Joined at the hip: reflections on America and Mexico

Photo by Mayra Martell

When talking about the nature of the relationship between Mexico and the United States, the term “joined at the hip,” is more than just a figure of speach. Spanish and Mexican culture is deeply embeded in the western United States, which were a part of Spain, and then Mexico long before they became part of the Union.  

I grew up in Price, Utah, in Carbon County, where most folks worked in the surrounding coal mines. Most of the workers in those numerous mines were immigrants, many from Greece, Italy, the French and Spanish Basque regions of Europe, and Mexico. 

Half of my graduating class sported Spanish surnames; most were second generation immigrants.  I became aware of the cultural influence only when I left the area to study and work in other parts of the United States.

My “Chicano” classmates glowed with integrity, loyalty, openness and a great sense of humor. My relationship with them sparked an alluring curiosity about their language and their culture, and I became a serious student of both, eventually receiving a doctorate in Latin American literature and co-founding “Chasqui,” an academic journal of Latin American Literature. 

After graduation, a former colleague from Mexico invited me to teach classes at the University of Monterrey.  Intrigued by the opportunity to get to know Mexico better, I accepted.  The incredible career that followed is a story for another day, but suffice to say, I discovered a Mexico well beyond my imagination.  

What did not vary from my high school experience was the cordiality, humor, loyalty, and intimacy of the Mexican people. The “welcome” lasted throughout the twenty years that I lived there, in Monterrey, Mexico City and Durango, where professional projects enabled me to visit much of the country.

What revealed itself to me immediately, and in the years that followed, was an unfathomable richness in scope and scale, a revelation of uniqueness, style and diversity.  Back home in Utah, there were cowboys, cowboy hats and rodeos.   

Mexico erupted with sombreros of highly personalized styles, and truly awesome workmanship. There were “charros”, which are more than mere cowboys. “Charros” competed to perform amazing rope tricks, such as throwing a huge lasso around the head of the horse, waiting until the horse passed through and closing it around his hind legs, or standing on the saddle of one horse and leaping to a bareback horse running in a parallel track. The result was a surfeit of style, fashion and feats of artistry and daring that far exceeded a simple American rodeo.

Mexico has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years, and has been recognized as one of the cradles of civilization. It has more sites on the World Heritage List than any other country in the Americas.  Much of that heritage has been preserved, including Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, and colonial Spanish.

Mexican cities reflect a similar richness of style, with some nurturing several thousand years of accumulated cultural diversity, from pyramids to skyscrapers, in close proximity.  

When we think of “Mexican” music, we think Mariachis. When we think of Mexican art, we think Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Tamayo. And when we think Mexican literature, the Nobel laureate Octavio Paz comes to mind.  Mexican cuisine is recognized throughout the world as some of the richest, most complex, and most varied. 

Most Americans who think of Mexico think of places like Acapulco, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo.  Living in Mexico changes the focus from the beautiful beach towns, with their unparalleled hospitality. Living in Mexico reframes the overall culture and style in a way that reflects a wealth of national creativity in multiple arenas, and a depth of human social and cultural interaction.  

When I think of Mexico, I yearn for immersion in that culture and style, but most of all the openness of the people, their desire to help and support others, their creativity and dedication to perform, their unique personal style.  

Most of all, I appreciate a sense of humor that I have never seen equaled in all my extensive travels.  North American Project is a creative space to open the door to an immense reservoir of cultural style and diversity and the creative and outgoing personality of our truly great neighbors.