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For my reflection, I chose to write about my family's home state of Zacatecas, Mexico. My parents grew up in a small town called Florencia de Benito Juarez, which is in southern Zacatecas. Technically they grew up in a small village near Florencia called Tonilco.

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The Spanish colonized the region of Zacatecas in the early 1500s. The early Spanish settlers were drawn to the region because vast deposits of silver were found in the region. These silver mines drove the local economy of the region for the next few hundred years; driving Spanish settlements in the region and changing the local culture by converting the natives to Catholicism.

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The region is very mountainous, with lots of hilly grasslands in between. Because of this raising cattle and farming in the region are very common. This has unfortunately resulted in widespread poverty in the region, which has driven many people to emigrate from the state.

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The name Zacatecas is actually an indigenous word from the Nahuatl people meaning "land where there is abundant grass." Interestingly enough, my parents would always call grass "zacate." It wasn't until I got much older and I met other Spanish speaking people that I realized most other Spanish speakers outside of Mexico do not use that word to refer to grass.

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The area of zacatecas was originally inhabited by many different indigenous peoples. Those peoples being: the Caxcan, the Zacateo, and the Guachichil.

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This is mostly based on my own personal experiences. The region remains mostly white to this day as the silver mines were a huge driver of immigration from Spain to the region for a long time. Because of this, Catholicism is the most practiced religion in the region. Many areas of Zacatecas are very rural, and from what I remember when living down there, most of the people who lived outside of the major cities lived a very agrarian and pastoral lifestyle. My own family lived on a ranch outside Florencia and were ranchers for most of their lives before they came to the US. Also, I did not know this until somewhat recently, gorditas is a dish that originated in southern Zacatecas. It was one of my favorite foods my mom used to make growing up and I had no idea for the longest time that it was a dish that was originated in our home state!

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Zacatecas has suffered through various forms of inequality that persist to this day. Structural racism, income inequality, violent crime, are all problems that the people pf Zacatecas have to contend with. My own family left Zacatecas due to poverty. There are few economic opportunities in the state, and what does exist, pays very little. The effects of colonialism can still be felt to this day as indigenous people in the state suffer the most from bigotry and poverty. Over the last few years violence in the state has only gotten worse due to increasing cartel activity. I would theorize that the cartel activity has only been worsened by a globalized world, since most of the drugs manufactured and shipped through the state are sold in the US. Weapons as well can come from outside the state and are shipped in to fuel the violence. Just recently Claudia Sheinbaum attempted to sue the US for knowingly allowing weapons to be smuggled into Mexico from the US, unfortunately it was struck down.

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Globalization has only made cartel violence worse in the region. The improvements in technology and transportation has made the logistics of organized much more efficient and lucrative. And with a lack of economic opportunity in the region, many are willing to turn to organized crime in order to make a living. Drugs are often smuggled from South America, through central Mexico, and into the US; resources for manufacturing drugs are often smuggled in from china; and weapons are often smuggled in from the US.

Globalization was meant to improve the lives of the people of Zacatecas. It was thought that by bringing in manufacturing facilities, it would improve the economic conditions and alleviate poverty in the region, but those effects have yet to be felt. Often times companies move their manufacturing facilities to Mexico because they can pay them less than they would in the US. Many people in Zacatecas leave and emigrate to the US (like my own family) in hopes of forging a better future. It is hard for me to say whether or not globalization has helped the people of Zacatecas. I consider myself a bit of a globalist pessimist. But I remain hopeful that the people of Zacatecas will persevere and create a more prosperous future.

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Mexico, and by extension Zacatecas, is a mixed-economy. The nation employs aspects of both Socialism and Capitalism in its economy. The state has many social programs meant to aid its citizens, programs like IMSS & INSABI. The state also has a nationalized oil company called PEMEX. But overall, the nation is still primarily a capitalist nation.

The economy of Zacatecas is the primary driver of much of the social change the state has experienced. The early colonization of the region was motivated almost entirely by economic factors as the early colonists wanted to mine the region for its rich silver deposits. The lack of economic opportunity has caused a lot of changes to happen over the years, mostly in the form of emigration out of the state or the formation of organized crime.

Most of the organized crime in the area actually exists because of the poverty in the region. Some of the older, longstanding cartels were actually started by farmers and ranchers in the region turning to cannabis cultivation as a means to earn extra money. Eventually cannabis has been legalized in Mexico, in an effort to stop organized crime. But many of these cartels soon turned to other narcotics, or in worse cases other forms of crime like extortion and trafficking.

The state has been making improvements in the area by attempting to attract new industries to the region. Free trade and globalization has allowed many foreign companies to outsource their manufacturing to Zacatecas, which has provided some job opportunities to the people there. The state has also raised minimum wages and help create new social programs to help lift people out of poverty.

In the end, the economy is the reason why the state has changed so much over the years, and I imagine as the economy improves, it will continue to change, hopefully in more positive ways.

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Healthcare has been a major issue in the state of Zacatecas for a long time. Access to affordable and quality healthcare in the state (and Mexico as a whole) has largely been a result of, and influenced by, class divides. Mexico has long had a mix of public and private healthcare programs to provide medical care to her people. Though, the problem is that this system is imperfect, and many people fall through the cracks every year. The vast majority of those affected by the lack of healthcare in Zacatecas tend to be people from poor, rural areas. And since most indigenous peoples in Zacatecas are low income and live in rural areas, they tend to be hit the hardest. Many rural communities lack proper healthcare resources, and thus they very frequently have to travel far to get the care they need. Many of these communities also lack proper education, and as a result, they are often poorly informed on the knowledge they need to care for their own health. This has resulted in a rise in chronic diseases, an over reliance on homeopathic treatments, and overall lower quality of life. Though in recent news, new social programs have been expanding throughout the country that have been providing healthcare to lower income and rural communities. These programs exist in the form of public health insurance initiatives that aim to provide healthcare to everyone regardless of cost. The most recent of these programs instituted in 2023 is the Instituto de Salud para el Bienestar, meant to provide healthcare to those who are not covered under other programs.

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Religion has had a profound effect on the state of Zacatecas. Religion has been a very powerful tool used by Spanish colonizers to subjugate the indigenous communities of Zacatecas. Because the Spanish colonizers were almost entirely Catholic, it remains the predominant religion of the state of Zacatecas to this day.

Spanish Missions played a crucial role in the colonization of Mexico, and thus they were responsible for affecting the ancestors of my community. These Spanish Missions were established in nearby indigenous communities in order to evangelize the local populations. Oftentimes these missions acted as extensions of the Spanish crown, and were responsible for administering the newly acquired territories. Many of these missions would provide education and healthcare to the local peoples, but this usually was meant to be a subversive way of converting the local people to Catholicism. These missions spread allover the Americas, attempting to convert any of the local populations they came into contact with.

Despite the efforts of Colonizers to convert the native populations, some indigenous cultural traditions and beliefs have survived and have been incorporated into the local Catholic beliefs to this day. One of the most famous of these indigenous traditions is the Day of the Dead celebration. Another one of these spiritual beliefs that was incorporated into the local catholic communities was Nuestra Senora De La Santa Muerte. She is the considered to be the personification of death, and she is often prayed to for healing, protection, and safe passage into the afterlife. La Santa Muerte is descended from the Aztec deity Mictecacihuatl; the Aztec goddess of death and ruler of Mictlan, the Aztec underworld. Historically, La Santa Muerte was condemned by the Catholic church, and patronage of La Santa Muerte was strongly discouraged. It wasn't until recently that patronage of La Santa Muerte has become accepted practice.

The state of Zacatecas and her people have suffered a tremendous amount throughout history. The traditions, beliefs, customs, and culture of the region have changed dramatically because of colonization and the Spanish Mission's attempts to evangelize the local indigenous peoples. Still though, some beliefs and cultural practices have survived, creating a unique blend of Spanish and indigenous beliefs & traditions that give the region its unique culture.

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A shrine in Mexico dedicated to La Santa Muerte

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During the age of colonization, several resistance movements sprang up to resist the Spanish attempts to colonize the region. In the region in and around Zacatecas, two major indigenous resistance movements occurred, which led to the Mixton War and the Chichimeca War. These wars lasted throughout 1540-1542 and 1550-1600 respectively. These wars were fought by the Caxcanes, Zacatecos, and the Guachichile peoples. Ultimately, the Spanish succeeded in putting down these rebellions, and as a result they executed many of the people who participated in the rebellions. Those that weren't killed were forced to work in Spanish mines or farms. This eventually resulted in the indigenous people of the region to become assimilated into Spanish culture and identity, and as a result the indigenous identity slowly disappeared from the region.

Spanish colonization resulted in an immense amount of social change. Local traditions, beliefs, customs, and identity was either wiped away or incorporated into the Spanish colonies over the next couple hundred years. But this didn't come without resistance from the native people who lived there. Because of this, some native cultural traditions and identity have managed to survive.

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The state of Zacatecas has undergone a tremendous amount of change over the last few hundred years, and is still undergoing through social changes today. Religion, economics, and globalization have been the primary drivers of this change both in the past and in the present.

Globalization

Globalization as had a huge impact on the people of Zacatecas. Usually through the form of colonization, economic policy, and immigration. Zacatecas has had its culture and society changed in dramatic ways as it has become more incorporated into the international community.

Religion

Religion was a major force for change in Zacatecas. It was a powerful tool that the colonizers used to subjugate, assimilate, and influence the people of Zacatecas. Over the course of hundreds of years, Spanish missions sought to evangelize the indigenous peoples of Zacatecas. Gradually the old traditions, customs, and beliefs of the indigenous peoples was either erased or incorporated into the Catholic belief system.

Economics

Economic conditions in Zacatecas is probably the root cause of much of the problems and changes that Zacatecas has face in recent years. Poverty has plagued the region for a long time, and many rural, indigenous people lack an education or opportunities to earn higher incomes. Indigenous peoples also face an immense amount of discrimination, and because of their lower social location, they tend to be the most frequent victims of violent crime. Poverty is also the reason many turn to organized crime, as many people in the state see it as their only opportunity to earn a decent income. The economics of the region has led to an increase in crime and outward migration away from the state. Many of the people who flee tend to be poor, rural people. This has caused the demographics of the region to change over the years as many of the people who flee tend to be of native descent.

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Safety in Mexico, and especially in Zacatecas, is a huge problem and has been for a very long time. Organized crime is the primary driver of crime and violence in the region. The state and law enforcement have failed to properly curtail the violent crime plaguing the state. Often times, they have participated in the organized crime themselves through corruption and bribery. Other times they exacerbate the violence in their efforts to stop organized crime. Crime and violence has only gotten worse in Zacatecas as the years go by. Speaking from my own personal experiences, Zacatecas has always had active organized crime, but the violence felt contained. When I lived there as a child it was fairly safe for me and my family to live there, but over the last decade the violence has been escalating. It is the dangers of living in Zacatecas that has been driving so many to leave the state, and it is the violence that often keeps the state from prospering as many businesses are afraid to invest in the state out of fear of violence. All this taken into consideration, violence has been a major driver of change in the region. It has driven emigration and prevented the state from thriving economically.

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Locals perform a commemorative dance honoring their ancestors resistance to colonial rule.

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https://relatosehistorias.mx/nuestras-historias/la-guerra-del-mixton