Mexico City
History
FIRST - watch the video about the history of Mexico City. As you watch, WRITE down detailed descriptions about what you SEE while "traveling" and what you HEAR the tour guide teach you. Each observation should be at least two words long.
THEN - complete the rest of your notes for today after you READ about La Plaza de las Tres Culturas below.
HISTORY: La Plaza de las Tres Culturas
La Plaza de las Tres Culturas (The Plaza of the Three Cultures) provides an unusually compact look at Mexican history and culture. The plaza commemorates (honors) the coming together of three cultures - Aztec civilization (1345 - 1521), the period of Spanish colonialism (1521 - 1820), and modern Mexico. The plaza is surrounded by architectural samples from Aztec, Spanish, and present-day Mexico.
Aztec Ruins
In the plaza lie the ancient ruins of what was once an Aztec ceremonial center and marketplace. The last battle against the Spanish conquistadors took place here in 1521 when Cuauhtémoc, the last king of the Aztecs, was captured and later killed by Hernan Cortes.
La Plaza de las Tres Culturas, the Plaza of Three Cultures
An artist imagines Aztec culture in Mexico City
Spanish Colonial Church and School
After the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, the Spanish destroyed much of their empire’s capital and built the capital of their colonial empire on top of its ruins. On top of the Aztec temple they built a Catholic church, a convent (home for priests and nuns), and several schools. The church is called Templo de Santiago and was completed in 1609. The school attached to the church was completed in 1779. The buildings are an excellent example of early and late architecture in the time of Spanish colonialism.
Modern Mexico
Many modern office and apartment buildings surround the plaza. Each is a sign of the growing urbanization of Mexico City as more and more people move to the city to look for jobs and live their lives there.
Modern Mexico, as the tour guide said on the bus, is a combination of all three cultures today. Foods are heavily influenced by both Aztec and Spanish. Many museums feature art from all three periods of Mexico’s history. Even the crest and the stadium of the Mexican National Team honors the Aztecs.
Spanish conquistadors capture Mexico City and conquer the Aztecs
Handout Questions:
What three cultures of Mexico are represented in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas?
Match the building with the time period.
What happened at the Aztec ruins?
How is modern Mexico influenced by the Aztecs and the Spanish?
Reflection:
What modern characteristics can you trace back to Aztec influences? The Aztecs influenced modern Mexico with...
What modern characteristics can you trace back to Spanish invasion and colonization? Today you can see the influence of the Spanish in Mexico in…
Culture
FIRST - watch the video about the culture of Mexico City. As you watch, WRITE down detailed descriptions about what you SEE while "traveling" and what you HEAR the tour guide teach you. Each observation should be at least two words long.
THEN - complete the rest of your notes for today after you READ about La Basilica de Guadalupe below.
CULTURE: La Basilica de Guadalupe
On December 9th, 1531, a poor Indian named Juan Diego is said to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary (the mother of Jesus) in a blue cloth. She apparently told him to build a church on the spot where she stood in his vision. The Virgin was dark-skinned and so had special meaning to Juan Diego and other Indians. The vision appeared on the hill of Tepeyac, where Indians had always worshiped Tonantzin, mother of gods. In a way, the event of Juan Diego seeing the Virgin Mary symbolized a mixing of Christian (Catholic) and Aztec religions. The local bishop asked Juan Diego for evidence proving that he had indeed seen the Virgin Mary. Juan Diego saw the vision a second time, three days later, and the Virgin’s image became miraculously emblazoned (stuck) on his cloak (clothing). The bishop immediately ordered the building of a church on the spot, and upon completion Juan Diego’s cloak with the image of the Virgin was hung in the church, framed in gold.
La Basilica de Guadalupe
The framed image of the Virgin Mary
Catholics praying in the church
The Virgin of Guadalupe is, today, the patron saint of Mexico. Over the centuries millions upon millions of the most serious Catholics and other curious people have traveled to come and view the miraculous image of the dark-skinned Virgin Mary on Juan Diego’s cloak. In the modern basilica (church), built in 1976, one can walk up behind the altar for a view of the cloak, which hangs behind bulletproof glass above the altar. Every December 12th, penitent (believers) walk for days from distant homes to the basílica, approaching on their knees to show their devotion to the Virgin. The story of the Juan Diego, the Virgin, and the church is just another example of how powerful and important the Catholic Church is for many Mexicans.
Handout Questions:
Why do people travel from so far away to see the Virgin de Guadalupe?
Using the numbers 1,2,3, and 4, order the events as they happened. (1 is the first thing to happen in the story)
Reflection:
How is the story of Juan Diego an example of religions blending in Mexican culture? The story of Juan Diego…
How do Catholics honor the Virgin of Guadalupe? Where do they go/what do they do? To honor the Virgin of Guadalupe, modern Catholic believers...
How do you see the story of Juan Diego influencing Mexican culture? The story of Juan Diego has influenced Mexican culture because…
Economy
FIRST - watch the video about the economy in Mexico City. As you watch, WRITE down detailed descriptions about what you SEE while "traveling" and what you HEAR the tour guide teach you. Each observation should be at least two words long.
THEN - complete the rest of your notes for today after you READ more about the different neighborhoods below.
ECONOMY: Neighborhoods of Mexico City
Hola! My name is Jose Hernandez and I’m a professor at the local university here in la Cuidad de Mexico. I study the challenges facing cities (or urban areas) such as Mexico City. As you may have noticed, housing in Mexico City reflects a very wide different between the lower, middle, and upper classes of Mexicans living here.
Low-income Mexicans tend to live in the eastern and northern parts of Mexico City. Many poor people began coming to Mexico City in the 1960s to claim land on the outskirts (outside areas) of the city. They became known as “squatters” because they built shelters from discarded wood or cardboard on any land that was not being used by its owner. Squatter settlements have grown tremendously as more and more Mexicans move from rural areas to urban areas in search of better paying jobs (which unfortunately are hard to find when you have few skills). These urban slums or ghettos often lack the most basic city services such as plumbing and water services, electricity, schools, trash collection, police and fire protection, and access to health care services.
Middle-class housing settlements reflect the growing economy of Mexico as the country continues to move from a developing economy (where it is now) to a developed economy (like its northern neighbor, the United States). Middle-class Mexicans live in apartment buildings or their own homes in neighborhoods. These neighborhoods have access to many of the same basic services that you do in your American neighborhoods: water, electricity, trash collection, schools (of varying quality), and public transportation.
The rich, or upper-class, of Mexico City live in extreme luxury. Their neighborhoods are often filled with massive mansions that are gated, guarded, and separated from the other classes in the city. These Mexicans have access to all the finest things in life, like fancy cars, private schools, better hospitals, and nice shopping areas.
Handout Questions:
Imagine you are a low-income Mexican, how would you feel seeing how the rich Mexicans live? Seeing the extreme wealth of the rich would make me feel _____________________________, because
What are some of the differences between the three neighborhoods? (list at least 3 DETAILS for each)
Compare the two charts. GDP per capita/ per person is: GDP divided by the number of people in a country (population)
a. Mexico GDP (in US dollars): _________________ U.S. GDP (in US dollars): ______________________
b. Do you think this means Mexico has a developed or developing economy? Why? I think Mexico’s economy is ____________________________, because...
Reflection:
What basic necessities (needs) do the urban slums lack (not have)? The urban slums of Mexico City lack…
How might difference in the incomes of people of Mexico cause Mexicans to have conflict with the government? The difference of income could cause problems because...
Environment
Complete the rest of your notes for today after you READ more about Mexico's environmental issues below.
ENVIRONMENT: Environmental Issues
Today, Mexico City is one of the world’s largest cities, with 21.2 million people living there! It is largest urban area in the Western Hemisphere, the fifth largest in the world, and the world’s largest Spanish-speaking urban area. Much of this rapid growth has happened in the last 20 years.
As more and more people flood into the city and the surrounding area, the environment is suffering greatly. Geographically, Mexico City is located in a valley, which presents unique challenges to the environment.
Mexico City lies in a valley and is highly urbanized (small area with a lot of people)
A drawing imagines what Tenochtitlan looked like: Mexico City during the Aztecs
Air pollution is a major environmental problem in Mexico City
Water Facts
Fresh water for drinking and farming has always been scarce because many of the nearby lakes are saltwater. Even the Aztecs had to import (bring in) fresh water from other areas into the city to meet the people’s needs. It is extremely expensive for Mexico City to continue importing water today. The city consumes approximately 9,259 gallons of water per second!
In the times of the Aztecs the area used to have two massive lakes, but intense urbanization and drainage for water use has shrunk Lake Texcoco to a fraction of its original size and Lake Xochimilco has disappeared. Many Mexicans living in extreme poverty in the urban slums of the city lack access to clean, safe, and running water.
Air Facts
The air of Mexico City and the surrounding area is extremely polluted. Because there are millions of people living in the city, there are also millions of cars and thousands of factories emitting (releasing) carbon dioxide and smog.
Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico which means that the pollution and smog created by the City is trapped in the Valley by the high elevation of Volcan Tlaloc (12,000 feet tall) and Pico Tres Padres (10,000 feet tall) around it. This air pollution leads to health problems such as headaches, eye and skin irritations, and breathing problems like asthma.
Handout Questions:
What has happened to the lake in the Valley of Mexico since the time of the Aztecs?
What problems does scarcity of water cause in Mexico City?
Why is the air in Mexico City so polluted?
What problems are caused by the air pollution?
Reflection:
Write about some of the environmental problems. Mexico City has many environmental problems, like…
Give more details about the air and water issues. The (air and/or water) in Mexico City…
Last, give a suggestion about how Mexico City can improve its environment. I think the environment of Mexico City could be improved…