Oaxaca
Oaxaca is one of 31 states of
Mexico, located in the southern
part of the country. It is the
historic home of the Zapotec
and Mixtec peoples. It contains
more speakers of indigenous
languages than any other
Mexican state.
Porfio Diaz
President
Benito Juarez
President
José Vasconcelos Writer,
philosopher and politician
Rufino Tamayo born 1899 artist
Francisco Toledo Artist
Ricardo
Flores
Magón
Anarchist
María Sabina Curandera
1888-1985
Vinicio Castilla
Baseball Player
Ricardo Osorio
Soccer Player
Marco Rito-Palomares
Chemical Engineer
Notable Oaxacans include President Benito Juarez, born in the Oaxacan village
of San Pablo Guelatao, as well as Rufino Tamayo, Porfirio Diaz, Josè Vasconcelos,
Francisco Toledo, Marìa Sabina, J. Alberto Canseco DÌaz, Major League Baseball
player Vinicio Castilla, Bundesliga player Ricardo Osorio, chemical engineer Marco
Rito-Palomares, Anarchist revolutionary Ricardo Flores Magon and many other
writers, artists and politicians.
History Of Oaxaca
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Oaxaca's rugged terrain caused various groups to
develop in relative isolation from one another, and
therefore the cultural and linguistic diversity of the
region.
The Valley of Oaxaca was first occupied by the
Zapotec people, who were conquered by the Mixtecs.
The accomplishments of these civilizations included
the domestication of many plants and animals
including maize, beans, cacao, tomatoes, chili peppers,
squash, pumpkin, and turkeys. Also available in the
fertile region of Oaxaca were pineapples, avocados,
zapotes, and maguey.
•In the south, the Pacific Ocean was an important food source. The civilizations built by these groups are reflected
in important archaeological sites including Monte Alban, Mitla, Guiengola and Huijatzoo. Monte Alban was a great
ceremonial center built by the Zapotec people. The ancient Zapotec village of Teotitlán del Valle, near the city of
Oaxaca, is one of the oldest human settlements in Mexico.
•Throughout the Zapoteca era, the local and regional trade flourished, and most important economic activities
were agriculture, hunting, fishing and mining; silver and gold were fashioned by artisans for hundreds of years.
Commercial routes passed through Oaxaca to the Mayan lands of the north and south to Central and South
America.
•Major ports were located in present-day Salina Cruz, Astata, Huatulco, Puerto Àngel and Pinotepa Nacional.In the
mid-15th century, the central valley was conquered by the Aztecs, who forced the surrounding Mixtec and Zapotec
kingdoms to pay tribute to the emperor in the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.
•The Aztec presence increased the social and economic ties between Oaxaca and the Aztec heartland. Shortly
after 1496, the Aztecs established a garrison in the center of the valley, around the Cerro del FortÌn and down to
the present Church of Carmen Alto where their temple was located. The Aztecs called their garrison Huaxyacac,
meaning "place of guaje trees" in the Nahuatl language. Under Spanish rule, Huaxyacac became Oaxaca, and the
pronunciation of the x transitioned from "sh" to the modern Mexican Spanish "j" [h].
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Colonial period -Tenochtitlan fell to the Spanish in August of 1521 and with it all of the Aztec
empire.
Mexican War of Independence-Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821.
Mexican Revolution (1910) and afterward - When the Mexican Revolution began in 1910,
Oaxaca, like many southern states, rallied around the revolutionary Emiliano Zapata who
proclaimed that the land belonged to the workers. This resonated with Oaxacans. With
President Venustiano Carranza the relationship between Oaxaca and the federal government
deteriorated. Oaxacans disliked the new president so much that Carranzaís brother was
assassinated in Oaxaca. The period from 1916 to 1920 was filled with constant struggle for
control of the new government. After the revolution, Oaxaca received little attention from the
national government, resulting in virtually no industrialization and minimal economic growth. By
the 1980s and 1990s, Oaxaca was one of Mexico's poorest states, having some of the nation's
highest rates of illiteracy, malnutrition, and infant mortality, especially among its Native
American population.
Mexican revolution 1910
Demography
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Oaxaca has a high concentration of
indigenous people.
There are 16 formally registered
indigenous communities, some of
which are culturally diverse
themselves.
The 16 groups and the number of
speakers of their language
according to the 2005 census are:
Zapotec - 357,134
Mixtec - 290,049
Mazateco - 164,673
Chinanteco - 104,010
Mixe - 103,089
Cuicateco - 12,128
Zoque - 10,000
Amuzgo - 4,819
Chontal - 4,610
Tacuate - 1,726
Chatino - 42,477
Trique - 18,292
Huave - 15,324
Chochotec - 524
Ixcateco - 207
Popoloco - 61
Of these, 477,788 are non-Spanish
monolingual. Most of the indigenous
languages belong to the OtoManguean family, while Mixec,
Zoque, and Popoloco belong to the
Mixe-Zoque family, and Huave is a
language isolate, while Oaxacan
Chontal is thought to be Hokan. 85%
of the population declares to follow
the Catholic faith.
Culture
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Crafts - Alebrijes at the Pochote Market in Oaxaca,
MÈxico. Oaxaca has a number of native crafts, including
the production of alebrijes, weaving and black clay
objects. Alebrijes are popular wooden figurines of
mythical beings, animals.
Cuisine - Various sizes of Chapulines at the Mercado
Benito Juarez in Oaxaca, Mexico.For the same reasons
its people are so diverse, Oaxaca boasts a tremendous
diversity of regional cuisine, nicknamed "Land of the
Seven Moles". An abundance of fruits and vegetables are
grown in the central valley, tropical fruits are found in the
north and fish and shellfish dominate the cuisine of the
south. Oaxaca is also known for Oaxaca cheese
(quesillo).Corn tortillas are the staple food but a vast
array of foods are prepared from corn dough, from
entomatadas and empanadas to tamales and tlayudas.
Black beans are also a common ingredient, as is the
pasilla chile which gives many dishes their distinct hot,
smoky taste and red color.A breakfast specialty, generally
only available in Oaxaca, is huevos oaxaqueÒos - eggs
poached in a chili-tomato soup. Another specialty is
chapulines, or roasted grasshoppers, a popular dish in
the state's central valleys region. Chapulines are eaten
after the rains begin and through early autumn.Oaxaca is
well-known for producing mezcal, a liquor somewhat
similar to tequila. Like tequila, it derives from fermented
agave fruit, but differs in taste and its tradition of family
artisan production. The state is also famous for its
chocolate, which is made from ground cacao beans, and
often includes almonds, cinnamon and many other
ingredients.
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Festivals - Major festivals include the dÌa
de los muertos and noche de los
rabanos. In Zapotec villages, families
traditionally finance the dances and
feasts on patron saints' days. The largest
festival of dance and music in the state,
the Guelaguetza, a major attraction for
regional, national, and international
tourists.
Key points of interest
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Beautiful Catholic Churches throughout the state.
Beaches- Puerto Escondido, Puerto Angel, Huatulco.
Natural Spas-Laollaga, El Tzul-Zul, Atonaltzin.
Waterfalls -Hierve el Agua, La Guacamaya.
Plant Life -El Tule Tree, Historical Ethno-botanical Garden
Caves & Caverns-Apoala, Sótano de San Agustín, San Sebastián.
Lagoons -Manialtepec, Pastoría, Chacahua National Park.
Dams -Yosocuta, Miguel Alemán, El Estudiante and La Azucena, Benito
Juárez.
• Archaeological SitesMonte Albán, Mitla, Lambityeco, Dainzú.
Chilean or Chilenas
The Chilean is a Mexican music genre in the region of the Costa Chica, the state boundary
between Mexico's southern Guerrero and Oaxaca. Origins- This is a genre that grew out of the
mix of music brought by the Chilean and Peruvian sailors with the traditions of the region Suriana
mestizo Mexico. The name comes from South American musical traditions and came from those
who migrated from Chile and Peru, passing through the port of Acapulco, Guerrero, Puerto Angel,
Huatulco and Puerto Miniz, Oaxaca in the booming gold rush of California. In other states of
Mexico, and United States Chilenas became a musical genre again, this due to mass migrations of
several residents of coastal regions to the areas mentioned above, during the time of the 90 and 80.
History of Chilenas Video
History of Chilenas
Chilenas tradicionales
Pinotepa , Soy el Negro de la Costa, La Yerbabuena, El Bravero (Àlvaro Carrillo)
Por los caminos del sur , La Sanmarqueña, El Toro Rabón (José Agustín Ramírez Altamirano)
Arenita Azul (anonyomos)
La San Marqueña
• Writer: Agustín Ramirez
• Artist: Dueto Caleta