Esmeralda Buendia
Ms. Greer
English 10 pd. 4
October 24, 2012
Mexico Research Paper: Creativity, Pride and Historical
Mexico a country known for its enthralling rich culture and history has many traits that differentiate it from any other. No matter where in Mexico you find yourself let it be in Mexico D.F the capital or in the exotic Caribbean beaches of Cancun you will always be dazzled by the diverse elements this country offers. The Mexican country has three main aspects that best describe their culture, which are the historical aspect that is represented every where you go, the creativity aspect found in their cuisine all the way to their arts and the proud aspect that is found in every individual that calls himself a Mexican. From their famous Telenovelas to their fine arts and exquisite cuisine; the country of Mexico has always been known for its creative way to express themselves in several aspects of life. This is due to their unique way to convey their feelings, believes and ideas through art.
Ancient artists who are considered geniuses are the Mayans, even though they didn’t have the technology we have now, they were able to develop their own way of architecture. This gave them the capacity to build massive mesmerizing edifications made out of limestone. Among these magnificent structures we can spot whole Mayan cities, awing temples, gigantic pyramids and grandiose tombs, just to name a few ("The Maya").
Another distinguished artist that distinctively demonstrates the creativity found in this country is Mexican Frida Khalo who revolutionized art in the whole world. Let it be her paintings that showed her disastrous relationship with her husband or the ones that showed her Mexican culture, she was always able to clearly transmit her feelings and emotions through her artwork. Her outstanding talent left many people static and gave her recognition from all around the world (Esaak). All this remarkable influence lead us to the contemporary Mexican art, that is able to make even death look wonderful, with their day of the dead dolls, their glassy pottery, their traditional and religious ornaments and their astonishing paintings and sculptures from Mexican artists like Damian Ortega, Carlos Amorales and Julieta Aranda, who are just some of the artists that are being highly acknowledged all around the world for their innovative pieces of art.
(Laster).

On the other hand their sense of creativity is also shown, through the entrainment business with a kind of ‘ soap opera ‘ called Telenovela. Mexican Telenovelas always tend to follow the same story line about a young couple in love, that fight against the disapproval and obstacles established by society, just to be together. (Wall). The big question is why are these Telenovelas so successful if they always follow the same story line. Well this is due to the originality that the directors of these shows have to convey the same type of message but in several different riveting ways. Which makes each and every one of this Telenovelas a memorable one. Due to the amusing plots that Telenovelas have, they are able to captivate audiences from different regions of the world such as Asia, North America, Europe and Africa also it has been calculated that an approximate of 2 billion people, which is about 1/3 of Earth´s population watch Telenovelas in a daily basis. “In fact, ‘Telenovelas are possibly the number-one form of human entertainment on the planet” (Lizarzaburu). In consequence it is evident that the creative Mexican theatrical manifestation is a way of art that many people from all over the World, appreciate and enjoy (Lizarzaburu).

It´s also essential to mention, one thing that all Mexicans posses and that’s the pride they have for their country. Mexican creative expressions are not the only factor that contributes to the immense sense of pride found in this community. The pride in this country is influenced by the major accomplishments that their people have attained and how they are recognized around the world for these outstanding achievements in several areas.
Mexico has pride in the major accomplishments done by people from their community. Not only one but three times was someone from the Mexican community awarded with one of the most prestigious prizes of all; the Nobel Prize. The first recipient of this award was the admirable Alfonso Garcia Robles who received this prize for his massive contribution to the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which made the territory of Latin America and the Caribbean a nuclear free zone. In consequence creating a more peaceful and safer environment for those who live within this territory (Robles).
Yet, he wasn’t the only Mexican who received recognition for his outstanding work. The second recipient of the Nobel Prize was Octavio Paz Lozano; that was awarded with the Literature Nobel Prize “ for impassioned writing with wide horizons characterized by sensuous intelligence and humanistic integrity” ("The Nobel Prize in Literature"). Being a very praised author he has influenced many people all around the World. Finally the third recipient of this award was Mario J. Molina; who received the Nobel Prize of Chemistry, due to his essential contribution to the research where the chlorofluorocarbon chemical was discovered as a major cause for the depletion of the Earth´s atmosphere. In consequence of his research many products that contained this chemical inside them were banned in over 27 different countries. Many people think that his work was the Earth salvation, because if we didn’t know about how bad this chemical was towards the environment, we would’ve kept releasing it in major quantities, leading to catastrophic consequences to the Earth (Molina).
All these characters provided contributions that didn’t only benefit Mexico but the whole World. From fantastic literature to making the World a better place these Mexican characters have been incredibly influential not only for several people but also they influenced major decisions that were taken in different countries.
Nevertheless, the pride that Mexicans have for their country is something that was also influenced from achievements that their ancestors have made and that are being recognized now. For example their awing edifications that were built centuries ago such as Chichen Itza a Mayan city that was constructed during the 6th century, and still prevails now-a-days. The incredibly preserved ruins, the temples, the ball rooms and tombs that this site contains are just some of the several factors that make this historical monument one of the Worlds Seven Wonders. The fact that Mexicans own a site that is considered a significant part of history all around the World gives them international recognition of the amazing things they own, in consequence globally spreading their culture and providing them with an immense amount of satisfaction and pride ("What Is Chichen Itza?").
Mexicans have achieved many things throughout the years; in consequence they have obtained the pride that they have for their country. Since the ancient ages until modern times their significant achievements still prevail, constantly reminding them of the honor that they have to be able to call themselves Mexicans.
No matter how many centuries have passed the Mexican culture is still able to preserve, practice and celebrate their ancient traditions and sites. History is daily expressed in various aspects of their lives. Due to the pride that they have for their history leads to the importance of preserving and respecting their cultural and historical monuments.
A good example of the preservation of their ancient traditions is the practice of the Mexican Traditional Folk medicine known as Curanderismo. Which is a natural and religious act practiced by a Curandero to help people find a balance in their life and solve any health problems. It is believed that the act of Curanderismo can cure from a depression to a back pain. Curanderismo has been practiced in this country for centuries now; despite all this years this tradition endures and its still practiced now a days. This act shows not only the importance they have for their history but also how it has influenced them. ("Curanderismo, the Healing Art of Mexico").
Yet traditions are not the only things that are preserved, history is extremely preserved and respected by the community, we can clearly see the influence that history has in their daily life and how this constantly reminds them of their past. For example we can see history reflected in their money which is represented by important characters of their past. An evidence of this is shown in the 50 -peso bill, which has an image of Jose Maria Morelos a mestizo priest who started the Mexican independence movement. Or in the 500-peso bill that represents Ignacio Zaragoza a Mexican Minister of War who defeated the French in the famous battle of La Puebla. Every peso bill represents an important character from their history, demonstrating the great respect and influence they have from their past ("History & Money").
It is evident that Mexicans sense of pride, creativity and history are three attributes that best describe them as a community. Mexicans have an incredible pride for their country not only for the major achievements that they have made but also for the creativity and history found in this region. These attributes make them a unified community; leading to pride they have of being Mexicans.

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