“Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.”

Margaret Atwood

March 8th we will celebrate another International Women’s Day. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and has been observed since the early 1900s. So just how much have we accomplished in the past 100 years? Continue reading Editor’s Letter →

By Brooke Gazer

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is the narrowest point in Mexico, but its people may have the broadest minds on the entire continent. Recently, I was privileged to speak with the owner of Bidaani, a shop on Calle Palo Verde. Señora Maria de Lourdes Cristóbal Lopez is from Juchitán and she specializes in dresses typical of the region. When I commented that the Tehuana costume is the most elaborate in Mexico, she agreed. “Tehuantepec women are specialists in embroidery and take exceptional pride in their work.” Living in Huatulco, one hears different versions about this matriarchal society two hours south of Huatulco. Lourdes dispelled a few of the myths, painting a softer version compared to the stereotype of strong, overpowering women who control their husbands. Continue reading Interview with a Tehuana →

By Julie Etra

Juchitán de Zaragoza on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec is famous throughout the world for having a matriarchal structure, where women are often the heads of families. (The origin of the word Juchitán is Xihitlán or Ixtaxochiltlán, which means “place of the flowers” in Náhuatl). Far from causing conflict, this structure is respected. The tecas, as the women are called, begin to work and support the household from an early age. Teca is a fitting term, and from the Greek means “place where something is saved.” Continue reading Rogelia González Luis →

By Leigh Morrow

Women on the island of Okinawa, in Japan, have learned the secret to longevity. Living longer and healthier lives than any other women on the planet, with many reaching centenarian status, these women have secrets to their longevity that extend beyond a rich diet of plant based foods and an active lifestyle, with many tending to their gardens well into their late 90’s. They have no secret potion or super-enhanced DNA. Their longevity comes from two things that all of us in North America could be tapping into for a longer, healthier and happier life. First is the power of ikigai. Continue reading The Secret to Longevity →

By Stephanie Chirinos

Five years ago I started to get interested in painting. I have always liked the arts, but I had been very focused on music and dance. My main dream was to be a ballet dancer but I could never attend classes, because my parents did not agree that I should follow an artistic path. However, when I became of age I gave myself a year to explore the arts, which is how I found my place in painting. At first, I painted everyday things according to what I felt and saw. Over time my style has evolved and been influenced by the place where I live. Continue reading My World of Color →

By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.

For previous recent issues of The Eye, I have written essays outlining why in Oaxaca artisanal mezcal has become extremely important on the world stage, for two significant reasons. First, because as distinct from most other spirits, it is acknowledged, and in fact touted, that no two batches of the Mexican agave-based spirit are the same, resulting in its innumerable nuances; and second, because mezcal production is one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly industries in all Mexico. Continue reading What’s the Big Deal about Mezcal in Oaxaca? Last in a Series →

By Vair Clendenning

We’ve been in Huatulco for four weeks now and I haven’t written one word, until now. I am now writing because today someone asked me what I did every day and I have to answer, I don’t know. It’s not because I’m old that I don’t know what I’m doing on a daily basis, it’s because I have never thought about what I’m doing. I get up in the morning and go to bed at night and somehow the day fills in the rest, but I have been challenged and now I have to tell everyone what a day in Huatulco is like. Continue reading A Day of my Life in Huatulco →