When most people think of Mexican culture, they think of good food, music, and clothing. Although these are major aspects, the culture has also been affected by literature. The history of Mexican literature can be broken down into distinct periods and areas: pre-colonial, colonial, satirical writings, independence, modern, and present day. Each of these areas resulted in famous authors, works, and awards.
To begin with, Mexican literature dates back to pre-colonial times. The earliest works by Indians include the Popol Vuh, sacred books written in the Quiche language by the Maya of Guatemala. Manuscripts of the Aztec empire and dramas by the Inca can also be traced back to this time. These works laid the foundation for Mexico’s unique and rich literary history.
Additionally, the colonial period produced great works. The centers of colonial rule were Mexico City, Lima, Rio de Janeiro, and Bogota. Early texts were chronicles of the conquests and descriptions of these settlements. Christopher Columbus and Hernando Cortes can be credited with much of these writings, although other explorers contributed their findings as well. During this period, authors such as Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Bartolome de la Casas, and Antonio Vierra. This is also when the first notable mentions of poetry are found. The 1500s-1600s were a time of artistic creativity much like that of Spain and Portugal. Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, a talented Mexican nun, was on the same level with the best European literature. She is known as the first great woman writer, often called the Tenth Muse. Cruz is still well known today for her amazing poetry. Other poets of this time included Juan del Valle y Caviedes, Gregorio de ...
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...velists are doing an excellent job of making sure their culture survives. The books they create are entertaining yet give a reader valuable knowledge of a culture different from their own.
Malpass4
In summation, Mexican literature has added much to the world’s society as a whole. The history of Mexican literature is as unique as the culture itself. It can be broken down into the areas of pre-colonial, colonial, satirical writings, independence, modern, and present day. The authors of both past and present have made sure that Mexican culture will survive through literature. Although Mexico will always be famous for its food, the literature is amazing as well.
Works Cited
Mexico Maps. 13 May 2010. 13 May 2010 .
Semple, Adam. The New Book of Knowledge: Volume L. Danbury: Grolier Incorporated, 2002.
In 1518 Hernán Cortés took command of an expedition to secure the interior of Mexico in the name of the Spanish Crown. In the letters he detailed his expedition and the land and peoples they conquered and encountered. The first letter, dated 1519, is a problematic document as it is written in the third person and was most likely not actually written by Cortez. The second and third letters are much more reliable and were published in Seville in 1522 and 1523 respectively. The culture, geography, economy and other details of the Aztec civilization, as well as Cortés and his forces’ interaction with them, are detailed in his letters which are addressed to the monarch of the sponsor of his force, Spain.
of the native tongue is lost , certain holidays may not be celebrated the same , and American born generations feel that they might have lost their identity , making it hard to fit in either cultures . Was is significant about this book is the fact it’s like telling a story to someone about something that happened when they were kid . Anyone can relate because we all have stories from when we were kids . Alvarez presents this method of writing by making it so that it doesn’t feel like it’s a story about Latin Americans , when
Leal, Luis. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature." Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995. 119-123.
...ish when they first compose Mexico, then more tardy by American historians not lately this hundred. The removal of these texts is incredibly disquieted in bear a “unity” for the SMS, and that of the irrational variance in the translations of these texts their “personalities” are sufficiently clear. In deduction I would preference to arrange out that while there are many similarities between these texts, most of them are either in trivial blaze-impartial, uniform level they have in general, or how our association examines them as an interval of gaze aged enlightenment.
Camilla's point that Mexican Americans have had a long constant battle in America is very true. I agree with Camilla' that because Mexican Americans have had to endure so much they have been able to form a strong sense of culture. Growing up in Los Angeles I have always been around Mexican American culture. However, not until the readings did I realize the hardships Mexican Americans have had to face and how those hardships have been represented through their art. It is important for all Americans to be taught the hardships Mexican Americans have faced either through books, videos or art. Once Americans become aware they will realize the beauty of the Mexican American culture.
Torres, Hector Avalos. 2007. Conversations with Contemporary Chicana and Chicano Writers. U.S.: University of New Mexico press, 315-324.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century the cultural and societal foundations were laid for the newly formed nations of the America. Both José Enrique Rodó and Jose Marti made large contributions to the development of Latin America through their literature. Both sought to improve and encourage the people of The America’s, however it is Jose Marti who truly succeeds in inspiring a national pride in his writing Our America.
Most noticeable would be the shift from speaking ancestral native languages to speaking Spanish. Just as well, Spanish architectural influence can be seen through the gorgeous tiled roofs, proud steeples, and light yellow-orange interiors of their churches and homes. The Spaniards also left an environmental impact, such as the introduction of Spanish horses and other Spanish plant and animal species, which, in turn, sparked the famous “cowboy culture” of the Southwest. This “blended” Spanish and indigenous Mexican culture is commonly known as “Hispanic” or “Latino.” Today, this culture is still very much alive and can be seen all throughout both Arizona and the Southwest as a whole. One can clearly see the cultural impact of both the Mexicans and Spanish, through the architecture, restaurants, traditional foods, and the religious traditions and ceremonies celebrated by Mexican people in the region, such as The Day of the Dead and Cinco de Mayo. Also, there are many Spanish-named streets, towns, cities, and
There were many people who lived in Mexico before the Spanish came. In this essay I have told you about those people. About how Spain came to rule Mexico. And about how Mexico became how it is today. Mexico is a country with a deep culture that shows all these things.
I was born in Mexico and raised in beautiful San Diego since the age of four. Coming to the United States at a very young age I had to face many challenges that have shaped me to the person that I am today. I consider myself a Chicana woman who has overcome the obstacles to get were I am know. Being raised in a Mexcian household has thought me to embrace my culture and its roots. The Spanish and native blood that is with in me remind me of many Americans today. The reason I consider my self Chicana is because of the similar background that I shared with many Americans today. Living in the U.S. I have learned to adapt and embraced the American culture so much so that it came a point of life were I struggled to find my own identity. Taking
Culture is customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group. It includes behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms that is shared by a group of people to sustain their lives. Mexican culture is influenced by their familial ties, gender, religion, location and social class, among other factors. Today life in the cities of Mexico has become similar to that in neighboring United States and Europe, with provincial people conserving traditions more so than the Mexican living in the city. In the United States Mexican includes any person of Puerto
Becoming Mexican- American has been such a great book so far! I truly favored how Sanchez focused on factors that contributed to the migration of so many across the border north to the United States during the first many years of the twentieth century. During that time, immigrants experienced groups of people trying to Americanize and Mexicanize them and their people. This is a fascinating topic, and Sanchez pulls it off really well. It makes it better because Sanchez is Mexican-American himself, the son of Mexican immigrants, and his sensitivity to the nuances of the culture are very apparent throughout the book. It is the story of the creation of the Mexican-American culture, specifically in the early 1900's in Los Angeles. In addition, also in Los Angeles, Majority of the immigrants would experience the efforts to Americanize them, which was then proceeded by counter attempts to mechanize the immigrants to maintain their loyalty and to return to Mexico. This back and forth contribution developed a Mexican American identity, which was evident in food, and clothes. For example, it was particularly evident in the
Julia Alvarez was an example of how a Latina writer identified herself in a new culture outside of her comfort zone. She, as a Dominican Diaspora, had to reinvent herself as she migrated into a new scenario. Her assimilation into the United States culture allowed her to understand and relate to the reader’s needs and points of interests. After all the effort, Alvarez kept in mind that she could not comfort to all the reality that she lived in, so she re-reinvented herself all over again to process her thoughts and beliefs into her life. She put her perspective on her writing so that the new wave of readers, even if they did not understand, could relate in some way and appreciate the differences. The sole purpose of her writings was for everyone to change their perspective from “walk to the other side of the street in order to avoid sharing the same sidewalk” to “I do not know them, but I do not avoid them because I do not know them”. She instilled in her reader’s mind how ordinary events were viewed differently through other cultures’ eyes. Her story Snow was a great example of how she portrayed her technique.
...ave satirized the Boom, defining it as the most exclusive club that the cultural history of Latin America has known." ) Clearly, modern Latin American writers live in the shadow of these men and their prodigious work. However Latin Americans may feel about the Boom and the legacy which it left, there can be no doubt that it also paved the way for Latin American writers in many ways by making them visible to the rest of the world.
During the course of this class, I have had the opportunity to read literature from authors who come from different backgrounds and places in the world. Some of the stories and poetry we read were straight forward while others were confusing and sometimes required a second look. But one thing is clear, it changed the way I think about literature in a few ways that I wasn’t expecting. Three works in particular stand out in my mind. “ I Wont Let You Go” by Rabindranath Tagore, “To New York” by Leopold Senghor, and Pedro Peramo by Juan Rulfo all had an impact on my thinking for similar yet different reasons. They all incorporate their cultural backgrounds into their work through the setting of their pieces. They also compose their pieces in a way that makes you want to research their history to find the deeper meaning. Finally, a couple of the authors write about things they are emotionally connected to. Some of the examples we will look at, really opened my eyes to going beyond a superficial understanding of literature.