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PENNSVALLEY
Mexico
Lesson 52:
People and Lifestyles of Mexico
Mexico is the thirdmost populated country in theWesternHemisphere.Only theUnitedStates and
Brazil (which youwill studyabout inSouthAmerica) have larger populations.TherearemoreSpanish-
speaking people inMexico than any other country in theworld.Before 1945, 75% of Mexicans lived in
rural areas.Many relied on subsistence farming. To find jobs and provide for their families, people
beganmoving from rural areas to cities.Today, 75% of Mexico’s population lives in urban areas.
Mexico’s population has been strongly influenced by the earlyNative American civilizations of the
Mayas
and
Aztecs
.The center of theMayan empire was theYucatan Peninsula.TheMayan civiliza-
tion flourished from the first century B.C. through the tenth century A.D.The Aztec empire was locat-
ed in central Mexico, near present-dayMexicoCity.TheAztecs built large cities anddevelopedanum-
ber system, calendar, and written language. In the early 1500s the Aztec empire, under the rule of
Montezuma, fell to the
Spanish conquistadors
led byHernanCortes.
TheSpanish colonial period lasted for 300 years.Manyof the resourcesand richesofMexicowere
exploited. Farming, government, industry, and religion were strongly influenced by the Spanish. A
Mexican priest,
Miguel Hildalgo
, began the struggle for independence from Spain in 1810. In 1821,
Mexico finally gained its independence, and Miguel Hidalgo is now called “The Father of Mexican
Independence.”
Amerindians
make up about one-third of Mexico’s population. Amerindians are descendants of
one of the
indigenous
groups of people fromMiddle America. The original inhabitants are native
people that are direct descendants of one of the many Native American tribes that once dominated
Mexico. Although Spanish is the official language and used bymost people, there are still more than
50Amerindian languages spoken throughout Mexico.
Most Mexicans are of mixed ancestry – descendants of Native Americans and Spanish.They are
called
Mestizos
.The population also includes small groups from other European countries, Africans,
and East Asians.More than 90% of the population is Roman Catholic. Native American religions are
still practiced, and there are small Protestant and Jewish groups.
Mexico’s most important religious holiday is on December 12, and celebrates the legend of
Our
Lady of Guadalupe
.Tradition holds that theVirginMary appeared to a nativeMexican near present-
dayMexicoCity.Our LadyofGuadalupe is recognizedas thepatron saint ofMexicoand thepatroness
of the Americas.The legend is celebrated by
GuadalupeDay
.Our Lady of Guadalupe is honored by
RomanCatholics inMexico and byMexicanAmericans inmany areas of southwesternUnitedStates.
In Spanish,
Cinco de Mayo
means the Fifth of May, and is a national holiday for Mexicans and
Mexican Americans. On May 5 of each year, Cinco de Mayo celebrates the victory in 1862 by the
courageousMexican army over amuch larger French army at theBattle of Puebla.
Mexican holidays are celebratedwith a
fiesta
, the Spanishword for festival. Fiestas includemany
different types of activities, including religious traditions, plays, dances, parades, fireworks, and food.
ACTIVITY 1:
On a separate sheet of paper: A)Write a summary of threemain ideas contained on this page.
B) Include in your written summary facts that support themain idea.