By Dr. Gonzalo Vázquez Rosas
Historical data from the people of Huatulco shows that the human settlements found upon the arrival of the Spanish in 1522 included the village of Huatulco, some five hours walk inland, and the seaside village called the Port of Huatulco. Continue reading The Historic Walk Of Huatulco
By Alvin Starkman
As a consequence of the innovative thinking of Kurt Schwitters, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Robert Rauschenberg and others, the 20th century bore witness to the concept of found object as visual art becoming a mainstream European and American medium of artistic expression. In Oaxaca, itself known for cutting edge art, found object has received attention over the past 20 years. Take for example the masterful works of Damién Flores, the collages produced by Rodolfo Morales during the final years of his life, and young Mixteco artist Manuel Reyes’ use of archaeological pieces as well as local sands and soils as aids in expressing the strong sense of indigeneity he seeks to impart through art. Continue reading Found Objects as Visual Art: Observations & Application in Oaxaca
By Julie Etra
Although this discipline was formally initiated in Mexico is only about 25 years ago, it really began in the gardens of Chapultepec hundreds of years ago by the tlatoanis, the collective name for the villages where Náhuatl, the ancient language of the Aztecs, was spoken. There are of course the famous floating gardens of Xochimilco, (founded in A.D. 919 and meaning “flower field” in Náhuatl), which today are the remnants of amazing and sophisticated agricultural complex in lake Texcoco, where the City of Mexico was originally founded. Continue reading Landscape Architecture in Mexico
By Brooke Gazer
In the 1940´s, Felix Ruiz was a young man who was determined to live to become an old one. At that time land disputes were common thoughout Oaxaca and when a quarrel in the region of Santa Maria Huatulco escalated into an all out war, eight of his friends had perished. Fed up with the fighting, he left “Rancho Las Palmas” where he was born to start a new life in a nearby region on the coast. Continue reading The Patriarch
By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.
In the central valleys of Oaxaca the tradition of making marriage payments is waning or disappearing in some towns and villages, while in others it continues to thrive. Marriage payments are either brideprice or dowry. In most instances brideprice refers to the transfer of currency or non-monetary equivalent from the groom or his family to the bride’s family, while dowry is a transfer payment by the bride’s family to the wedded couple itself. Continue reading Marriage Payments in Oaxaca: An Evolving Convention?
By Kary Vannice
A familial/ethnic group written out of the Mexican history books? Who could these people be, and why and how could they have been so easily disregarded?
Your mind may automatically go to some long-gone ancient, indigenous tribe, who where effectively wiped clean by European settlement here in Mexico. But, this ‘tribe’ is not long-gone, nor indigenous. They are, in fact, European immigrants whose close-knit families still thrive on Mexican soil today … Gypsies or, depending on whom you talk to here in Mexico, ‘Roma’ or ‘Hungarians’. About 20,000 Gypsies are believed to be living in Mexico today, but their numbers are hard to determine for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is their wandering lifestyle. Continue reading Pale, Transient Ghosts – Living Echoes of an Ancient Culture
By Deborah Van Hoewyk
Loyal readers of The Eye know that the birth control pill was actually created in Mexico City in 1951, when chemist Carl Djerassi synthesized hormones from Mexican yams. And, as we speak, other scientists from Mexico City are working on a molecule that will keep sperm from getting where they’re supposed to go—should work with everything from fish to cattle to men! Continue reading Planning the Mexican Family: A Triumph of Birth Control
By Julie Etra
Mario Fortino Alfonso Moreno Reyes aka Cantinflas, was born in Mexico City on August 12, 1911. Although he took on the name Cantinflas early in his career he is best remembered for playing the part of an impoverished peasant or pelado, a derogatory term used to describe a type of city bum in the 1920s. Visually he is remembered by his distinctive mustache, and in character as a campesino with his loose fitting pants held up with a rope. He was the best-known Latin American comedian at the time but earned notoriety north of the border in for his co-staring role in the 1956 film ‘Around the World in 80 days’ and is recognized as a major figure during the mid-century Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Continue reading Cantinflas
By Carole Reedy
Shopping as a cultural activity? In Mexico, especially in DF, it’s very possible. Just as there’s food on every corner of the city, there are items to buy, customs to learn, and captivating vendors with whom to converse. Shopping in Mexico is much more than just buying—it’s learning about the item’s origin, method of production, variety of uses, and names. Continue reading Christmas Shopping: Where and What to Buy at Mexico City’s Markets and Bazaars
By Neal Erickson
Posada in Spanish can mean inn, lodging, shelter, boardinghouse, home, etc., depending on context. Traditionally in old Mexico, when people were traveling, at the end of the day they would seek a place to spend the night out of the elements. When no inns or hotels were available, travelers would seek “posada” in private homes, asking for their hospitality and kindness and sometimes receiving a meal with the resident family. Often they simply slept on the floor. As the population became converted to the Roman Catholic faith by the Spanish Conquistadors, a tradition developed based upon the Biblical story of Joseph and Mary arriving in Bethlehem on the eve of Jesus Christ’s birth. Continue reading Las Posadas Mexico’s Christmas Tradition
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