The area’s reputation was considerably enhanced in the 1930s, ’40s and’ 50s by a long string of visiting writers and artists, many of whom settled permanently in the string of villages along the northern shore of the lake. This brief alphabetical listing of some of the stalwarts of the Lake Chapala art and literary scene […]
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and a second picture essay: Marsha Sorensen lived in Ajijic in the mid and late1960s, and made two extended visits in 1972 and 1973. Revisting Ajijic in 2008 for the first time in thirty-five years, she was struck by the “astonishing changes” and searched out some photos from the old days as a contribution to […]
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The Quetzal Dance is one of the most colorful folkloric dances anywhere in the country. It is also thought to be one of the most ancient. Both the dance and the spectacular headdresses worn by those taking part are thought to pre-date the Conquest, perhaps by hundreds of years. The headdresses represent the extravagant colors […]
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Vultures (zopilotes in Spanish) are among the most conspicuous birds in many parts of Mexico. Commonly misidentified as eagles, these blackish scavengers can be seen almost anywhere, often in large flocks, either circling lazily overhead or feeding greedily on roadkill or other carrion. A few years ago, in the early morning mist at a municipal garbage dump […]
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March 3, 1996 — In Mexico, various Indian peoples still play ancient instruments. And their songs and dances — which tell of uprisings against their masters — pay tribute to their ancestors. These Mexicans play African “hand pianos” and perform “the dance of the black people.” Mexican “corridos” — or song-stories — tell of slave […]
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The purpose of these web pages is to introduce you to the culture and unique experience of Mexicans of African descent. If you are like most people, you probably have never heard of Afro-Mexicans and are completely unaware that they exist. If you fall into this category, these pages will hopefully be quite a learning […]
Continue Reading To begin a discussion of the Black Experience in Mexico, it is important to establish the quantitative significance of the black slave population in the colonial era. One of the most frequent responses I get when discussing my research with Mexicans, or Americans for that matter, is “there couldn’t have been more than a handful […]
Continue Reading This is a list of 17 sources in Spanish and English dealing with black Mexicans from a variety of perspectives. I chose these few sources from a large bibliography that I have been compiling since 1992, hoping that these works will not be too difficult to find. A good university library should have most of […]
Continue Reading (populations based on 1990 census) GUERRERO Cerro del Indio 615 Cuajinicuilapa 8439 Maldonado 964 Montecillos 880 El Pitahayo 2186 Punta Maldonado 1109 San Nicolás 3359 Copala 5772 Azoyú 3718 Huehuetán 1662 Juchitán 3409 Marquelia 6305 38,418 OAXACA El Carrizo 1752 El Ciruelo 2393 Collantes 1967 Corralero 1039 El Chivo 868 Lagunillas 449 El Azufre 320 […]
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During Christmas holidays, a college sophomore stumbled into a board game, “Pancho Villa, Dead or Alive.” He was surprised I had heard of Pancho but not the goofy game. He said everybody was playing it. I doubted that — but filed away his remark as another insensitive putdown, a way of saying I am old […]
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