The Heart Of The Culture By Carmen Cobian English 1(A)

Orgullo De La Familia Every culture has there own type of families and how they run things. Some are the small quite ones that keep things good and clean. There are the carefree happy going families that are always together. Then there's the hard family's where they want their kids to be perfect and have really good grades or theyre a disgrace to the whole family and they are severely punished. Each family has there own crazy family one way or a another, but Mexican family's are one of the biggest craziest families one can have and thats the best part of what makes it a great family.

My family to me is the most important thing in my life and they have been since I was born. Our family always spends time together, laughing and sing. Even if we are not having a celebration, it sure seems like we where. Though when we did have a celebration it seemed to be the best part of the celebration. Our family would gather from everywhere and meet at my grandparents home, and each year it's just gets bigger. It was always amazing how much warmth and love one could feel, it would last for weeks and weeks. Even though the love and warmth was great, the best part of our families was our cooking. My grandmother always made pots of warm posole with trays of tamales, enchiladas, tacos, and Chile rellenos. Everything original and had a wonderful feel of Mexico to it

Most people think that most Mexican families are really big and that they always fight a lot. Yes our families are big but that's fine because we are always going to be there for each other. That's one of the great things of Mexican families there always

there no matter what. Mexican families always find a way to put a smile on your face, though theyre not perfect but what family is? The thing is we find ways to bring people together. Mexican families do this with food a lot of the time. Just bring out a big tray of homemade foods and every ones invited. Being together to celebrate, have fun and look out for each other is being a Mexican family and we have a great way to show that love, warmth, and pride in our family.

Each family has something that represents them. When I was little my grandmother once told me " la orgullo be la familia", the pride of the family is our strength and kindness. My grandmother was an amazing woman and an amazing sells woman, sold everything she had in stock. Though that was what she loved and was great at, but when she wasn't working she would volunteer to help around the community and help go around and talk to many different people to keep them company. She was the kindest person I had even known. When ever someone would visit her home she would always say that you where not allowed to leave unless you had at lest two plates of posole or what ever she was cooking, and big plates they where. When you left her home you never left hungry, just stuff and happy. I often remember coming back from a trip to Mexico and sometimes missing the trip, but every time I visited my grandmothers house I often found my self back in Mexico. She was born and raised from the land and had bought part of it to the United States. She was my Mexico and I always loved how she actually every ones Mexico. Though there was a time in our familys life where everything changed. That was when my grandmother had sadly passed away. With out her the house felt cold and lonely, she was the one who

brought it to life. At the funeral theyre where so many people the biggest funeral I had seen. Thats when I realized that may grandmother was not just part of our family but part of every other family she had meet. She was truly every ones Mexico and home, she was our pride of the family

The important thing in culture is family. No matter who bad or amazing your family is it's still a family and we learn the good and bad form them. The choice they make can reflect on use but we can chose to let its have full affect on use or not. When we get older we learn how every one in our family acts with sibling, cousins and each other and we decided what we want to learn from them. But no matter what we always there for each other in times of need. Because being there is being part of the family, even a friend can be come part of the family and make life happier because happiness and family are part of culture.

Legends Never Die The Mexican flag is held proudly with in the sky and within our people's hearts. With its colors of green, white, and red, along with the fierce eagle in the middle showing the legend of where we came from. Our Aztec legend is different from other legends and we have great stories to remember them by. We even have holidays and symbols to remember them. One legend I have known since 6th grade and have kept close to my heart is the legend of the Aztecs and how Mexico came to be. The Aztec people were wondering around Mexico looking for a place to build their civilization. They searched for days till one night the leader of the group had a strange dream from Huitzilopochtli who was a famous Aztec god. Huitzilopochtli told the leader to keep walking until they see a spot where they would see and eagle standing on a cactus with a serpent in its mouth, and that's where they would build their civilization. The man then woke from his dream and gathered his people and told them of his dream. The group gathered and walked and soon found what they were looking for, an eagle upon a cactus with a serpent in its mouth. They were happy and started to create their civilization that was known as Tenochtitlan, which is now known as Mexico City.

They Aztec legend is important to use because that's how Mexico was made, how our culture came to be. That's why the eagle is in the center of our flag along with the colors of green for independence, white for pureness, and red for the blood of the warrior. The Aztec culture and memories are part of Mexico and its people and to

remember them by we dress and dance just like the Aztecs on special events and parades. Like on September 16th when Mexico got its independence and on November 20th for Mexico's revolution. People would dress in the tradition clothing along with the tradition headdress that was enormous with thousand of long beautiful feathers. They would even wear bells around their ankles so every time they moved in the dance the sound of the bells would be part of the music. This was one of the best parts of the celebration and every one loved it and cheer and soon started to joins in with the dancers.

Other cultures legends have a great story, but it's mainly about one person who is the hero. There's Hercules from the Greek legend, the great samurai from Japan, and so many more great legends. Though the great thing about the Aztec legends is that it's not just about one person, it's about the whole Aztec empire. Our legends don't always end happy, we have some sad and scary stories that we tell on Halloween to scare the children. Though some children still dress as Aztec heroes for Halloween. Though when they misbehave we tell them the legend of the great Aztec beast that eat every one who was bad, and with this legend kids started listening. That was one of the best legends but the great thing is that there are all kinds of legends to tell not just the same old boring legend every one already known and starts to fall asleep. We even dress and celebrate different ways to remember them by where most cultures would just put up a statues or few painting to remember the legend. Also it seemed like in each legend there could only be one hero, almost as if here couldnt be a story where someone helps the hero fight or they would be left out of the legend. Though in our legend it was about every one who helped every one of the Aztec empire. For I would rather be part

of legend with every one then the main focus. Heroes are remembered but legends never die.

The Art Of Skeletons And Day Of The Dead.

Death can be a cruel thing in life, though those how die are always remembered because they become part of history. Even though families think they will see them again, only in the lifeless thin photo thats protected by it's glassed frame. Though on one day in one culture the sprite of your love one is allowed to walk the earth and come home once again for one full day. Trough the years this became a loving wonderful holiday known as "Dia de los muertos", Day of the dead. In Mexico is a very important holiday that is celebrated on November. On this day families in Mexico spend the day remembering wonderful memories of the ones who are no longer with them.

Though how did this holiday start? It all started more the 500 years ago. When the Aztecs formed Mexico. The Aztecs where walking around Mexico when they encountered a few natives who where practicing in a ritual that seemed to mock the dead. It was said that this rituals had been practice for more then 3,000 years. The Aztecs wanted to try this ritual but instead of mocking the dead they honored it, so the soul could go to the gods. Since then this ritual changed little by little and became known as day of the dead

People sometimes like to be ready for day early of the holiday since day of the dead was a tradition were families spend nice quite days with the ones who are being remembered. That is why we put the festivals up a day early. Day of the dead being a Mexican holiday you know their has to be a big celebration with party's on every street.

On November first the party's began. Women dancing in long beautiful colored dresses with flowers in the hair. Mariachis strummed the guitars while the sound of horns echoed through streets. As the skeleton paintings tells the story of the beloved day upon the walls of Mexico. Food and candy of all kinds, with children painting there face of black and white creating the image of a skull upon their face. The children would then walk around town saying "dame mi cuerpos" give me my skull. Adults would give children this sugared skull candy and would write the child's name above the candy skulls head. This day was one were laughter could be heard till the end of the day.

After the party's and festivals, families liked to spend time at home or have a nice quite picnics in the cemetery where there love one is and spend the day praying, remembering, and saying thank you for everything they have done. Families would bring items and make foods that there past love ones loved. The food was to feed their soul and give them energy and happiness for the year. The item is to show their respect, love, and memory of the time when they were alive. Though one item every family has is a photo of their love one to welcome them home. This was a joyful holiday with smiles, tears and love. It was a holiday that no one thought would be lost.

Over time people stopped believing or didn't care anymore, it was just a regular day to them. In some places in Mexico its still celebrated, but it has mostly been forgotten. It's sad to see a holiday die, I love this holiday and I will always believe in its history and ritual. I never understood why people stopped believing it was a time to remember the one you love and show that love. To spend time remembering them for

everything they have done and say thank you. An important holiday lost in time. Thou I will never forget this day. It maybe lost in time but never within my heart and soul.

I'll always believe and celebrate this holiday by creating the skeletons that come to life. Overtime I have created works of art, of Mexican skeletons dancing and telling story's. Out of all my work these ones are the ones I'm most proud of and they always remind me of my once beloved holiday. November second a Mexican holiday full of love, joy, and tears still held in my heart allowing that one candle of hope to be lit on a silent night with loving spirits by my side.

10

The Culture With In My Heart My culture is different then what it seems. Most people see the Mexican culture as a culture of brown, tan people who always work in fields, can't understand a word they say when they try to speak english and all it is a culture with a lot of music dance, tortillas and burritos. People also think our family's are these big families where every ones happy and smiling like nothing bad is every going to happen. Though there are families like others where it's not one you want to be in or proud of. Though our culture is more then that, especially what most people see on the out side. Our skin if different and language, but in side we the same. Humans who have a dream that they want to bring to life, a style that speaks to use. We fight for what we believe in, we speak the language of our home, we try to be there for each other and work hard like every one ells to get where we want to be.

In our culture we have so many things that are different from other cultures. We have great family's that always try to be there for each other and we always have a big family, well the more the merrier. Though some family's are the ones that fight and yell but not just in our culture in every culture because there can be some cruel people in the world. Though one person in there family will be there for then, even a friend who becomes part of there family. One other thing we have in our culture is the foods we make and eat. Our foods are amazing, they always have a way to bring people together and put a smile on there face. They always have a nice warmth for the heart and always stay part of a great memory. Music, style, history, legends and dreams behind it all is a story created and never ending because we create the story and it caries out though

11

every one in our culture.

To me my culture is really important. It's part of my life and part of me. My culture shows me to stand up in what I believe in and to fight for it. Our people work to accomplish their dream and feed their family's. I work hard to get where I want to. If I want to go to college and have a good job then I'm going to have to work for it because it's never going to come easy and ether is life. That's what my culture taught me and it lets me see it through two different worlds that I love no matter the art, music or style I'm part of both worlds that are apart of me.

Even though my cultures part of my life the biggest part of me was my grandmother Eva. She was the one I always looked up to. My grandmother was the kindest woman I knew. She was someone who always helped those in need, spend time with family because that was most important to her and but to also be brave and strong. My grandmother would tell me to be strong but most importantly to be kind and to do the right thing. In our culture we are part of a line of people with Aztec blood of strength, bravery of a warrior but the heart and mind of some one who knows what is right and what they must do. I am an Aztec warrior thanks to my grandmother. She showed me the language of our home, the food that dated back to the Aztecs and in our time. The styles we wear and what it meant and the music she loved. Every time we listened to music we would sing along and she would tell me what every verse meant. She was my Mexico and she is my hero, she thought me everything of my culture. The only thing is I was young when she passed away and there was still a lot I didn't know. Though one

12

thing I did know was that's she was fighting to stay alive. She was getting sick and fight to stay alive till she couldn't fight no more. And till now I know how much her words really meant to me because every word, every part of her is in me. I want to be the kind, strong women she was and is still known for. I will not be like most families that let their kids forget their culture and language. I will always have it in me and never forget it because culture is an important, wonderful thing.

Our culture is wonderful when we influence our community every day. We share our culture with the world and show them what a true Mexican is like. We brought this culture in to the world and we let it stay showing our mark and beauty of who we are. We are proud to be born of this culture and proud to not be afraid to show it to every one. Because being Mexican is the culture with in my heart.

13