The Culture of Mexico in the Border: Laredo, Tx.

by: Ramón Talavera Franco

 “The sailor that went to the sea” is one of many Mexican children singing games that develop the child’s memory, motor and concentration skills throughout the singing and fast hand- clapping. It is a perfect excuse used by some Mexican or Mexican – American mothers living in Laredo, Texas, to play with their children in their eagerness to transmit their cultural inheritance and traditions.

Laredo, Texas, was established along the border that separates and unifies the United States with Mexico. Its’ sister city, is Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. They are  separated by the “Rio Bravo” and united by international bridges. More than 50 thousand people cross daily those bridges for a variety of reasons: job, commerce, health, family or shopping.

In their constant transit from one city to another, Nuevo Laredo and Laredo’s community blend themselves. It is difficult to know who is mexican and  who is american. The “neolaredenses” have in their skin, eyes and hair, the color of Mexico. By the same token, Laredoans also show imprints of Mexico in their features and none of them seem to be concerned about it.

The Laredoans know they are Americans because they were born in the United States, however, they reaffirm their Mexican heritage every day, not for patriotic reasons or a hidden desire. Instead, they do so as a matter of factly. It is sufficient for them to take a look in the mirror, hear themselves speak and see the faces of their parents, grandparents or great grandparents and find Mexico in them. They are Mexicans of several generations that in spite of living “in this side” - as we Mexicans say- and to be immersed in the cultural, educational, and political system of United States, they live surrounded by the presence of Mexico.

In Laredo, which is located in the southern border of the United States, the culture of Mexico manifests itself everywhere due to a historical reason. Laredo, was at one time a part of Mexico, until the American pioneers that came to Texas in search of a better life, surpassed the mexicans in population and declare the independence from Mexico; independence that created the Republic of Texas and subsequently the 29^th state of the American Union.

In spite of this separation and while the Anglo-Saxon population multiplied, so did the Mexican population. And when genes from both populations found each other, the Mexican-Americans were born. According to an article published in the New York Times, Mexican-Americans form “two thirds of the Hispanics that live in the United States”1 currently. A great number of them live along the 3,000 kilometers of the divisive line drawn by the Rio Grande (called Rio Bravo by the Mexicans) which - since the Guadalupe Hidalgo treaty - was officially stipulated as the border between the two countries.

Brownsville, Mc Allen, Eagle Pass, Del Rio, Presidio, El Paso and Laredo are some of the Texan major cities located in the border. Due to its geography, this state, receives the influence of four states of the Mexican Republic through its sisters cities: Ciudad Juarez and Ojinaga in Chihuahua, Ciudad Acuña and Piedras Negras in Coahuila and Brownsville, Mc Allen and Laredo in Tamaulipas.

The sister cities complement each other. It is difficult to imagine them isolated. Each one of them acquired something from the other and that “something” in the case of the border cities of the United States, is the culture of Mexico.

In the specific case of Laredo, Texas – as previously mentioned – the culture of Mexico presents itself everywhere. On its streets, homes, food, language, children’s games, media, traditions, and in social gatherings. The reason?  94% of its inhabitants are of Mexican origin.

In reference to the language, the Laredoans use Spanish and English interchangeably. The majority use the English language in commercial matters, schools or during the medical visits. Spanish, on the other hand, it is frequently used when they are with family or with friends. This can be due to a historical reason, which can be traced back to primary schools. Dr. Norma Cantu, a former professor for many years at Texas A &M International University in Laredo, Texas, stated in an interview that while attending primary school, the teachers used to punish her or any of her classmates if they spoke or wrote in Spanish. This fact, lead her to think that the Spanish language was evil; therefore, it should not be spoken. Little by little she became used to speak and to think in English. However, this compulsory learning of the English language, provoked a conflict when she got home, where her mother spoke only Spanish. Years later, Dr. Cantu realized that it wasn’t wrong to speak Spanish, but that the adequate place to do it was in her house. So, she began to relate her “affections”, her “feelings” in Spanish while English was used to communicate daily life matters. Maybe this is the reason why many Laredoans communicate in the professional life in English, but prefer to say the things that come out of their hearts or out of their souls in Spanish.

There are other Laredoans that, as result of this bilingualism, mix the two languages along the same conversation. It’s very common to listen to people initiating a conversation in English, then switching to Spanish, then returning to English, and changing it back again into Spanish. This indistinct management of the two languages is also used in the radio or television stations in Laredo. As an example, a radio station located in the 106.1 is characterized for transmitting a great deal of its musical programming in Spanish and their radio announcers, change continuously from one language to another when receiving telephone calls on to the air.

There are other people that add to this bilingualism something called spanglish that transform English into Spanish. Here we have three examples of the usage of three different words:

·        Market that means Mercado in spanish

·        Truck that means camioneta in spanish

·        Break that means freno in spanish

Commonly, many Laredonas transform these three words into a Spanish sound with a Spanish meaning:

Vamos a la marketa a comprar.. . (Let’s go to the market to shop) The word market in Spanish is in male gender form. However, to the word market it is given the female gender when it’s transformed into spanglish, creating the word marketa. I should confess – and I apologize for speaking in first person – that the first time that someone asked me to accompanied him to the marketa I didn’t understood where were we going, until we arrived to the place. My confusion was because I am from Mexico City, a place in which spanglish is not used at all.

Tengo que llevar la troca a que le cambien las brecas. (I have to take my truck to the mechanic to fix the breaks.)  In this sentence the word truck is modified into a female kind when the word is changed into spanglish and this word which was in first person of singular, changes to first person of plural being pronounced brecas.  As in the previous example, when a friend mention me that the brecas of his car broke down, I thought he was referring to something in the engine, until he pointed out the tires and moved his right foot as if he was pushing down the break. At that moment, I understood what he was referring to.

Spanglish is a mental process of communication but as we are not experts in this matter, it is better to leave it to the linguists.  But what we really know is that this way of communication is spreading widely among Spanish speakers in the United States, mainly in the border. There are people who affirm that the spanglish affects the Spanish and English language and therefore, it should be eradicated. On the other hand, there are people that see it like a political demonstration, as a reflection of a mixture of cultures. The certain thing is that the spanglish has served to facilitate the communication among people that do not share the same language, and where communication is the final goal. It has been achieved in the border, although is difficult to believe that it will reach into the interior of the Mexican Republic.

With reference to the influence of the Mexican music in the border, it is necessary to remark the northern music of assemblies and of course, the mariachi bands.

The music of assembly or norteña music as it’s better known, began to be listened and enjoyed in the south border of the United States at the end of the nineteen century, achieving popular acceptance. Its characteristic instruments are: the accordion and the Mexican guitar known as bajo sexto , and its lyrics are directed mainly to the working class, average class and to the migrantes that are forced to leave their country in the search of the “American dream”. One of these groups that at present time have reached fame into the two countries is “Los Tigres del Norte”.

The second absolutely Mexican musical demonstration that pleases all kinds of public, is the mariachi band; musical style born in Cocula, Jalisco.  It is believed that the word “mariachi” was born in a religious song. The legend says that when the Spanish friars arrived to Cocula with the idea to evangelize the “cocas”, (native town descendants of the nahuas) noticed their facility to reproduce sounds and music through out instruments created by them, and they decided to utilize the music, as an evangelizer instrument. “The Friar Miguel of Bolonia, transformed old melodies that the “cocas” dedicated to their ancestral Aztec deities, in phrases to the Mother of Jesus and to San Miguel Arcangel and underlined the idea that the music was the language that God decided to use to communicate with them.

Thus, as time went by and the “cocas” were totally conquered by the Spaniards, the “coca” musicians transformed not only their own rhythms, but they adopted Spanish instruments as the violin and the guitar. In rancherías nearby to Cocula were created the old “violins of the hill” and doing gala of their facility of creating new instruments, the native Justo Rodríguez Nixen invented the vihuela with a seashell of armadillo, and then the guitarrón with cords made of intestines of animals, instruments already brought up to date without which the mariachi musician would lack his personal sound.

During their evangelizing process, the natives of Cocula venerated the Virgin “Maria of the River”, whose image was discovered while some peasants tilled the ground. Finding her, awoke the devotion of the people of Cocula and in her name created a song of praise that, according to the investigators, was the very birth of the word “Mariachi”.

In one of the paragraphs of the praise created for this Virgin, reads “Maria ce son” that according to the studious signifies “the Song of Maria”. When pronouncing “Maria Ce. ..” seemed that they said “Maria Shi” or “Maria She” that at the moment of being pronounced, sounds like “Mariachi”. Thus, according to this study, the word “Mariachi” originates in reality of a religious song, and not of the French word “mariage” as other investigators affirm”.2

The groups of the vernacular music known as “mariachi” swarm in Laredo. Almost each High School has it’s own Mariachi band, as well as Texas A&M International University which has one of the best. By the way! This university itself invites all the mariachi bands of the region to participate in an annual contest. The interesting thing is that all the mariachi bands are integrated by Mexican- American students and some Americans; reaffirming the preference by our vernacular music.

And what about the preference of Mexican food!

There are almost 20 restaurants specialized in Mexican food in Laredo. Unfortunately – and it must to be said – for the first generation mexicans living in Laredo, the majority of the dishes lack the taste that characterizes our gastronomy. But for the Mexican-American that are not aware of that taste, the Mexican food cooked in Laredo is the typical food of Mexico and they enjoy it.

What should be emphasized of the existence of these Mexican restaurants is that thanks to them many of the products of the Mexican diet have been exported not only to the border, but also to the majority of the cities of the United States. Some of them even participate already within the American industry producing large profits in this country. The most important example is the tortilla, which according to the “Tortilla Industry Association”, contributed profits to the United States for 4 billion dollars during the year 2000.

With reference to the tortilla, in many cities of this north country of America there is a famous snack cooked with this product: the nachos that a great number of people believes was invented here in the United States. This is not the case. The nachos are proudly Mexican, born in Piedras Negras, Coahuila. The creative one of these snacks was known as Don Ignacio (Nacho) Ayala and his invention was dedicated to some ladies (always the women are the fountain of inspiration). They were beautiful women who went to the restaurant where Don Nacho worked. When they arrived, they wanted to try a different snack and ask don Nacho if he had something different. Don Nacho immediately went to the kitchen, fried triangles of tortilla corn, baked them with yellow cheese and adorned them with jalapeño’s chili. Thus, Don Nacho prepared a delicious snack totally different to the usual ones. The nachos turned out to be such a success and promptly became the most requested snack. Shortly, other restaurants imitated them and in honor of his inventor, they gave the name of “Nacho Special” and now a days the nachos can be enjoyed in many restaurants of the American Union.

Mexico is also seen in the border represented by our flag. The Flag of Mexico with its imposing national shield welcomes all those who cross through the bridge 1 and 2 toward Nuevo Laredo form Laredo, Texas. Any driver sees the Mexican flag miles away from the border while driving thorough the highway 35. Its’ red, white, and green colors, the colors of Mexico are slopes of all the persons that go in and out of the country that symbolizes.

In addition to this huge flag, many other Mexican flags of smaller size are placed outside of many banks in Laredo, accompanying the flag of the country that lodges it, the United States, and of its friend state: Texas. For this reason, Laredoans, are accustomed to see their own blue, white and red flag accompanied by the Mexican one, without creating shadow to one or the other.

The culture of Mexico is seen in homes, in family remembrances, in the family snapshots, in the books written in Spanish, through television in which the Mexican and Mexican- American mothers don’t dare miss a chapter of their favorite soap opera and at nights they check out the news hosted by Joaquín López Dóriga or by Javier Alatorre in the competitive channel.

The culture of Mexico is highlighted in the border thorough out the manifestation of the Mexican traditions. “The day of the dead”, which is celebrated in Mexico on November 1^st and 2^nd , has been adopted in Laredo, Texas. Many High schools, carry out contests of “skulls”, and in the Center for the arts of Laredo, a “dead persons altars exposition” is prepared annually.

The skulls are  “festive verses that comment in an epitaph the live defects of personages that are presented as dead persons without respect to social hierarchies or by the political importance of who they satirized” 3

Let’s see an example:

With the “altars”, the families remember their relatives that pass away. In them, the snapshots of the deceased are placed, as well as their favorite foods. In the case of the dead children, their favorite toys are placed. In the case of the adults, offerings of cigarettes, tequila, or any kind of the deceased favorite liquor is place in the altar along with flowers and candles.

Another tradition that pleases Laredoans is the Pastorela and the Mexican traditional Posada.  Sharing it with the Laredoans, the Consulate of Mexico in Laredo along with the Mexican Cultural Institute of Laredo, bring professional actors from Mexico to present this performance which in essence represents the pilgrimage of the shepherds in their road to Belen to know the holy child. During their walk, they are blocked by devils that, at the same time, are fought by angels. The celebration closes inviting to all assistants to be going to ask “inn” (posada) and subsequently they break the traditional piñatas.

But without any doubt, one of the traditions that is celebrated with great pleasure is the “Mexican Independence Day”.

The organizers of this celebration, the Consulate of Mexico and the Mexican Cultural Institute of Laredo develop this celebration outdoor in one of the most representative plazas of Laredo: The Plaza San Agustin, flanked by the church of the XVII century and one of the most famous Mexican style hotels of the city, the plaza is converted almost 5 hours as the principal square of Mexico city. In its gazebo are placed gigantic screens through which are transmitted videos that show passages of the history of the independence of Mexico, with the objective that all the Laredoans and tourists know exactly what this celebration is about.

Above three stages, the multicolor dresses of the diverse folkloric ballets trap the interest of the assistants as well as the ranchero singers, the charros and of course the mariachi bands without which a Mexican party is not complete. It is necessary to clear up that all the mariachi bands; the folkloric ballets and the ranchero singers are Laredo natives.

It is perhaps the day when the culture of Mexico is more present in the hearts of the people of Laredo. It is felt in each hug of the people, it is felt when the Consul of Mexico gives the “shout” the “grito” of independence, rivaling the priest Hidalgo. It is felt when the thousands of Mexican - American assistant shout ¡Viva Mexico! a shout that travels through their blood. It is a magical instant in which they don’t need passports, consular I. D., birth certificate or voter registration cards, to be recognized as Mexicans.

Another big celebration that is necessary to mention is “Washington’s Birthday”. It has been a tradition in Laredo for more than 100 years to celebrate George Washington’ birthday fifteen days along. What is interesting is that many of its celebrations have a significantly Mexican touch.

One of them, perhaps the most important one because of its political meaning, is the “Abrazo” which consists of reaffirming the friendship among the two sisters cities. Since early hours of the day, the Juarez Lincoln Bridge better known by the Laredoans as the Bridge two, closes to the vehicular traffic. Political representatives of the border meet in the middle of the bridge and share a hug with their counterparts manifesting with this the union between Nuevo Laredo and Laredo as sister cities.

Another of the festivities that gathers a great number of persons is the “Jalapeño festival”. Which other edible product can be more Mexican than the Chili? The objective of this festival which is part of the festivities of the George Washington’s celebrations since 1978 is to have a contest in which people try to eat the most jalapeños in half an hour average. In it’s 2002 edition, 25 persons participated in this contest and the winner was the one who devoured 112 jalapeños chilis. We would’ve loved to ask him how he felt the next day of the contest!

And since the year of 2001, Nuevo Laredo has begun to participate in this festivity in his own city. If the Mexican-Americans celebrate the day of the independence of Mexico in Laredo, why do neolaredenses not celebrate the George Washington’s Birthday in their own city?

This decision is a sample of the union existing between the two cities.

To conclude to know how Mexican culture is seen and live in the border, is necessary to mention that in the outskirts of Laredo, within the Webb County, irregular settlements exist that are acquaintances as “ Colonias” which are places where many Mexican - Americans and Mexican immigrants live. Of course that “Colonias” are founded not only in this county but disseminated along the borderline. Their inhabitants are the more vulnerable. Only few of them live at home well manufactured, but the majority, live in low income houses, or in the “trailas”,  (old mobile homes) lacking the most basic services such as: adequate water supplies, lack of surface drainage systems, lack of electrical systems and air conditioning. Living in these conditions in Laredo, Texas, where during six months of the year the climate exceeds a 110 degrees Fahrenheit, is tolerated by the aspects of the Mexican –American culture which places high emphasis on the family union. It doesn’t matter where you live. What matters most is that you live together as a family.