Mexican Cultural Center Research Paper

San Antonio, Texas is not just a tourist spot, and there are lots of cultural festivals is going on for the whole year. The events, lots of local people join with the tourist visitors from all around the world. Some of the cultural festivals are: Celebrate San Antonio on New Year’s Eve, BorderFest, San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, El Dia De Los Muertos, Texas Sandfest, Memorial Day Arts & Crafts Show, Fiesta San Antonio, etc. Now we are giving you the list for the whole year, thinking that you may like to join and take part in one or few cultural activities.

Malena Gonzalez-Cid, Executive Director of the center for the past twenty-six years, is responsible for all organizational, contractual, administrative, fiscal and programmatic requirements of Centro Cultural Aztlan. She has over twenty-five years experience in arts administration. Ms. Gonzalez-Cid served as interim director with the Arts Council of San Antonio, where she organized two national conferences (Open Dialogue I & II and the National Hispanic Theatre Conference hosted by the Texas Commission on the Arts. She served on various boards and committees including the West Side Arts Coalition, the Texas Commission on the Arts, The Cultural Collaborative and the Mayor’s Luminaria’s Steering Committee.

For my field report I chose to visit The Centro Cultural de la Raza located in Balboa Park. The Centro Cultural de la Raza was established in 1970 and completed in 1985. It was created in order to preserve, promote, and educate about Mexican, Chicano, Indigenous and Latin culture and art.

Between the years 1999 and 2003, I lived and worked in the west Texas oilfields near Odessa, Texas hauling crude oil from oil locations to manufacturing pipelines. Due to the population density of Mexican-Americans in this area I was afforded the opportunity to befriend a co-worker who hailed from this lineage. This friendship grew to such a state of familiarity that when one of his many cousins was about to turn fifteen he invited me to attend her quinceañera. Although it is not unheard of for a European-American to join in the festivities of this time honored tradition, nonetheless, I was still thrilled to have been invited.

The events that the characters attended had Mexican music along with decorations

Today, Cinco de Mayo has become more of an American holiday than a Mexican one. It has become a significant annual celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. In areas of the country with large Mexican-American populations such as Portland large festivals are held. Portland Oregon’s three-day Cinco de Mayo fiesta has been celebrated for the past 30 years, attracting thousands of visitors. The crowds

It is a known fact that every human being communicates through language, but perhaps a little known fact that we communicate even through the food we eat. We communicate through food all the meanings that we assign and attribute to our culture, and consequently to our identity as well. Food is not only nourishment for our bodies, but a symbol of where we come from. In order to understand the basic function of food as a necessity not only for our survival, we must look to politics, power, identity, and culture.

I am going to tell you about a famous, yet kinda eerie celebration that takes place in mexico. This is a tradition celebrated by the Mexican Natives, most Mexican Americans (including myself) don’t even acknowledge this day, unless they happen to be visiting mexico at the time of this event.

Mexico and Latin America celebrate “El Día de la Raza.” They celebrate this day in remembrance of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas. This day and month celebrates many nationalities of people having a common beginning, tradition, or language in the history of Mexico, Central America, and South America. Besides this throughout the month hispanics and latinos celebrate Hispanic Heritage through festivities, music, dancing, and food their Independence of their countries. Unlike us, we Americans celebrate our Independence day a little differently, like having cook outs, fire works, socializing, meeting up with friends and family, listening to music,and having fun. But overall it's the same idea like music, socializing, and eating

A similar celebration occurs in cities and towns all over Mexico, and in Mexican embassies and consulates worldwide on the 15th or the 16th. In the 19th century, it became common practice for Mexican presidents in their final year in office to re-enact the Grito in Dolores Hidalgo, rather than in the National Palace. Lastly, it’s a tradition to follow the celebration by parades, patriotic programs, drum and bugle and marching band competitions, and special programs on the national and local media outlets, and even concerts.

As stated in Pew Research Center, National Heritage Month started in 1968 by congress as a Hispanic Heritage week, it was expanded to a month in 1988. (Krogstad) Twenty-eight years later we still have this cultural practice that in a sense is an interpretation of the original cultures we had back at home. It is not called Mexican Heritage Month or Salvadorian Heritage Month. It is called Hispanic because they put all the Latin American traditions, culture, and countries together and said this is their month, and they must share it. Although it seems unfair for some people because they do not like being entered in the whole category as a Hispanic or Latino, we need to look at the positive side. Since this is how we learn from other people and how we get to know different smells and flavors. We are being recognized and celebrated by other people as well here in the United States. Yes, we left back home so many things, but we brought with us one thing more important than anything; our identity which is the one blending in with other cultures and creating a new

Another way the downtown area of Tucson shows its Mexican side is the annual Dia de los Muertos parade. This parade is held around Halloween time where families and fellow Tucsonans gather together and march with music and face paintings to honor the dead. This is a Mexican tradition that came from Mexico and is celebrated very proudly every year.

Spain to most it remains a mystery. Puzzled they ask, “Where did they come from? What are they like? Why do they have such a diverse culture?” these questions could only be answered by a true Spaniard, and seeing whereas I am not, I was at a genuine a loss. I decided to look it up this report is a compilation of my findings. In order to fully understand Spain and her people, one must first understand their origin, where they came from.

In our society today, culture is not what it used to be hundreds of years ago. There is no more “pure” culture. Our culture today is enriched with many different traditions and customs that are being shared and adopted. Due to emigration and immigration, a variety of diverse customs, beliefs, and knowledge moved with every exiting and entering human being. Thus, changing and shaping the culture of many. Throughout the world, the beliefs and religious views of culture are dissimilar around the world. By taking the time to read, listen and learn about certain people’s culture, there will be knowledge and understanding that will be gained.

San Miguel de Allende is a historical city located in the state of Guanajuato, central Mexico. The city was founded and named in 1542 by a Franciscan monk named San Miguel El Grande, but after Mexico gained independence from Spain the city was renamed in 1826 to honor Ignacio Allende - a prominent hero in the revolution – and in 2008 the city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Encyclopædia Britannica, “San Miguel de Allende”). I plan to visit San Miguel de Allende with my boyfriend, Alex, from September 12th 2017 to September 18th 2017. Currently there are no U.S. travel advisories in place for this region of Mexico. I’m choosing to travel with my boyfriend mostly for fun, as I think it would be a waste to experience all of this culture alone. There are tons of art museums, historical sites, and even festivals that I would like to see and I just don’t think I would enjoy many of these activities alone. I chose these dates specifically because Mexican Independence Day falls on September 16th and I think it will be really fascinating to be in a city of extreme historical importance to this celebration while it’s happening.