The milpa, or cornfield, is probably the most important element in the life of the rural Mexican farmer, apart from his family, or maybe alongside his family, because the milpa represents generations of his people working the soil. Even in places where agricultural production has been industrialized to the point of overshadowing any importance a milpa might have had before, the campesino continues to work his plot of land, however small, following the cycle of tilling, sowing and harvesting that his forefathers did. read more

As in so many Latin American homes in the 1800s and on into the nineteenth century, at least one daughter in the family stayed home and never married. That daughter's responsibility was to cook and care for the parents as they grew older and infirm. Toyita chose to play that role in her family. read more

There are Mexicans these days who have never attended a Cinco de Mayo celebration. The holiday has taken a back seat to the many saints' days and other festivals. The growth of celebrations in the Uni... read more

Juanita, newly arrived from Zacatecas, and who has no reason in the world to make things up, admitted to being in love with the new American President. read more

We usually think of weddings and baptisms as rites of passage we attend on separate occasions. But November 27, 2008, marked the celebration of both in San Lorenzo Albarradas: the nuptials of a couple in their early twenties, and the baptism of their three-year-old daughter. What resulted was a melding of highly organized custom... read more

Through the years, Colima, Colima meant volcano views, small sacks of sea salt, classy museums, pretty parks, souvenir casts and carvings of hairless dogs -- and another hour to the beach. ¡No más! ... read more

One of the most fascinating aspects of exploring the cuisine of another country is the process of becoming acquianted with the history, customs and traditions that are an intrinsic part of the cultural landscape of cooking and eating. . .

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It's Joaquina's first day on the job as our housekeeper, and she's outraged at how much my husband Skip and I have paid a roving vendor for clean-up rags. Newcomers to our Mexican village, we hadn't kn... read more

Legendary Mexican artist and master muralist Diego Rivera spent so much time avidly collecting pre-Hispanic art it's a wonder he ever got around to painting. Rivera amassed a collection of thousands of... read more

The good government of Jocotepec, centralized at the west end of Lake Chapala in the great state of Jalisco, has given new meaning to the word "mañana." Too early on a Monday morning in mid-Decembe... read more

Ever since Al Gore sounded the alarm about global warming, everyone on earth is aware that mankind (an oxymoron if ever I heard one) must preserve itself and the environment if it is to survive. We mus... read more

PROFECO has its limitations. However, it does provide an important and valuable alternate means of dispute resolution.

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The city of Los Mochis ("Mochees", as locals call it) in the northern state of Sinaloa, is one of Mexico's newest cities. It dates back only as far as 1872, when a U.S. engineer, Albert Kimsey Owen (18... read more