Mexican Culture and Identity

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  • 1500

    Pre-Colombian History (before 1500)

    Pre-Colombian History (before 1500)
    In the area of present-day Mexico, the first human settlement occurred about 20,000 years ago. From around 1500 BC, the first advanced civilisations emerged. These cultures include the Olmecs, Maya, Zapotecs and Toltecs. They all have things in common: the location in Mesoamerica, maize as a food source, the building of pyramids and the ritual ball game. Ruins of many of these cultures remain, which you can see today in Mexico.
  • Nov 8, 1519

    Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire

    Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire
    The Spanish annihilated the Mexicans. It was a major event, because Tenochtitlan was their capitol.
    Roman Catholicism was introduced after the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Although many Mexicans are not regular churchgoers or extraordinarily religious, 89% of the population still consider themselves Catholic and Roman Catholicism is seen as part of the national identity.
    Besides the religion, the language became also a part of the culture and therefore the literature as well.

  • Grito de Dolores

    Grito de Dolores
    The Cry of Dolores occurred in Dolores, Mexico, on 16 September 1810, when Roman Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church bell and gave the call to arms that triggered the Mexican War of Independence. Known as the “Grito de Dolores,” Hidalgo’s declaration launched a decade-long struggle that ended 300 years of colonial rule, established an independent Mexico and helped cultivate a unique Mexican identity.

  • Mexican-American War

    Mexican-American War
    The Mexican-American War, was a war between the USA and Mexico stemming from the United States’ annexation of Texas in 1845 and from a dispute over whether Texas ended at the Nueces River or the Rio Grande. After the Mexican-American War, gringo began to be used for citizens from that country, with expressions such as "American gringo", attested as in popular use in Tepetitlán in 1849. This is one of the reasons why in the Mexican culture there is a great resentment towards the USA

  • The Mexican Revolution

    The Mexican Revolution
    The Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) is the name given to the period of political and social upheaval that began in 1910, when opposition groups led by Francisco Madero began to overthrow the dictatorial Mexican president Porfirio Díaz.
    After the Mexican Revolution, a new generation of Mexican artists led a vibrant national movement that incorporated political, historic and folk themes in their work.

  • Mexican War on Drugs

    Mexican War on Drugs
    The Mexican war on drugs is one of the several war theatres of the global war on drugs which is led by the USA. Its main goal is to reduce drug-related violence. The cultural effect is visible in the general perception of Mexico as a country from an outsiders perspective. The topic of drug trafficking is also affecting the indigenous people of Mexico as in the territories where these people live forced recruitment of even children as workers to produce the drugs is unfortunately all too common.