stooge”. (Smith, Peter. H & Green, James. N (2019) Modern Latin America (9th Edition) New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Pp 59) With this in mind, I believe the movie’s message because if someone like Carranza let the power of the presidency corrupt him and cause him to go back on the ideas they were fighting for, it could theoretically be possible to assume that if Zipata became president he would do the same thing.

Section 3:Critique

A major flaw seen throughout the film is the historical inaccuracies and forced symbolism constantly ruining the real story of Zapata in order to tell its own narrative. Throughout the film, I felt less like I was watching the true story of the Mexican Revolution, and more of a rebel hero vs evil empire storyline with influences of the American revolution. I believe this because of the previously mentioned portrayal of Zapata as a simple, illiterate peasant despite the fact that in real life he was a well-educated farmer who was elected by his village to help them fight back against Diaz’s regime or the scene where Diaz’s army massacred a bunch of innocent farmers who are trying to back into their land of it was taken away from them by the haciendas. This ends up creating an image of the Mexican revolution that is similar to that of the American Revolution where the poor lower-class citizens of the country rose up against the repressive ruling regime. And while there were many similarities to both the Mexican Revolution and the American Revolution in cause, events, and characters, in reality, these two historical events are considered very different from one another. So by putting this shorthand reminding the American audience of their revolution, it blankets the movie in this cultural narrative of the US and its ideals as universal. This is further proven to me when the Zapatistas praise the USA’s political system which as we mentioned earlier implies that the revolutionaries wanted to implement a government influenced by the United States. The US-driven narrative of the film as we mentioned earlier hides the rising anti-America ideology from people such as de la Torre as well as the fact that when the revolution was over, The PRI party that came into power, did not really add a fair election institution as the US had. So by giving The Zapatistas the beliefs of the Founding Fathers of the American Revolution, it creates a false narrative about not just Mexico, but all of Latin America that the US pushed for most of the 19th and 20th centuries that the region through acts like The Monroe Doctrine and the Good Neighbor Policy would be better if it were under the influence of the United States.

However. while not exactly historically accurate to their real-life counterparts, the acting does give you an emotional investment in the story. To start off, while his characterization of Zapata as an illiterate peasant did not actuate portray the real-life story of the man, Marlin Brando gives a passionate performance that gives a possible look at what Zapata may have been like and how he expressed his viewpoints. This was best shown when he argues with Madero about the land reform he fought so hard to give his people he shouts that “Time is one thing to a lawmaker, but to a farmer, there is a time to plant, and a time to harvest. And you can’t plant and harvest time!”; thus showing us the desire that he had to get the land reform he saw was best for the people that he felt Madero wasn’t gonna give as best seen in “Plan de Ayala”. Additionally, as history on film reveals, the character of Fernando Aguirre was actually a fictional character as part of the anticommunist message of the film basing him on “the people he used to know in the Communist party, who had all the answers”. ((March 1st, 2012)“Viva Zapata!” https://historyonfilm.com/) In spite of this Joseph Wiseman gives us a charming performance of a man wanting to push the right guy in charge for the sake of his own interests. This is best shown in the pivotal scene where Zapata decides he is not suited for the job of the presidency and heads back home to Morelos. he begs him not to go knowing that if he does so, Zapatw will die and he will lose his power by telling him “Zapata, in the name of all we have fought for, don’t go!” showing us his desperate state of both keeping his allies and power secure. Lastly, despite his brief appearance in the opening scene, Fay Roope plays President Diaz through a performance that shows both his benevolence and ruthlessness. At the beginning of the scene, he starts out as benevolent by calling the farmers including Zapata complaining about the haciendas taking their land “my children”, as if to show that he sees himself as a father figure to the Mexican lower class. However, as the scene progresses, his fatherly persona starts to fade away, replaced with his more ruthless side where Diaz would eliminate anyone who opposes him such as Zapata when he continues to beg to Diaz to give them back their land. As their conversation continues his voice gets stern and louder until he is proactively yelling manner demanding to know Zapata’s name to show him how much of a threat he can be as President.

Works Cited

1. (March 1st, 2012)“Viva Zapata!” https://historyonfilm.com/
2. Alba, Victor (August 28, 2019) “Emiliano Zapata” Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.
3. Smith, Peter. H & Green, James. N (2019) Modern Latin America (9th Edition) New York, NY: Oxford University Press. PP 57 &59
4. de la Torre, Victor Haya “What is the ARPA?” The Labour Monthly Vol 8 (December 1926) PP 756-59

Mexican culture is as varied as the colors of a traditional ‘serape,’ as lively as the marigold-lined streets during the ‘Day of the Dead,’ and as tasty as the country’s famous ‘tacos.’ This culture is a harmonious blend of traditions, beliefs, and practices that serve as a testament to a rich historical journey. This journey is marked by ancient civilizations, European colonization, and a resilient spirit that resonates throughout the country. This enchanting fusion extends to every part of Mexican life, from festive practices and deeply-rooted religious beliefs to culinary marvels, traditional outfits, and distinctive language. So, let’s take a trip into the heart of Mexican culture and experience the beauty and diversity that shape its cultural landscape.

Customs and Traditions

Mexican culture is fueled by the power of its traditions and customs that have been passed down from generation to generation. These traditions stem from the ancient wisdom of its pre-Columbian civilizations like the Maya and the Aztecs, and they blend with the Spanish influences that were introduced during the 16th-century colonial period.

 

The “fiesta,” a term deeply rooted in Mexican culture, represents the country’s love for celebrations. With over 365 festivals in a year, there is always a reason to celebrate. One of the most popular festivals is the Day of the Dead, a day when deceased loved ones are honored with family altars, marigold flowers, favorite foods, and candy skulls.

 

Mexicans highly value family bonds and hold great respect for their elders, shown through their use of formal language. Mexican children often seek advice from their parents well into adulthood, and family gatherings are a critical part of social life.

Religion

Religion plays a vital role in Mexican society. As a predominantly Catholic nation, Mexico houses the second-largest Catholic population in the world. From baptisms to funerals, the church’s sacraments weave their way through everyday life, marking important life events.

 

Mexican Catholicism uniquely merges with indigenous beliefs, forming a syncretic religious practice. This blend is most visible during the Virgin of Guadalupe’s feast day, a national holiday that celebrates the apparition of the Virgin Mary to an indigenous man, Juan Diego.

Food

Mexican cuisine is a culinary delight that engages the senses and consists of a rich variety of flavors, ingredients, and cooking techniques. UNESCO has recognized this cuisine as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. It’s an exciting fusion of indigenous Mesoamerican and European, specifically Spanish, influences.

 

Mexican cuisine staples include corn, beans, and chili peppers. Corn, a crop highly respected since ancient times, is used in different ways – it’s nixtamalized to make ‘masa’ (dough) for tamales and tortillas, popped as a snack, or fermented for drinks like ‘atole’ and ‘pozol.’ Mexican food also offers a spectrum of chili peppers, from the spicy ‘habanero’ to the milder ‘poblano,’ each contributing its unique heat and flavor.

 

The exploration of Mexican cuisine introduces us to iconic dishes. Tacos, perhaps the most internationally known Mexican food, are tortillas filled with various ingredients like meats, cheese, beans, and salsas. ‘Mole,’ a traditional marinade and sauce, captures the complexity of Mexican cuisine with its blend of chili peppers, spices, fruits, and often, chocolate.

 

Beyond its ingredients and dishes, Mexican cuisine shows a deep respect for cooking and communal eating. Home-cooked meals, prepared with love, are frequently shared with family and friends, highlighting the societal significance of communal meals. From modest family kitchens to busy food markets and upscale restaurants, Mexico’s food culture celebrates its rich heritage, regional diversity, and strong sense of community.

Clothing

Just like its culture, Mexican clothing is a dynamic blend of historical tradition and contemporary fashion. Traditional outfits, deeply rooted in Mexico’s pre-Hispanic and colonial history, differ considerably across regions, each with its unique patterns, materials, and garments. One of the most recognized items is the ‘serape,’ or ‘poncho,’ a brightly colored, often striped cloak from northern Mexico. Made from wool, serapes feature geometric patterns and are used for warmth or as clothing.

 

For women in central and southern Mexico, the ‘huipil’ is a traditional attire. This loose tunic, made of cotton or wool, is beautifully decorated with intricate designs. The patterns, often hand-embroidered, represent the local culture and environment of the weaver.

 

However, contemporary Mexican fashion is not limited to traditional garments. Modern Mexican style reflects global trends, with jeans, t-shirts, dresses, and suits common in urban areas. Nonetheless, traditional elements often make their way into contemporary fashion, whether through indigenous textile patterns on modern shapes or handmade jewelry pieces complementing everyday outfits.

Slang

Mexican slang, or “jerga,” is a vibrant and expressive part of the Spanish language. It adds color, humor, and local flair to conversations, mirroring the vibrant spirit of Mexican culture. From casual talks with friends to street interactions, Mexican slang brings warmth and a sense of camaraderie to daily conversations.

 

One frequently used phrase in Mexican slang is “¿Qué onda?” which translates to “What’s up?” This casual greeting invites friendly conversation and sets a relaxed tone. Another popular slang term is “chido” or “padre,” meaning “cool” or “awesome.” It’s often used to express admiration or approval.

Conclusion

Mexican culture is a harmonious blend of diverse influences, dynamic traditions, and deeply ingrained values. It’s a culture that resonates with the energy of its lively festivals, the aroma of its mouth-watering food, the variety of its traditional clothing, and the warmth of its people. As we understand and appreciate its intricacies, we begin to recognize the significant cultural contribution that Mexico makes on a global scale.