Folklore of Mexican Americans

Mexican-American folklore refers to the stories and history of Chicano people living in the United States..

## Akụkọ ihe mere eme
People of Spanish descent had lived in the southwestern United States since Mexico was a colony of the Spanish Empire before 1821. Mexico gained its independence after the Mexican War of Independence. After the Mexican–American War, "most of this territory, nearly half of the northern Mexican territory, was ceded to the United States, and about 80,000 Spanish-Mexican-Indians suddenly became residents of the United States".[1] After the war, the United States acquired a large amount of land, so that all Mexican natives living in the region were now part of the United States. US citizens began to move into the region to find land to settle..

A prominent figure in Chicano folklore is La Llorona, the Weeping Woman. There are many variations of La Llorona. One common story is that she is the spirit of a murderous mother who haunts bodies of water such as rivers or lakes. She is often described as having long, flowing hair, and is often seen wearing a white dress.[1] According to the story, her lover abandoned her and their two children. In anger, she drowned her children in water in revenge or grief. As a result, she was condemned to wander the world forever searching for her children.[2] La Llorona "serves as a cultural icon, teaching people how to live and act in public life".  [3] Her story is often used as a bedtime story to lull children to sleep or to behave in public. Given the popularity of the tale, there have been numerous works by "traditional storytellers, literary critics, humanists, and feminist writers. Children's books, short stories, novels, and plays" are just a few of the ways in which La Llorona has been historically portrayed.[4] As Gloria Anzaldua, a scholar of Chicana culture and feminist thought, discusses in her article "How to Kill a Wild Language", living on the U.S. side of the border made it difficult for Hispanics to recognize their national identity due to their oppression by the Anglo-American colonialists. These colonial groups forced Hispanics to speak English in schools and other institutions.  Anzaldua recounted how she remembered being caught speaking Spanish during a holiday and receiving "three blows to the wrists from a sharp-tongued official."" 

Ihe atụ ụfọdụ na-ezo aka na Aztlan n'ihe gbasara nnweta ala. Mgbe United States meriri akụkụ ndịda ọdịda anyanwụ nke North America, ọtụtụ puku ndị Mexico ghọrọ ndị America na mberede ma gbaa ha ume ịnakwere ọdịnala ọdịnala dị iche iche. Ha biri n'otu ala ha nwere mgbe niile, mana a na-ewere ha ugbu a dị ka ndị mba ọzọ. Dị ka De la Torre na Gutierrez si kwuo, ndị ọkà mmụta abụọ nke ọmụmụ Chicano nke dị na Mexico, n'ihi mbata "na-akwadoghị" nke ndị Mexico America na-agagharị na n'ihu gafee ókèala, enwere ike ịnọgide na-enwe njikọ mmekọrịta na nkwekọrịta. A na-ekwu maka Aztlan mgbe ụfọdụ dị ka ala nke United States weghaara na Mexico mgbe Agha Mexico na America gasịrị. De la Torre na Gutierrez na-egosi na n'ihi nke a, Aztlan bụ mgbalị maka ndị Mexico America iji nwetaghachi akụkọ ihe mere eme na njirimara furu efu.

## N'oge a
Taa, ọtụtụ n'ime akụkọ ọdịnala ndị Mexico, ma e wezụga akụkọ ọdịnala kachasị ewu ewu, gụnyere La Llorona, dabere na ọdịbendị ọdịnala. Folklore na-enye ụzọ isi mee ka iguzosi ike n'ihe dị iche iche dị n'otu ebe ọ na-emekarị ezigbo nsogbu, si otú a na-ebelata esemokwu. Nke a na-emetụta esemokwu dị n'etiti ijigide mgbọrọgwụ Mexico na ịnakwere kpamkpam ụzọ ndụ America. Ihe atụ nke a nwere ike ịdị mfe dị ka ịsụ Bekee na-emegide Spanish n'ihu ọha, ma ọ bụ dị oke egwu dị ka ịkọwa dị ka onye America karịa onye Chicano. Esemokwu a dị n'ime ịhọrọ n'etiti njirimara nwere ike iduga na mfu ọdịbendị. N'ime ọha mmadụ nke taa, ọtụtụ ụmụ amaala Mexico na-esi na Mexico na-aga US na-alụ ọgụ na nsogbu ndị a nke njirimara. Akụkọ ọdịnala ụfọdụ a na-akọ taa, dịka ọmụmaatụ The Bracero (Mexican Agricultural Worker), na-egosipụta ọgụ a maka njirimara. Akụkọ a na-agba gburugburu otu nwa okorobịa Mexico nke, n'oge WWII, bịara US maka ọrụ ugbo n'okpuru mmemme Bracero. N'akụkọ ahụ dum, ọ na-ahụ onwe ya n'ọnọdụ ndị na-adịghị mma ebe ọ ga-eme ihe ndị America ma ọ bụ ndị Mexico.  (Ọ bụ ezie na akụkọ ndị ahụ n'onwe ha na-agba gburugburu omume na-atọ ọchị nke na-abụghị nke ziri ezi n'ọdịbendị n'ime usoro ihe omume Bracero.  ) 

Ụdị akụkọ ọdịnala ọzọ nke ọdịbendị Mexico America na-egosi yiri nke Robin Hood. Ihe atụ ga-abụ akụkọ Tiburcio Vasquez. A na-ewere ya dị ka onye mpako nke na-eguzogide ọchịchị ọha na eze ma lụọ ọgụ iji lekọta ma chekwaa ọdịbendị ya. Akụkọ a dabeere na ndụ ya na California ebe, mgbe ọ sonyere n'okwu igbu ọchụ, ọ na-ebi ndụ mgbe niile na-agba ọsọ. Ọ bụ ezie na nkwupụta ya enweghị ihe ndabere, ọ maara na a gaghị emeso ya n'ụzọ ziri ezi ma ọ bụrụ na ọ laghachi n'ụlọ, yabụ ọ lanarịrị dị ka onye ohi. N'otu aka ahụ na Robin Hood, Vasquez nọgidere na-enwe 'izu ohi n'aka ndị ọgaranya, nye ndị ogbenye' echiche, dịka ọmụmaatụ, "Otu isi iyi na-ezo aka na ndị ọ dọtara n'agha dị ka ezì e kere agbụ. "  Ọ bụ ezie na ọ na-agba ọsọ, ya na ọtụtụ ụmụ nwanyị na-eme mfegharị ka ọ na-esi n'obodo gaa n'obodo ọzọ. A na-ewere ya dị ka akụkọ ifo nke akụkọ ọdịnala Mexico, akụkọ ya nwere isiokwu sara mbara karịa ntụrụndụ ma ọ bụ mpụ. Ha na-ekwu maka iguzogide ikike na-ezighị ezi na ịkpa ókè. Akụkọ ndị dị ka Vasquez emetụtala àgwà na omume nke ụmụ nwoke na ụmụ nwanyị Mexico ọbụna taa. Ha na-aghọta akụkọ ndị dị ka ndị a na-ewetara obodo ha olileanya mgbe ndị otu mmekọrịta mmadụ na ibe ya na-achịkwa.

Ka oge na-aga, akụkọ ndị a agbanweela. Ha nwere ike ịnọgide na-agbaso otu akụkọ ahụ, mana ojiji na nkọwa nke akụkọ ndị a agbanweela n'oge a. Ezigbo ihe atụ nke evolushọn a bụ Black Legend (Leyenda negra). Akụkọ ọdịnala a na-enye mmalite nke nkwenye na ndị Spain bụ ndị ọjọọ na ndị obi ọjọọ. Echiche a agbanweela na akụkọ ahụ n'onwe ya ma jiri ya ugbu a kọwaa ụzọ ọjọọ Anglo Americans si emeso ndị Spanish, ọkachasị ndị Mexico America. Akụkọ a, ma ọ bụ ma ọ dịkarịa ala aha ya, ejirila ya mee ihe dị ka ihe na-ezo aka na ajọ mbunobi Latino site na ihe nkiri 2020 La Leyenda Negra .

## Njikọ ya na òtù Chicana
Onye kachasị emetụta ma dị mkpa nye ụmụ nwanyị Mexico na Chicano n'ozuzu ya bụ La Virgen de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalube). A maara ya dị ka Virgin Mary, ọ na-anọchite anya ezigbo nwanyị na omenala Mexico. Ọ bụ ezie na ọ bụ onye nnọchi anya nwanyị, ọ ghọwo ihe ngosi maka mmegbu na mmegbu ụmụ nwanyị. Dị ka okwukwe Katọlik bụ ikike na-akpali n'ime obodo ndị Mexico America, ndị dị ka Virgin Mary nwere nnukwu mkpa na nke dị mkpa. Nke ka mkpa, ọ bụ otu n'ime mmadụ ole na ole dị mkpa na Chicana movement nke bụ nwanyị. N'ịbụ nwanyị, Virgin Mary nwere ike ijikọ na ụmụ nwanyị America niile nke Mexico, dịka a hụrụ na ọrụ Ruiz 'From Out of the Shadows'. Ụfọdụ n'ime ụkpụrụ ndị Virgin Mary kwadoro ma gosipụta gụnyere okwukwe, ike, ezinụlọ, na nnwere onwe. Ka ndị Chicana na-aga n'ihu, a na-atụle ikike ịlaghachi azụ na ụkpụrụ nke Virgin Mary ma tụkwasị ya obi iji nwee ike imeri ihe mgbochi n'ọdịnihu.

Vicki Ruiz, a professor of history and Chicano/Latino studies at the University of California Irvine, includes the ways in which Mexican matriarchs or families instilled values ​​in their daughters based on those inspired by the Virgin Mary. She also discusses the importance of having a real Virgin Mary in the home and how important it is for the entire family. Her presence in the home serves as a place of worship and a reminder to do the right thing. Ruiz also includes how Guadalupe serves as a source of freedom for women. Girls and young women in Mexican American culture use this idea to grow and establish themselves outside of the family and within their communities. Chicana women's groups also use the idea of ​​freedom to separate themselves from the Chicano wave of movements. They both look to Guadalupe for strength and belief in purpose. ha.

## Ihe odide