2015-16 UMS LEARNING GUIDE
Immersion: Southwest Detroit and Mexican Arts & Culture
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Saturday, March 19, 2016 8 am Various locations in Detroit/SW Detroit
Table of Contents
04
09
26
30
THE IMMERSION
S O U T H W E S T D E T R O I T/ M E X I C A N A R T S & C U LT U R E
RESOURCES
CONNECT
27 Organizations and Information 28 Readings
31 About UMS 32 Credits and Sponsors
05 Overview 06 Presenters 08 The Immersion Agenda
10 History of SW Detroit 12 Detroit Institute of Arts Diego Rivera: The Detroit Industry Murals 14 Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán 16 Mariachi Music 20 Traditional Mexican Dances 22 Historic Landmark (Ste. Anne’s Catholic Church) 24 Authentic Mexican Recipes
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LEARN
Foreword: Framing Your Day When first presented with the assignment to organize the Southwest Detroit Mexican Culture and Arts Immersion, I felt a wave of anxiety cascade over me. I clearly remember the discussion with my fellow colleagues on the education staff. UMS had not done a cultural immersion in several years. In the past, they had been very popular with our K-12 educators, and everyone agreed it was time to do it again.
BY T E R R I PA R K
This year, with great excitement, we are presenting Mariachi Vargas de TecalitlĂĄn as part of our School-Day Performance series. The decision to couple a day of exploring Mexican/Mexican American arts in connection with this performance was a natural fit. But how was I to organize a day full of exciting and unique experiences celebrating Mexican culture? I am a native New Yorker and had little knowledge or connection to the Mexican community in Detroit.
UMS Education Coordinator
And so my journey began. I was introduced to Martina Guzman, a journalist from Detroit. We exchanged numerous emails, sharing ideas of what to do that would give educators an authentic look into Mexican culture. On a cold, rainy day in October, I drove down to meet her at Cristo Rey High School, where we met the school’s president, Michael Khoury. We spent the morning touring the school and its adjacent buildings, talking about the importance of this school to the Detroit community. Next it was time to eat. Martina took me to one of her favorite local restaurants and proceeded to order a feast of Mexican food. The waitress brought guacamole, chips,
grilled chicken, stewed pork, rice, beans, and piping hot tortillas made just down the street at the local tortilla factory. Needless to say, I was stuffed. We spent the rest of the day driving around the community, meeting local artists who were passionately working to make Detroit a better and more beautiful place to live. As we drove around, at times I felt as if we were in a ghost town. Old abandoned houses and vacant lots dotted the area. Then to my surprise, like a beautiful flower, a gorgeous mural would appear painted on the side of a building; the face of Frida Kahlo or a colorful depiction of an Aztec God, tile work on a public bench that made it look as if we had been transported to a magical world. I could see that this was not a ghost town, but a beautiful, thriving community filled with rich Mexican culture. Each time I travel to Southwest Detroit, the things I discover always surprise me: the Honey Bee market, the shops on Bagley Street selling Mexican crafts, the bakeries, and of course the artwork celebrating the history, spirituality, life, and traditions of Mexico. I hope you will become as enamored of this amazing community as I did, or perhaps discover something completely new! We hope you will enjoy!
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The Immersion Overview Presenters Immersion Agenda
UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122
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THE IMMERSION
Overview
The culture of Mexico is among the richest and most fascinating in the world, the product of myriad indigenous influences, Spanish cultural elements, and a tradition of vibrant artistic expression. This day-long cultural immersion explores Mexican and Mexican-American culture as expressed right here in Michigan, in Southwest Detroit. From the working tortilla factories, to the shops selling handcrafted goods, to the colorful murals that decorate the streets, Mexican culture is everywhere! Bring your appetite for discovery (and good food) and prepare to expand your appreciation of our neighbors to the South (and right down the road). UMS will partner with community experts to lead hands-on activities that give educators an authentic cultural experience. All workshops are participatory, and each will feature demonstrations and resources that can be brought back into the classroom. Immersions are day-long, intensive workshops that focus on a specific culture, community, or art form. They are designed in partnership with local and national experts and are connected to UMS season programming.
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THE IMMERSION
Presenters
V I TO VAL D EZ
J OS E E . P E RE Z & G AB R I E LA S TAU B
Detroit Institute of Arts
Raices Mexicanas de Detroit-Ballet Folklorico
Mr. Valdez is an artist/educator with a history of border arts communitybased public art projects on the US/Canadian border in SW Detroit.
Jose E. Perez Mr. Perez has worked as a dancer, instructor, and choreographer in the United States and in Mexico. Since 2015 Mr. Perez has been the Lead Instructor for Raices Mexicanas de Detroit and Corazon del Pueblo. He is also the founder and director of Futuro de Detroit and Ballet Folklórico de los Renacidos. He has won several international competitions and is the seven-time consecutive champion at Concurso Nacional de Huapango, San Joaquín in Queretaro, Mexico.
DIA teaching-artists facilitate learner-centered, open-ended, inquiry-based art-making, using students’ own experiences and interests they motivate learning and engagement to create something that is personally and inherently meaningful.
Gabriela Staub Ms. Staub has performed in Michigan, Texas, and Mexico. Currently she is the assistant instructor and one of the primary dancers for Raices Mexicanas de Detroit. Ms. Staub has placed first in the USA Dance Masters regional competitions for ballet (pointe) solo and for the jazz dance category. She has also presented at regional Ballet Folklórico Conferences–The Asociación Nacional de Grupos Folklóricos (ANGF) in 2000 (San Antonio, TX) and 2013 (Corpus Christi, TX).
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THE IMMERSION
Presenters
MA RI A EL EN A ROD RIGU E Z Maria Elena & Company
Ms. Rodriguez has been called a cultural chameleon for embracing the best that both her birthplace and her homeland offer. Born and raised in Detroit, she has a unique perspective. At the age of eight, Maria Elena had a life changing experience that marked the course of her personal and professional decisions. She spent an entire summer with her paternal relatives in Querétaro, Mexico. As a result, she thoroughly enjoys promoting her homeland’s exquisite culture in both English and Spanish.
Committee and is a former member of the Knight Foundation Community Partners Program in Detroit. She is a 2005 fellow of the National Hispana Leadership Institute and as a result, an alumnus of the 2005 Harvard Executive Program, and a graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) program.
Ms. Rodriguez combines media savvy honed during her TV producing days, business acumen garnered from entrepreneurial ventures, and sheer pride in her Motown Mexicana roots to realize leadership roles throughout her career.
Today, she is a founding member of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy board of directors and served several terms as an advisor to Mexicans Abroad, a program created by Mexico’s Department of Foreign Relations focusing on bilateral issues and needs of Mexican nationals residing in the Unites States of America. Ms. Rodriguez has been active in her community for over 30 years. She is the author of Detroit’s Mexicantown, part of the “Images of America” series published by Arcadia Publishing.
All of the above have been extremely helpful in her roles as the former President of Mexicantown Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization with the prime goal of branding, creating new businesses in SW Detroit, and building the $18M Mexicantown International Welcome Center and Mercado at the foot of the Ambassador Bridge.
Ms. Rodriguez was a member of the Diego and Frida Advisory Panel for the recent Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Detroit exhibit that ran March 15 – July 12, 2015 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. In addition, she was a member of the Honorary Frida Committee of Michigan Opera Theatre, which presented the opera FRIDA at different venues throughout SE Michigan.
She is the former national chair of the Hispanic Academy of Media Arts and Sciences, an organization that focuses on dispelling the stereotypes of Latinos in the media industry. She served on the Detroit Super Bowl XL Host
Her business “Maria Elena & Company” continues to promote Mexico’s exquisite culture through historical culinary classes, events and marketing projects here and in Mexico.
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THE IMMERSION
The Immersion Agenda
MORNING
AFTERNOON
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS *BUS TRIP TO SW DETROIT
DANCE PRESENTATION BY RAICES MEXICANAS DE DETROIT WITH JOSE E. PEREZ AND GABRIELA STAUB
VISIT TO MEXICANTOWN BAKERY
TAMALE DEMONSTRATION WITH MARIA ELENA RODRIGUEZ
VISIT THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS *HANDS-ON ART-MAKING ACTIVITY * TOUR THE DIEGO RIVERA MURAL
VISIT TO STE. ANNE’S CHURCH VISIT TO HONEY BEE MARKET
LUNCH LA TERRAZA
BUS BACK TO ANN ARBOR *REFLECTION AND WRAP UP
A SPECIAL THANKS TO The development of this Immersion’s rich content received tremendous support from the UMS Ambassadors, especially Elena Snyder who drove me to SW Detroit numerous times in order to explore the area. Elena also spent countless hours researching Mexican culture and cuisine. In addition, our education and community engagement intern Abigail Cho was very helpful in pulling together details and researching materials. Special thanks also go to Christina Maxwell for her contributing article, Kayla Coughlin from the Ann Arbor Public Library, Maria Elena Rodriguez, Gloria Rocha, Martina Guzman, and Christina Guzman, as well as Jenny Angell Charlie Garling, and Jessica HerczegKonecny from the Detroit Institute of Arts. Lastly, Sara Billmann for her feedback and continuous support in developing the Learning Guides. BE PRESENT
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Southwest Detroit/ Mexican Arts & Culture History of SW Detroit Detroit Institute of Arts Diego Rivera: The Detroit Industry Murals Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán Mariachi Music Traditional Mexican Dances Historic Landmark (Ste. Anne’s Catholic Church) Authentic Mexican Recipes
UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122
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S O U T H W E S T D E T R O I T/ M E X I C A N A R T S & C U LT U R E
History of SW Detroit
W H Y D I D M E X I C A N S M I G R AT E TO D E T RO I T ? T H E H I S TO RY O F T H E A R E A . Mexicans began to migrate to the Metro
of Woodward Avenue. All three of these areas provided Mexicans with housing
Detroit area in the early 20th century,
that was both affordable and in close proximity to factories. By 1920, a significant
when Michigan was just entering the
Mexican population had developed in the central district of Detroit. Most of
industrial revolution. Faced with a lack
these people were single male workers or families, living on West Elizabeth, Cass,
of good farmland and the turmoil of
Howard, and Abbott Avenue, and spreading out east and west along Congress
the Mexican Revolution, thousands of
Street, Jefferson, and Lafayette Avenues. Although Mexican immigration halted
Mexicans migrated to the United States.
during the depression of 1920-21, it resumed in 1922 as Detroit’s automobile
Most of them came seeking work, not
industry flourished again. By 1925, most of the Mexican population in Detroit
U.S. citizenship, and intended to stay por
worked at the Ford auto industry. Since housing was often scarce, Mexican families
sólo un poquito tiempo (“only a little
often created casas de asistencia (boarding houses) by renting a house, furnishing
while”). Also, many Mexicans came to the
it with used beds or cots, and renting out the rooms on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
U.S. hoping to provide their children with a quality education. A significant number
By the end of the 1920s, the Mexican communities in the Midwest had become
were drawn to Detroit by promises of high
more permanent, and Mexican women began to migrate to the United States
wages and steady work in the city’s booming automobile industry. Others found
with their male relatives and husbands. One job that was customary for Mexican
work in Michigan’s sugar beet industry. Many also came to Michigan seeking refuge
women was operating the previously mentioned casas de asistencia. By
from the severe and violent racism that they had experienced while working in the
cooking meals and doing laundry for their boarders, Mexican women were able
southwestern United States.
to contribute to the family income. Many women also found work as janitresses, nurses, school teachers, laundry workers, telephone operators, elevator operators,
Since the journey to Michigan was costly, most Mexicans migrated to Texas first to
or even as factory workers. In addition to contributing financially to their family’s
earn money for the trip by working in cotton fields, the railroad industry, or in city
income, Mexican women also introduced and encouraged new foods and home
maintenance and construction. Once they had earned enough to make the trip,
appliances like washing machines and refrigerators within their community.
they traveled north to Michigan and settled in Detroit’s three blue collar sections:
Mexican women also ran community organizations, networked to assist incoming
the central district, the factory district, and the district along the riverfront east
Mexican families, and took charge of their families and households.
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History of SW Detroit
Continued. Significant cultural institutions within the Detroit Mexican community included the
This large-scale deportation was known as the Mexican Repatriation and reduced
Catholic Church, which helped immigrants adjust to city life by providing them with
Detroit’s Mexican population from 15,000 to barely more than 1,000 in 1936.
temporary housing, food, and even financial support. Other important institutions
Although some Mexicans left voluntarily, many were forcibly removed from the
within the Mexican community were fraternal organizations and mutual aid
lives and homes that they had built in the Midwest and taken back to Mexico.
societies, which provided aid for factory workers and regularly hosted social and
Repatriation programs enticed Detroit Mexicans with the promise of better lives in
cultural activities commemorating Mexican national holidays. Several Spanish-
Mexico, but families who made the trip back found themselves stranded in border
language newspapers and magazines provided Detroit’s Mexicans with local
towns and with no help from the Mexican government.
news, information about other Mexican communities, and news about Mexico. Mexican leisure activities occurred in boarding houses, neighborhood restaurants,
After the Depression, Mexican immigrants began to return to the United States
barbershops, pool halls, and other social centers. Like many other populations in
through government programs and sometimes as smuggled laborers hired by
Detroit, Mexicans also enjoyed baseball games at Navin Field or weekend outings
large manufacturers. The Southwest Detroit-based Mexican community began to
to Belle Isle Park.
grow during the 1940s and 1950s as its inhabitants established small businesses such as restaurants, retail outlets, and nightclubs. In contrast to Detroit’s overall
In the 1930s, the Great Depression began and the Mexican community was
decrease in citywide population, the Mexican population increased significantly
scapegoated for taking jobs that were reserved for “American” citizens. Thousands
in the 1990s when a large number of immigrants from Jalisco came to the city.
of Mexican workers were laid off after the city required its foreign-born workers
Today, the Mexican community consists of more than 36,000 individuals, and
to be naturalized citizens. Instead of providing assistance to Mexican families,
the overall Latino/a population in Detroit is the second largest ethnic minority
Detroit’s city officials collaborated with the federal government and the Mexican
population in the city.
Consulate to begin the deportation of hundreds of unemployed workers.
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Detroit Institute of Arts Diego Rivera: The Detroit Industry Murals The Detroit Industry fresco cycle was conceived by Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957) as a tribute to the city’s manufacturing base and labor force of the 1930s. Rivera completed the 27-panel work in 11 months, from April 1932 to March 1933. It is considered the finest example of Mexican mural art in the United States, and the artist thought it the best work of his career.
The mural cycle begins on the east wall, where Rivera uses the image of a baby growing in the bulb of a plant to remind us that all human endeavor is rooted in the earth. The women on each side are fertility figures holding fruits, vegetables, and grains grown in Michigan.
Rivera was a Marxist who believed that art belonged on public walls rather than in private galleries. He found his medium in the fresco, where paint is applied to wet plaster. Its vast size allowed him to explore grand and complex themes, which would be accessible to a large audience. In Mexico, Rivera’s murals tied modern Mexican culture to its indigenous roots, revealing the ancient Indian cultures as Mexico’s true heritage. Similarly, Rivera’s Detroit Industry murals depict industry and technology as the indigenous culture of Detroit.
Diego M. Rivera, Detroit Industry, West, 1932-1933, fresco. Detroit Institute of Arts.
On the west wall, Rivera shows the key personnel involved in industry: the worker and the manager. By giving them equal stature, he suggests both are necessary. Above, imagery of war planes and passenger planes present both the positive and destructive sides of industry.
Diego M. Rivera, Detroit Industry, East, 1932-1933, fresco. Detroit Institute of Arts.
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Detroit Institute of Arts Diego Rivera: The Detroit Industry Murals Continued.
Diego M. Rivera, Detroit Industry, North, 1932-1933, fresco. Detroit Institute of Arts.
Diego M. Rivera, Detroit Industry, North, 1932-1933, fresco. Detroit Institute of Arts.
The largest panel of the north wall represents the important operations in the production and manufacture of the engine and transmission of the 1932 Ford V-8. In the upper corners, scenes of a baby being vaccinated and the manufacture of poison gases contrast the beneficial and harmful results of industry.
In the major panel of the south wall is the culmination of the automobile manufacturing process-production of the car’s exterior. On the right, Rivera’s imposing stamping press shares characteristics of Coalticue, the Aztec goddess of creation and war. Rivera suggests the ancient gods have been replaced by the machinery of industry. The pictures and content about Diego Rivera and his mural were reproduced with permission by the Detroit Institute of Arts.
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Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán
L I V I N G I N CO LO R ( S P EN D I N G T I M E W I T H M A R I AC H I VA R G A S D E T EC A L I T L Á N ) BY C H R I S T I N A M A X W EL L . This past summer, I worked in San Antonio, TX with Muñoz Public Relations (MPR), the agency that represents Mariachi Vargas and is helping to bring them to Ann Arbor in April. UMS sent me as part of a competitive internship program to learn about Mariachi music and culture in preparation for Mariachi Vargas’s performance at Hill Auditorium. I worked as an all-purpose intern, helping run a Mariachi Vocal Camp MPR produces every year, writing press releases, producing concerts, putting together sponsorship packages, watching Vargas perform, and even learning to sing in Spanish. The Mariachi community welcomed me, a stranger, into their world with open arms. I worked for Cynthia Muñoz, a brilliant woman who runs her own agency, Muñoz Public Relations, with her sister, Sandra Guevara. A savvy, creative, and passionate businesswoman, Cynthia landed the coveted Ford Motor Company account in 1992. She has combined her brilliant business sense with her longtime love for Mariachi music to resurrect and preserve the tradition of Mariachi music in San Antonio.
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Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán
Continued. As a white Southern young woman, I had little context for Mariachi music except for the Mariachi performers I’d seen in Mexican restaurants. I was not prepared the explosion of color, flavor, and sound I was about to dive into. There is nothing black-and-white about the world of Mariachi music and the Mexican community that embraces it as lifeblood. The crowded streets of the San Antonio Market Square are flooded with vibrant fabrics and rich fragrances drifting from street food stands selling elotes (roasted corn), mangonadas (a Mexican fruit drink), and fresh fruit with lime and chili powder. Rainbows of dazzling sequins and threads decorate the intricate and costly trajes and sombreros of the Mariachi performers. Everything is full of rhythm and life, and everything is done to the fullest...whether that’s mourning heartache, celebrating with tequila, or extending hospitality.
performance, a performance that used century-old music in a language I only intermittently understood to fill me with joy, mourning, longing, and celebratory abandonment.
Before I saw Mariachi Vargas live, everyone kept telling me, “You cannot understand what Vargas is until you see them perform.” And I had that opportunity this summer when I sat in the middle of the Albuquerque, NM mountains and watched the world’s three greatest Mariachi groups perform back to back, with Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán as the finale. I was completely captivated and breathless from the roller coaster of emotions I felt (during music that was not even in my own language!). The sky faded from blue to warm orange, red and purple, to deep black. Dust and strings flew from passionately flying guitar bows and bellows, cries, whispers, and sighs cut from the mouths of the passionate performers straight to my soul. I sat captivated by their electric
When I think of that moment and compare it with what so many of us perceive Mariachi music to be, I realize what a chasm there is between the two. Mariachi music is a rich, vibrant, and thriving art form that cannot be fully understood until you see the faces of the people in the audience; the way they fill up with the celebration, love, and pain found in the songs themselves; the feelings that have poured into Mariachi music for over a century. To understand Mariachi culture is not only to sing, to mourn, to celebrate, to listen...but to live.
When Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán began to play, I watched as the people around me cheered, held each other and mouthed the words along with them, as if the lyrics and the notes poured from a deep place within their souls. Mariachi music has a way of going to those places and living in them, awakening feelings that maybe we don’t often allow ourselves to feel. People were so moved that they wept openly. When the concert ended, I picked my phone up for the first time and realized that the concert had lasted five hours. I hadn’t considered anything else outside of the performance.
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Mariachi Music
Mariachi music has origins deep in Mexican history. The sound of its string instruments and its oldest rhythms are rooted in Mexico’s colonial times (1519-1810), when people from Spain and African slaves and their descendants mingled with hundreds of American Indian cultures. This created a new Mexican culture marked by many regions, each with its own signature musical tradition. The music that was called “mariachi” emerged from the ranches and small towns of western Mexico as early as the 1850s, particularly in the states of Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Colima, and Aguascalientes. During the rampant urbanization of the early 1900s, rural migrants moved from ranches of the countryside to city centers, bringing along not only clothes and labor skills, but also their musical taste for mariachi music. As their urban lives developed, as Mexico City grew to the most populous metropolitan area in the world, and even as the Mexican Revolution created a new sense of nationalism, mariachi music allowed these migrants to maintain connections with their rural, regional identities. With the continued evolution of urban society came a similar evolution of the mariachi genre and its players, and by the mid-20th century, mariachi was regarded as one of Mexico’s more refined ensembles and included the guitarrón, vihuela, violin, and trumpet, all of which made up the core of the group. Mariachi ensembles traditionally perform for a number of different occasions, including baptisms, birthdays, weddings, funerals, conventions, store openings, company parties, civic celebrations, and political campaigns.
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Mariachi Music
THE INSTRUMENTS
M ELO D I C INS TRU M ENTS The violin and trumpet are the melodic instruments in a mariachi ensemble. Usually one violin will play a single melody line while a second violin plays another melody to create harmony. Two trumpets will often do the same, harmonizing with each other and strengthening the violin melody. The ensemble also typically includes vocalists, who use their voice as their instrument.
RHY TH M I C INS TRU M ENTS The guitar and vihuela add the rhythmic strumming of chords to the sound of mariachi. A vihuela is a five-stringed instrument that looks similar to a small guitar with a swollen, v-shaped back. It is an instrument unique to the Mexican state of Jalisco.
BA SS INS TRU M ENTS The guitarr贸n and harp are the bass instruments used in mariachi. A guitarr贸n is essentially a large version of a vihuela with a much deeper sound, and it also originates from Jalisco. Many mariachi groups no longer use harp because of its harmonic limitations and instead have replaced it with the more convenient guitarr贸n.
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Mariachi Music
MUSICAL FORMS
R AN CH ER A S
WALT ZE S
Rancheras can have various time signatures, but are always more about the solo singer and have very simple accompaniment. Rancheras were sung by actors in early Mexican movies, which helped to popularize mariachi.
The waltz is a type of dance music with the rhythm “one- two-three” originating from Europe. Mariachis tend to perform waltzes on more formal occasions, such as wedding ceremonies.
SONE S The son is the most important musical form in the history of the mariachi. The term can refer to both regional styles of mestizo music or to the melodies of Native American cultural groups.
P OLK A S Mexican polka is basically the same as German polka, with its familiar “boom-chickaboom-chick” accompaniment. Polka was incorporated into Mexican music due to the large German community living in northeastern Mexico. Most Mexican polkas are strictly instrumental.
BOLEROS A bolero is a type of dance music in a slow tempo with duple meter of Cuban origin.
HUAPANGOS One of the many musical styles that came to Mexico City during the migration of regional peoples in the 1940s and 50s, huapangos have three defining traits: distinctive rhythm, violin playing as the lead instrument, and the use of vocal falsetto.
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Mariachi Music
THE COSTUMES
The ornately decorated costume of a mariachi musician is known as a charro suit. Translating to “country-like” or “rustic,” the word charro was first used to refer to Mexican horsemen and later cowboys. These cowboys were especially prominent in the rural state of Jalisco — the same state that is home to the Mariachi Vargas’s hometown of Tecalitlán. As the years have passed, the mariachi costume has evolved from a literal cowboy suit to a stylistic representation of one. A mariachi’s charro suit must be elegant, embroidered with silver and gold threads. The silver and gold motif continues through the outfit in the form of ornamental buttons. Finally, instead of a bolero tie, a mariachi’s costume often features a red handkerchief tied in a bow around the neck. The material of a mariachi charro suit is usually black or white: black for evening events and funerals and white for afternoon events and weddings.
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Traditional Mexican Dances
RAICES MEXICANAS DE DETROIT THE IMPORTANCE OF DANCE IN MEXICAN/MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURE El Ballet Folklorico Raices Mexicanas de Detroit is one of the oldest, continuously active Mexican folkloric dance troupes in the Southeast Michigan area. The company was begun in 1981 by 14-yearold Hermino Pesina in his garage with neighborhood kids and still continues today, 35 years later. In the early years, children rehearsed, raised money, made costumes, and began performing at local church functions and community events. In the years that followed, the troupe grew to over 150 members and was adopted by Ste. Anne’s Church under the direction of one of the original dancers, Cristina Huizar. The mission of Raices Mexicanas de Detroit remains unchanged: to preserve and showcase the magnificence of Mexican folklórico dance and to contribute to our community. The dancers are a special group of young people who are committed to the many hours of practice to develop their skills, techniques and stage presence.
The phrase “ballet folklórico” is broadly used to describe all forms of Mexican folk dance. The genre is considered an integral part of Mexico’s modern cultural identity; folk dance is mandatory in public schools, and a national emphasis is placed on preserving and promoting dances with indigenous origins. Ballet folklórico in the U.S. has also been an important part of Mexican-American identity since the 1960s-70s, when young Mexican-Americans in cities like Los Angeles and El Paso used dance to preserve and take pride in their heritage. Today’s modern ballet folklórico is the result of a blend of Mexico’s Indigenous, African, and European influences, especially the effects of Spanish colonization. Dance topics range from religious and historical events to Mexican holidays such as Dia de los Muertos. Additionally, dance styles have changed drastically throughout the years and vary widely between regions and states depending on historical context. For example, the cowboy hats, boots, and fringe worn by male dancers in Nuevo Leon demonstrate the state’s German and ranching heritage, while the masks and canes carried by dancers in Michoacán are used to perform a dance that mocks the Spanish ruling class. Although ballet folklórico is sometimes accompanied by musical styles such as polka and Tejano, it is most often accompanied by a traditional mariachi band.
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Traditional Mexican Dances
Learn more about the traditional Dances of Mexico. La Bamba El Jarabe TapatĂo (aka The Mexican Hat Dance) Dances of Mexico
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Historic Landmark (Ste. Anne’s Catholic Church)
Founded on July 26, 1701, Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic Church is the second oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish in the United States. The church was established by French colonists and was the first building constructed in the French colony Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, today known as the city of Detroit. The church was named in honor of St. Anne, the patron saint of France. The church has been destroyed and rebuilt several times throughout the years. Two years after the church was founded, Native Americans set fire to the church and destroyed the main church building, rectory, and baptismal records. A new church was built in 1704 and began a period of expansion in 1708. However, the church was destroyed once again in 1714, this time by the French settlers themselves, who feared that the building would be used for cover by Native American attackers. The church remained in ruins for the next several years and Masses were held in a makeshift church in a fort building. The next record of the church being rebuilt is in 1755, when Father Simple Bocquet arrived at the fort. During Father Bocquet’s time at the church, the English settlers invaded the colony and there are records of an Anglican wedding held in St. Anne’s. However, the English did allow the French colonists freedom of religion, and First Communion classes were instituted during this time. In 1805, most of Detroit, including the church, was destroyed in an accidental fire. Construction of a new church began in 1818 and was completed in 1828. However, it was built
in a new location, outside the grounds of the old fort but still near the Detroit River. The last and present church is located at 1000 Ste. Anne Street (formerly 19th Street). It contains many artifacts from the 1818 church, such as the original wooden altar, the cornerstone of the old building, the “Beaubien Bell,” and a statue of St. Anne and her daughter. St. Anne’s is known for its architecture, which is designed in the Gothic Revival style. Some of its significant architectural features are its flying buttresses, which reflect the French history of the area, and the four gargoyles featured at the main entrance of the north facade. The stained glass windows in the church are some of the oldest in the entire city. The racial and ethnic makeup of St. Anne’s congregation has varied throughout the years. After being founded by French settlers and invaded by the English in the mid-1700s, the church’s population became primarily Irish-American by the 1920s due to increased immigration. In the following decades, however, the church’s congregation became primarily Latino/a as Detroit experienced an influx of immigrants from Mexico and Puerto Rico. The first Spanish sermon was given in 1940 and the parish’s first Spanish-speaking priest was assigned to the church in 1946. Today, this church is considered the spiritual heart and soul of the Latino/a community
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S O U T H W E S T D E T R O I T/ M E X I C A N A R T S & C U LT U R E
Historic Landmark (Ste. Anne’s Catholic Church)
Virtual tour of Ste. Anne’s Church
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S O U T H W E S T D E T R O I T/ M E X I C A N A R T S & C U LT U R E
Authentic Mexican Recipes
PI CO D E GALLO - SAL SA FR ESC A 6 large ripe plum tomatoes, finely chopped 1/4 cup onion (red or white), finely chopped 1 or 2 Jalape単o peppers (or Serrano peppers), finely chopped 1 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro fresh squeezed lime juice to taste salt to taste The key to making the best salsa fresca is chopping all the ingredients finely by hand. Stir all ingredients together and let stand for 1 hour before serving. (You can adjust ingredient amounts to your personal taste desires)
G UAC A M O LE 2 large ripe avocados 1 fresh serrano chili pepper, finely chopped (or jalape単o pepper) 1 large ripe tomato (or Roma tomatoes), peeled and finely chopped 1-2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion (red/yellow or white) 1 Tablespoon cilantro (fresh coriander), finely chopped 1 clove garlic fresh squeezed lime juice (to taste) salt to taste
1. Cut each avocado in half; remove the pits and scoop out the pulp into a bowl or onto a plate. Mash lightly with a fork. 2. Add the finely chopped onion, chiles, tomatoes, garlic and cilantro and stir with a fork until well mixed. Season to taste with lime juice and salt. 3. To store the guacamole place the avocado pit in the guacamole and keep in an airtight container. It should keep a couple of days although it tends to turn brown on the very top. 4. Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips or fresh vegetables!
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S O U T H W E S T D E T R O I T/ M E X I C A N A R T S & C U LT U R E
Authentic Mexican Recipes
G R I LLED Q U ESAD I LL A SAN DWI CH ES - S I N CRO N IZ ADA S This is usually served with Pico de Gallo salsa, guacamole, and cream. But you can also eat them with your own salsa. Ingredients for 1 serving: 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil (optional) 2 medium size flour tortillas 2 oz. Oaxaca or Monterrey Jack cheese shredded or sliced (or other melting cheese such as Co-Jack cheese, or Hot pepper-jack cheese) 2 oz. baked or cooked ham (about 2 slices) or other cooked meat pre-shredded Optional: oven-roasted or grilled Poblano peppers peeled and then sliced into thin strips Guacamole, for serving* Pico de Gallo Salsa, for serving* Mexican Cream, for serving* (you can also use sour cream) 1. Heat your skillet or griddle over a medium heat, and add the vegetable oil, or use cooking spray. When the griddle is hot place one of the tortillas on it; layer half of the cheese, the 2 oz. of ham or meat, and the rest of the cheese. 2. Cover with the other tortilla, and cook until cheese melts and the tortilla at the bottom is getting golden brown. I use a cast iron press but you can use a spatula to press the tortilla down. When the cheese starts melting use your spatula to check the underside of the tortilla has develop golden brown spots.
3. When the underside has developed these golden brown spots, flip the sincronizada and keep cooking until both sides are golden brown and the cheese has melted. If you want a really crispy texture, lower the heat and keep it cooking for a few more minutes. 4. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into wedges and serve warm with guacamole, salsa and cream. 5. ¡Buen Provecho! ¡Enjoy! NOTES: *The Guacamole, salsa, and Mexican cream are optional; the same applies to the vegetable oil if you are using a nonstick griddle. If using nonstick griddle just use cooking spray. -You can use other types of fillings like leftover shredded chicken, sliced sautéed mushrooms, refried beans, cooked ground beef, vegetables, etc. -If you are making several servings, preheat the oven 300 degrees and place the sincronizadas on a baking sheet in the oven to keep them warm while you finish cooking.
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Resources Organizations and Information Readings
UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122
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RESOURCES
Organizations and Information D E T RO I T I N S T I T U T E O F A R T S (D I A ) www.dia.org LIVING ARTS www.livingartsdetroit.org/ M E T ROT I M E S (B LO G S A N D A RC H I V E S ) www.metrotimes.com/Blogs/archives/2015/05/14/here-are-the-completedsouthwest-detroit-murals T H E D E T RO I T H I S PA N I C D E V E LO P M E N T CO R P O R AT I O N www.dhdc1.org/ S E R M E T RO - D E T RO I T www.sermetro.org/SMD/ M E X I C A N R E S TAU R A N T G U I D E www.detroit.eater.com/maps/5-of-mexicantowns-best-restaurants HONEY BEE MARKET www.honeybeemkt.com/
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RESOURCES
Readings The following listing of literature for educators was developed by the Ann Arbor District Library to connect to the 2015-2016 UMS Southwest Detroit Cultural Immersion. All titles are in circulation at the library. For more information about the Ann Arbor District Library and their programs for youth, teens, teachers and schools, visit www.aadl.org. M E X I C A N A N D M E X I C A N - A M E R I C A N C U LT U R E The Crafts of Mexico Margarita de Orellana and Alberto Ruy Sánchez Appreciate a cultural and historical context for Mexican art with oversized photographs, essays from art historians, and interviews from the artists themselves. Mexico: The Cookbook Carrillo Arronte, Margarita Discover Mexico’s various traditional dishes in this large compendium of recipes and history. Salsas and Moles : Fresh and Authentic Recipes for Pico de Gallo, Mole Poblano, Chimichurri, Guacamole, and More Schneider, Deborah M. Enjoy authentic salsa and mole recipes using traditional Mexican ingredients. Mexicans in the Making of America Foley, Neil Consider the historical context of Mexican-American culture and the current status of immigration in the United States.
Pati’s Mexican Table: The Secrets of Real Mexican Home Cooking Jinich, Pati Nationally-recognized and television celebrity chef Pati Jinich shares her favorite Mexican recipes. Mexico: What Everyone Needs to Know Camp, Roderic A. Research Mexico’s past and present with this thorough text on history, politics, and culture. Contemporary Chican@ Art: Color & Culture for a New America Vargas, George Discover the origins and transformations of the Chican@ art movement in the United States. Detroit Reveal your Detroit : an intimate look at a great American city Erickson, Annmarie (COR)/ Frost, Bradford (COR)/ Detroit Institute of Arts (COR) Explore nearly 200 photographs taken by Detroit residents reflecting their life in the city.
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RESOURCES
Readings Continued. Detroit City is the Place to Be: The Afterlife of an American Metropolis Binelli, Mark Binelli analyzes Detroit’s deserted buildings and collapsed businesses as the fascinating and compelling reason that many artists and young entrepreneurs return today. Detroit, 138 Square Miles Reyes Taubman, Julia Reyes Taubman applies a discerning eye to the transitioning city of Detroit through her photography. Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story Maraniss, David Immerse yourself in the nostalgia of Detroit’s cultural history and transformation to the present.
Canvas Detroit Pincus, Julie Discover a stunning compilation of Detroit’s local art. Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Michigan Alvarado, Rudolph Valier and Sonya Yvette This book examines the settlement trends and growth of this population, as well as the cultural and social impact that the state and these immigrants have had on one another. Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Detroit Rosenthal, Mark This book is a compilation of essays that examine the artists, the city of Detroit in this period, and the commissioning of the murals (by Edsel Ford and then-DIA director William Valentiner).
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Connect About UMS Credits and Sponsors
UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122
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CONNECT
About UMS U M S E D U C AT I O N A N D COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT D E PA RT M E N T S TA F F KEN FISCHER UMS President JIM LEIJA Director ABIGAIL CHOI Intern SHANNON K. FITZSIMONS Campus Engagement Specialist ROB LUZYNSKI Intern T E R R I PA R K Education Coordinator MARY ROEDER Manager of Community Engagement
2014-2015 Award winners with UMS staff and DTE Energy Foundation President Faye Alexander Nelson.
One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, UMS is committed to connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. With a program steeped in music, dance, and theater, UMS contributes to a vibrant cultural community by presenting approximately 60-75 performances and over 100 free educational activities each season. UMS also commissions new work, sponsors artist residencies, and organizes collaborative projects with local, national, and international partners. Learning is core to UMS’s mission, and it is our joy to provide creative learning experiences for our entire community. Each season, we offer a fun and fascinating lineup of workshops, artist Q&As, conversations, and interactive experiences to draw you in and out of your comfort zone, connect you to interesting people and unexpected ideas, and bring you closer to the heart of the artistic experience. We exist to create a spark in people, young and old alike, exposing them to things they haven’t seen before, and leaving them with a lifelong passion for creativity and the performing arts.
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CONNECT
Thank You!
CREDITS AND SPONSORS
RESEARC H ED AND WR I TTE N BY
UM S YOUTH E DUCATI ON P ROG RAM SUP P ORTE RS:
Terri Park, Abigail Choi, and Elena Snyder
Reflects donations to UMS education programs recognized at $1,000 or more, made between July 1, 2014 and May 1, 2015.
ED ITED BY
Terri Park
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
University of Michigan
Barbara A. Anderson and John H. Romani
Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs
Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation
Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C.
Anonymous
National Endowment for the Arts
Arts Midwest Touring Fund
M. Haskell and Jan Barney Newman
Benard L. Maas Foundation
New England Foundation for the Arts
Bank of Ann Arbor
Quincy and Rob Northrup
Kathy Benton and Robert Brown
Gilbert Omenn and Martha Darling
Charles and Linda Borgsdorf
PNC Foundation
Dallas and Sharon Dort
Prudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12 Education
DTE Energy Foundation
Endowment Fund
David and Jo-Anna Featherman
Toyota
Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation
UMS Ambassadors
Kathy and Tom Goldberg
U-M Health System
David and Phyllis Herzig Endowment Fund
Ann and Clayton Wilhite
Mardi Gras Fund
Special thanks to Abigail Choi, Elena Snyder, Christina Maxwell, and Sara Billmann for their contributions and support in developing this guide. Additionally, special thanks to the Detroit Institute of Arts for its permission to use portions of their learning materials about Diego Rivera.
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