The Formation of Diverse Culture in Mexico - Essay Example

Exam Question A The Mexican mythology reflects a blend of Spanish and Native American influences (Anaya, . Mexico was a land of different cultures even before the arrival of Europeans. The Mayan language mainly dominated the Southern part of Mexico and the Nahua family was widespread in the North. Spain conquered Mexico during 1519 ad ruled the colony until 1821. Roman Catholic Christianity held almost 95 percent of Mexicans however the old ways were still followed in several parts of the country. The myths also had essence of ancient Indian beliefs. According to the legend, the arrival of Mexicans in the Anahuac valley was not entertained by other groups and they were considered as the least civilized group. The Mexican civilization decided to learn from the ancient Toltec. For Aztec, the Toltec were the origins of all cultures. There were several mythologies for Aztec because they had combined several traditions with their own earlier traditions. This resulted in the formation of diverse culture in Mexico. The Ixtlilxochitl’s legend is one of the most important and complete creation in Mexican mythology. According to the myth Lord is the one who created the universe, stars, animals, mountains and humans. The mythological stories created by the Mixtecs are also important in the origin of Mexican mythology. It mainly describes about the isolation of people of the Southern part of Mexico. Apart from them the Mexican Noah and the Sacrificed Princess are some other important mythologies of Mexican origins. The Mexican Noah describes about the destruction of the world due to evil nature of humans. On the other hand the sacrificed princess describes about the ritual of sacrifice. The Fugitive Prince is another Mexican mythology that describes about the greed and self-survival nature of humans. The political advancements are clearly visible from this mythology. There are several other mythologies that have built up the Mexican beliefs. The most important part of the Mexican mythology is unity in diversity. Despite the existence of several civilizations and cultures the pattern of worship is almost similar. The Huitzilopochtli is the best example of Mexican mythology that proves the common patterns of the Mexican beliefs. It is about the rising up of the skies of the South and it is surrounded by trees, divination symbols, temples and patterns. The Aztec mythology is the collection of myths of Central Mexico and Aztec civilization. Mictlantecuhtli and Quetzalcoatl are the two Gods worshipped by the Mexican people as the God of death and the God of life. There are many temples where the deities of both Gods are placed together. The Mexican civilization constitutes of several other myths that are followed by many countries in the world. The most important reason for a common mythological approach is the combination of different cultures in this civilization. Mexican civilization mostly comprises of the Aztec mythology and they follow the Roman Catholic style of preaching. Thus it can be stated that the Mexican myth is a combination of several civilization and the origin of their culture is based on diverse beliefs. Question B Since 1850s, Mexicans have lived in the Pacific Northwest. The main occupations of Mexicans in the nineteenth century were mining, construction, packing etc. They were mostly labors in America. Mexican vaqueros learned their trading skills in Texas and California. Slowly and gradually they learned many other techniques, such as cattle herding and horsemanship. These skills helped them to gain their fame in the private sector of America. They became the working class however they owned some land and property. Initially the Mexican American community settled in the Columbia River Basin. After the settlement was established they started to relocate in different places of America. Texas and California were the two most important places where they first started their work. Slowly and gradually, the Mexicans started to enter the agricultural market and work hard to obtain their own properties (Smith, 2000). In the beginning of the nineteenth century there were several developments in the agricultural sector of America due to which the Mexicans had to face great competition. The slaves from Africa were imported on a large scale and forced to work in the agricultural fields of White capitalist. The Mexican American settlements were able to succeed in the later part of nineteenth century, when slavery was completely removed from the western society. The Mexican people were different compared to American people in many ways. Their religious belief was also different. Though they worshipped Lord Jesus Christ but they were Roman Catholics. The Mexican Americans were very hard workers as well as good traders. They learnt trading after they entered the American province. Initially they dealt with domestication of animals and agriculture but later on they took new initiatives to optimize their living style. The Mexican Americans were very skilled and they focused on cooking. In the nineteenth century there was shortage of hotels and fast-food centers. The Mexicans started to occupy the fast-food business and supply new type of food. The Mexicans not only limited their skills to restaurants and fast-food centers, they also implemented their skills in bakeries. After the Mexican-American war there were some issues people had to face regarding their liberties but the problems reduced after 1950s. The Mexican people were not accepted by the American society previously because of several factors. First of all these people were not residents of America they came from other countries and occupied American lands. Secondly, American society was going through a very tough time in the nineteenth century due to slavery. American capitalists tried to hire Mexicans to their agricultural fields for work but the Mexicans refused due to which the war between America and Mexico happened. The Mexican people were Spanish and their culture was different compared to the American culture. The Mexican people had different methods of worship and they had different type of beliefs. After 1970 the differences have minimized between the two cultures and both civilizations have taken initiatives to overcome traditional thoughts and develop a peaceful society for their betterment. Question G In the year 1857, the Cart War occurred and it led to several international consequences. The main reason for the occurrence of Cart War was racial discrimination. The Cart War initiated in the United States-Mexican border due to business progressions of Mexicans in America. There were series of armed raids by the Anglo neighbors of Tejano against them. There were many assaults that happened during the war, which resulted in occurrence of hardships in the relationship between United States and Mexico (Meier & Ribera, 2008). The Cart War was regarded as one of the most violent incident. The attackers used technologically advanced weapons during the period in order to kill people. The lack of initiatives from legal bodies let the war take a bad shape in the history of Mexico and America. The Mexicans residing in the United States believed that they are part of the United States during the World War I. The Anglo teamsters were economically unstable, which created a complexity in the mind of people. The emergence of the Cart War was also due to the fear that rose in the mind of Anglo teamsters regarding their social development. The circumstances were unfavorable for both groups and it led to a violent attack by the Anglo teamsters. The usage of arms led the war take a rough shape and many people died during the war proceedings. The administration of the United States was less effective during the period due to which the war continued for a prolonged period of time. The violence occurred in the Antonio-Indianola Road. The Mexican carreteros were assaulted by the Anglo teamsters. The Anglo teamsters belonged to Texas. Their main motive was to get control over the trade in United States and neighboring countries. Initially the Anglo teamsters attacked the oxcarts in order to affect the transport business of the Mexicans. The Mexicans had developed their businesses all over the state in many fields. The transportation business was one of the most profitable businesses for them. Later on the Anglo teamsters raised a violent attack on innocent people and traders. This was one of the most unethical stand and United States local officials did-not make sufficient efforts to stop the violence. The circumstances were made difficult for Mexicans to stay and do their business in the United States. Hence they declared a counter-attack, which lasted for a long time. In the year 1855 violence occurred on Mexican carters and the war continued up to 1857. The consequences led to rise of price of many products because of lack of proper supply to the states. The ministers of United States worried about the disturbances because it could give rise to civil war in the sates between rich and poor people. Finally the ministers stood against the war proceedings and discussed the problems with the ministry of Texas. United States asked the Texas government to nullify the issue because the situations could give rise to mass murders. In December 1856, the drastic impact of Cart War was neutralized and the conflicts between the two groups reduced. References Anaya, R. (2012). Bless Me, Ultima. New York: Grand Central Publishing. Meier, M., & Ribera, F. (2008). Mexican Americans/American Mexicans: From Conquistadors to Chicanos. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. Smith, A. (2000). The Wealth of Nations. London: Random House. Read More