Please be sure to explore the other opportunities offered by Berkeley Summer Sessions, and visit our website in the future for Summer 2009 Travel Study options.
The program focuses on the historical evolution of the multiracial and multiethnic roots of Mexican culture. It offers an overview of the ancient indigenous cultures that first populated the Veracruz region (Olmeca, Totonaca, and Huasteca) and the Mestizo cultures that emerged in Veracruz and throughout Mexico after the Spanish conquest. Those cultures are rooted in indigenous, African, and immigrant peoples from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortez, landed his Spanish armada in Veracruz, making the city of Veracruz the first key port of entry for African slaves in the Americas. Particular attention is paid to the experience of African slaves and the contributions of the Afro-Mestizo people to the shaping of the unique Veracruzano culture as manifested in music, art, and dance. Participants go on field trips to historical and archeological sites throughout the state of Veracruz, including the Totonac pyramids of "El Tajin" built in AD 600, the Spanish fortress of San Juan de Ulua, and the Museum of Anthropology in the city of Xalapa.
