If one were to order Chile Relleno at most restaurants in the Eastern part of the United States, one will usually find a cheese stuffed bell pepper on his plate, instead of the long, tasty green chile every Southwesterner would expect. While remaining generally a mystery to other areas of the U.S., green and red chile are staples in many southwestern homes -especially in New Mexico. The New Mexican cuisine is just one aspect of its distinct culture; the food, personalities, art, and vast, beautiful region are all uniquely enchanted (as the State slogan suggests). New Mexico also has a special history; history is the ingredient that has shaped and molded New Mexico into the one and only culture it has today. When one examines New Mexico’s deep history, one will see that the mixtures of people over the centuries have given New Mexico its unique culture.
Long before Europeans arrived in what people know today as New Mexico, Native Americans called it home. Ancient southwestern Native Tribes relied heavily upon the natural resources of the area. “They collected seeds, fiber and prickly pear from the yucca one season, then moved to highland mesas or plateaus to gather grass seed, acorns, juniper berries, and pinion nuts, and next to mountain streams to spear and net fish” (Faragher, John Mack et al. 9). Southwestern people began to rely upon agriculture in 1,000 BCE. Some crops included maize, beans, squash, and other vegetables; the heavy use of corn, beans, and the beloved chile that is seen today in the New Mexican diet can be traced back to its ancient inhabitants. One can notice Native influences in other aspects of New Mexican customs as well. Daniel Murphree states that New Mexican tribal roots “can be witnessed in the advent of...
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...ures that you don’t see elsewhere.”
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Mexican culture is perhaps the largest influence on the state of Arizona, affecting the cuisine of Arizona quite heavily. Mexican food is widely popular in Arizona, meaning that there are plenty of local Mexican restaurants, each giving a unique experience. Mexican culture also has strong ties to the history of Arizona, as it was once territory belonging to Mexico. Mexicans who inhabited the region over a century ago fought with tribes native to the land in order to wrest control from them. However, war erupted with America on April 25, 1846. The war, now known as the Mexican-American War, resulted in the Mexican Cession. The Cession effectively indoctrinated the states of California, Nevada, most of Arizona, and various sections of other current day states. The war’s start can be contributed to many things, one such reason being the acceptance of Texas as a recognized state by the U.S. This created a great deal of tension with Mexico, as Texas was once their territory, until Mexicans and Americans overthrew the governor of the region and appointed their own leader, Samuel Houston. Houston then brought Texas in as a state to the U.S. in order to assuage any aggressive acts by Mexico. However, tensions soon flared when several small incidents along the border of Mexico and Texas lead to the war. Many politicians in the northern states opposed the war, claiming that it was an attempt of the southern slave owners to gain influence in the new territory. While most of the territory of Arizona was obtained by the end of the war, it was the Gadsden Purchase that attained the rest of the state, along with the southwesternmost part of modern day New Mexico. The purchase gets it’s name from the United States ambassador to Mexico, James Gadsden, who signed the treaty approving the purchase of the territory in the year 1853, not all too long after the
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People have been living in America for countless years, even before Europeans had discovered and populated it. These people, named Native Americans or American Indians, have a unique and singular culture and lifestyle unlike any other. Native Americans were divided into several groups or tribes. Each one tribe developed an own language, housing, clothing, and other cultural aspects. As we take a look into their society’s customs we can learn additional information about the lives of these indigenous people of the United States.
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