Mexico

Donald Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexican border is only the latest in a long history of U.S. militarization of its national boundaries.   In fact, America’s southern border—which has shifted multiple times with U.S. expansion—was arguably formed ...read more

July is scorching in Mexicali. The Mexican city just across the border from Calexico, California, averages 108 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, but temperatures often swell into the 120s. In 1955, thousands of disoriented people roamed the city’s streets as the sun bore down on ...read more

Chichen Itza was a Mayan city on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Although it’s an important tourist attraction, Chichen Itza also remains an active archeological site. New discoveries are still being unearthed in the area, providing even more insight into the culture and ...read more

Teotihuacan is an ancient Mesoamerican city located 30 miles (50 km) northeast of modern-day Mexico City. The city, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, was settled as early as 400 B.C. and became the most powerful and influential city in the region by 400 ...read more

The history of chocolate can be traced to the ancient Mayans, and even earlier to the ancient Olmecs of southern Mexico. The word chocolate may conjure up images of sweet candy bars and luscious truffles, but the chocolate of today is little like the chocolate of the past. ...read more

Olvera Street is a Los Angeles icon—a thriving Mexican market filled with colorful souvenirs, restaurants and remnants of the oldest buildings in Los Angeles. But though the bright tourist destination teems with visitors, few realize it was once the site of a terrifying raid. In ...read more

By the 1300s, when the Aztecs are believed to have found the ruins of Teotihuacán, the ancient city had been abandoned for some six centuries. The Aztecs gave the city its name (pronounced tay-oh-tee-wah-kahn), which can be translated roughly as “The City of the Gods” in Nahuatl, ...read more

From chili and nachos to fajitas and enchiladas, Tex-Mex could be called the ultimate comfort food. Despite its enormous popularity all over the United States, it’s an understatement to say that Tex-Mex has struggled to get respect as a regional cuisine in its own right, rather ...read more

Who was William Barret Travis? Born and raised in South Carolina, he studied law and found work as a teacher before marrying young, at the age of 19. His wife, Rosanna Cato, was one of his students. In 1831, after working as an attorney and a newspaper editor, Travis made the ...read more

1. Santa Anna headed the Mexican government on 11 occasions. The decades following Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1821 were plagued by political dysfunction. Both violent and nonviolent coups were regular occurrences, and the opportunistic Santa Anna took advantage of the ...read more

Ground beef, processed corn, sweet or savory fillings, leaf or husk wrappers plus 9,000 years of social, cultural and religious history combine to wrap up one of Mexico and Central America’s greatest contributions to global cuisine. The word tamale comes, via the Spanish “tamal”, ...read more

Let’s take this opportunity to revisit the history of this delicious concoction of tequila, Cointreau, lime and salt. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. While it’s a relatively minor ...read more

1. The Star-Spangled Banner The story behind America’s anthem dates back to the War of 1812’s Battle of Baltimore. In September 1814, American attorney Francis Scott Key sailed out to the British fleet in the Chesapeake Bay to negotiate the release of an imprisoned friend. ...read more

Few wars can claim to have been sparked by a dispute over baked goods, but in the annals of culinary-inspired combat, the so-called “Pastry War” between France and Mexico takes the cake, so to speak. In the years following Mexico’s 1821 independence from Spain, rioting, looting ...read more

1. The Mexican Revolution deposed the country’s longest-serving president. Porfirio Díaz first made a name for himself at the 1862 Battle of Puebla. In an event celebrated every Cinco de Mayo, he helped the undermanned Mexican Army defeat invading French troops. Then, after ...read more

The candies you’ll find distributed throughout Mexico on November 1 and 2 sound innocent enough. Made of pure sugar, they’re decorated with bright reds, blues, greens and yellows sure to entice wide-eyed children. Look closely, however, and you’ll see that these sweet confections ...read more

Mexico had just gotten over a civil war in 1862. The so-called War of the Reform broke out in 1858 soon after liberals drafted a new constitution aimed at reducing the power and influence of the Catholic Church. During the armed conflict, Mexico had two governments: a ...read more

Mexico had just gotten over a civil war in 1862. The so-called War of the Reform broke out in 1858 soon after liberals drafted a new constitution aimed at reducing the power and influence of the Catholic Church. During the armed conflict, Mexico had two governments: a ...read more