Program Description
The course will focus on the historical evolution of the multiracial and multiethnic roots of Mexican culture. The Olmeca, the first indigenous civilization of the Americas emerged in the state of Veracruz. The Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortez, landed his Spanish armada in Veracruz. The city of Veracruz became the first key port of entry for African slaves in the Americas.
The course will offer 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. Particular attention will be 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. Field trips will be taken 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.