Centro Cultural Gonzalez Gallo, Chapala. (Former Railroad Station). Architect: Guillermo de Alba. Photo: Tony Burton, 2020.

Chapala’s rich architectural heritage: here today, gone tomorrow?

The small lakeside town of Chapala in Jalisco had more buildings designed by notable architects in the first half of the twentieth century than any other location of its size in Mexico, perhaps even in North America. In 1900, Chapala was little more than an overgrown fishing village with one major hotel and 1753 residents. […]

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President Taft in line of parade, El Paso October 16, 1909.

Love affair began when President Díaz met President Taft at Mexico/US Summit

October 16th 2024 marks the 115th anniversary of the first summit meeting, in 1909, between the presidents of Mexico and the United States. Mexico has had a long tumultuous history from the ancient Maya to modern day events. Like any personal relationships, it hasn’t always been pleasant. From wars and human sacrifice in pre-Columbian days, […]

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Mural on outside of Casa de la Cultura Maya building. Credit: Adam Jones (Flickr). CC BY-SA 2.0.

The Path of Most Resistance: the Top Yucatán Caste War Sites

For far too long the history of 19th Century Mayan free rule in the Mexican Yucatán has been largely ignored. But local Maya are working to put it on the map. Through museums, ruins, guided tours and more, they are preserving the legacy of this largest post-colonial indigenous revolution in the Americas, commonly known as […]

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Mural in Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, México. April 2024. Photo: Yareli Jáidar Benavides.

Modern street art in Mexico City: concrete walls transformed into vivid social statements

Mexico City has some of the best street/urban art murals in the world, but almost all the attention in the press is focused on work done in the center of the city. In reality, much of the best work is being done on the east side of the Mexico City Metro Area (MCMA). The muralism […]

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Lele Doll. © Carlene Fowlkes.

Keeping Culture Alive: The Iconic Lele Dolls of Amealco

Amealco, a scenic town in Mexico’s Querétaro state, is one of the country’s designated Pueblos Mágicos or “Magic Towns.” This distinction, awarded by the Mexican government, recognizes places that offer visitors exceptional beauty, cultural richness, and historical significance. Amealco, a reservation of Otomí indigenous culture, is where a treasured craft has been perfected over centuries. […]

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Chela Campos singing

Our Aunt Chela part 3: Chela Campos – Nightclub and theater singer

Between working her daytime radio shows. Chela was also asked to sing in various theaters and nightclubs in the city. Construction began on the Palacio de Bellas Artes in October 1904, and its inauguration was in 1934. Located in the center of Mexico City near the Alameda Park, it quickly began hosting all forms of […]

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Limestone carving, 63 X 43 cm, sculptor unknown. © Alvin Starkman, 2024

Why is Mezcal so important to the future of Oaxaca?

Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D. Last year I participated in a panel discussion in Oaxaca about a new book entitled La E del Mezcal: Exportación, by Dra. Blanca Esther Salvador Martínez. While the other panelists essentially praised the author for writing such an important book and explained how it thoroughly covered all the bases regarding the […]

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