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Both of my parents come from this town, with the plaza being the place "to be" for people of this village in Jalisco, Mexico.

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Vicente Fernandez is one of the "greats" in Mexican musical history. This song is my favorite and when my mom and I sing it, we sing from the heart, wondering so much about decisions that she made as a single mom in my early childhood and how things turned out for those we left behind.

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Vicente Fernández - Acá Entre Nos (En Vivo)

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Selena was my idol growing up, having to navigate these two worlds of being Mexican and American and not seen as "enough" on either side. This song, especially, connects to often only having photographs and memories of deep personal connections.

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My parents' home in the neighborhood of West Elsdon in southwest Chicago.

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The Trail near my first childhood home

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Bobby Knight, the Indiana University basketball coach who guided the Hoosiers to three NCAA championships, has died at 83, his family said.

Knight, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, died Wednesday surrounded by his family at his home in Bloomington, Indiana, his family said in a statement. They did not provide a cause of death.

"We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers, and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored," his family said. "We will continue to celebrate his life and remember him, today and forever as a beloved Husband, Father, Coach, and Friend."

Knight was called "a legend among coaches" by the Basketball Hall of Fame, where he was inducted in 1991.

He played for the Ohio State Buckeyes when the team captured the 1960 NCAA championship, and he coached the Indiana Hoosiers from 1971 to 2000 - when the team won three NCAA titles.

Knight also coached on the world stage. In 1984, he led the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team when it won the gold medal at the Summer Games in Los Angeles.

Knight was the Big Ten coach of the year five times and a four-time national coach of the year.

"He changed basketball in this state, the way you compete, the way you win," Steve Alford, the leader of Knight's last national championship team in 1987, once said. "It started in Indiana, but he really changed college basketball. You look at the motion offense, and people everywhere used it."

Knight was born Robert Knight in Massillon, Ohio, on Oct. 25, 1940, but he was known as Bob or Bobby.

He is one of only three coaches to have won the "triple crown," with an NCAA title, a National Invitation Tournament title and an Olympic gold medal, the Hall of Fame said.

Nicknamed "the General," Knight had an intensity that was on display on the court. In 1985, he famously threw a chair onto the court and was ejected during a game against Purdue.

He was suspended for one game and put on probation for two years by the Big Ten, and Indiana chained the chairs together for both benches after the incident.

Indiana fired Knight in 2000 for violating then-university President Myles Brand's zero-tolerance policy by grabbing the arm of a 19-year-old student to lecture him about manners.

In 1979, Knight was charged with assaulting a police officer in Puerto Rico during a practice session of the U.S. basketball team for the Pan American Games after an argument about using a gymnasium, UPI reported at the time.

He left the island before a trial, Indiana officials rejected requests to extradite him on the misdemeanor, and he later apologized, the agency reported.

At his enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame, after an introduction by friend and fellow Hall of Famer Pete Newell, Knight appeared to joke about the incident.

"Pete, if you're ever asked by the people in Puerto Rico for me to come there and give a clinic, would you tell them I'm tied up?" Knight said to laughter.

After Indiana, Knight coached at Texas Tech from 2001 to 2008. He had also coached at Army from 1965 to 1971, before Indiana.

Knight retired from Texas Tech in February 2008 and was replaced by his son Pat Knight.

Knight's family requested that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the Alzheimer's Association or Marian University in Indianapolis, but donations to any charity in his name are also appreciated, the family said.

Indiana basketball called Knight one of the most successful and influential figures in the history of college basketball on social media.

"With unmatched accomplishment, Coach Knight's brilliance ensures he will forever rest among the giants of college basketball," Indiana University President Pamela Whitten said in a statement.

Indiana Gov.Eric Holcomb called Knight "a towering basketball figure and fighter, second to none."

Knight said the awards and recognition that come with coaching are about more than one person.

"I've never felt comfortable with the award coach of the year or coach of anything," Knight said in his Hall of Fame speech. "I think there's a much more appropriate nomenclature that could be used, and that would be: team of the year.

"Because for a team to develop to a point where a coach is recognized for what that team has done is an indication that the players, the assistant coaches, everyone involved has really put forth an outstanding effort," he said. "And that is truly a team honor."

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Bobby Knight, legendary Indiana Hoosiers basketball coach, dies at 83

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Knight won the NCAA championship as a player, led the Indiana Hoosiers to three championships as a coach and helped the U.S. men capture Olympic Gold in 1984.

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It is hard to trace exact origins. My grandparents traveled to the town in Italy where my great-grandfather is from, but there had been a fire in the church and all records were destroyed. The Polish records were lost in WW2.

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My family is one where there are a lot of farmers in them. The farm is where both my grandparents lived and made their living. This is the start of the origin story, as there was later immigration to the United States and Chicago. It is important to realize the value of the Earth and the value of labor to where we are today.

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The value of education is instrumental to my family and its success. My father received a 3rd-grade education and came to America with all the drive in the world to learn English and earn a better way of life for his family in Mexico and the one he would start with my mother. He always emphasized the importance of Education and ensuring his children had an easier life than he did. always said we get educated to defend ourselves and that has stuck with me.

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I connect to my father's side of the family and my grandparents' home is in Ahuehuepan. This is the pueblito where my grandparents purchased land--using the money my grandpa made in the U.S.--for them and their four kids. When they purchased the land, they envisioned all of their kids and their families living next to each other... a dream they didn't get to see.

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My father, aunt, and grandmother moved to Chicago with my grandpa in search of a better life with the dream of one day returning to Mexico. Citizenship allowed my grandparents to come and go, but my aunt has yet to return to her homeland. As a young girl, I lived in an apartment in Bucktown. When my parents divorced I was sent to Mexico to live with my grandparents. A year and a half later, I returned and lived in Logan Square with my aunt. As gentrification continued, we moved west. Into the Hermosa neighborhood where my aunt purchased a home.

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Sonidero Dancing GIF - Sonidero Dancing Dance Move - Discover & Share GIFs

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The perfect Sonidero Dancing Dance Move Animated GIF for your conversation. Discover and Share the best GIFs on Tenor.

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Mexican Cowboys and Señoritas.

This is not your average cowboy rodeo event. This photo essay captures the drama of the sport Charreria best described as traditional Mexican horsemanship. It's a fast-paced sport packed with action and passion.

According to some folk, Guadalajara has the oldest lienzo, (arena) and charro (cowboy) associations in Mexico. Jalisco has been the host for more national charro and Charrería championship competitions than any other state in Mexico.

Being in Guadalajara our local friend Oscar and his charming girlfriend Angeles offered to take us to the semifinals event. This was the Mexican National Charro Championship, held as part of the International Mariachi and Charreria Festival each September. The best mariachis and charros from around the world gather to show off their skills.

It is a lively, noisy, social affair with brightly coloured dresses and charro suits. Different Mariachi bands play music the entire 9 hours of the event, One direction has bugger all on these musicians! The food stalls were a buzz of activity with vendors walking around selling Tequila mix drinks, beers and everything else to keep the thirst away. The food is like all Mexican food, bloody amazing and tasty!

Charreadas  is a Mexican traditional competition that tests a charro's lassoing, wild-bull riding, and horse-control skills to the limit.

The history and culture goes back to the 17th and 18th centuries and has evolved over time into this sport. It originated from farm-hands working with cattle and horses or vaqueros or rancheros competing against each to test their skills.

Todays Charreada came after the Mexican Revolution as charro traditions were disappearing due to urbanisation and other influences. The competing charros mostly come from families with a tradition of Charreria.Teams today are often made up from extended families that have been competing for generations.

Eventually it developed into a competition when neighbouring haciendas (farms) would come together with their cows and horses to sell or for branding. In addition, the hosting haciendado was presented with the opportunity of showing their hospitality, for allowing people to meet, dance and party.

The original competitions tested abilities such as  lassoing horses and bulls, breaking in wild horses and catching runaway bulls. From the nine tests for modern day charrería, only bull-riding and the paso del muerte (step of death) - jumping from one horse to another while riding are not everyday farm work and came about to exhibit a bit more flair and showmanship.

Being a charro and dressing as a charro is a matter of pride and honour and is taken quite seriously. It is partly due to the heritage of wars fought for independence and the humble heritage of the people that there is such a strong bond to the legacy.

And don't think the charro attire is just some fancy swagger 'pimp my style' clothing. The main creators of this Mexican cowboy attire were rural women; most are handmade and beautifully stitched. There are strict rules and the dress code is part of the Charreria event.

The rope or lasso is a special type of ropethat is quite costly. They are kept in special bags and only used when competing.

Strange as it may be, and many people say it's animal abuse, but the charros and everybody involved in the sport are pure animal lovers. To be a charro is not just the occasional weekend quick saddling up of a horse on a Saturday, throw back a few tequilas and show some redneck look at me while you hold my beer type of thing. It's a serious thing and the animal issue is contentious. I do not have enough information to even begin offering an opinion, and I don't want to. There is enough on the internet and Wiki articles about these events and the issues around it for each to make up their own opinion.

Our aim is to convey what is in the world and our experiences while travelling. What is normal to us is not normal to others and vice versa. Some events, cultures and beliefs might not be what we are accustomed to, but that does not make it right or wrong. That is why we travel, why we seek to experience as much of this world, its cultures and people as we can. We try and experience the cultures and beliefs without passing judgement.

These charros and girls are professionals and they are super in-tune with the animals and horses. They are athletes who follow strict training routines. Their feeling for the horse must be spot on and they pay much attention to what the horse does and how it reacts. The horses are extremely well trained to perform with the rider as they do. Charreria is a way of life for them, treating animals with respect and care, not just a Saturday fun ride. Kids start at a young age mastering the skills of lazo or roping and caring for the horses.

It is a dangerous sport and people and animals can get hurt or killed.

But from our point of view, the rules, the way it is done, is all in such a way that the safety for animals and riders are a priority.

Back in the day, the charros were considered bandits and criminals but that has changed. American Clint Eastwood type movies and Mexican movies have helped change that view. Today Charreria is not an amateur sport anymore, it's a proper professional sport and there are even Americans teams competing.

Piales en Lienzo (Heeling); a horseman must throw a lariat; let a horse run through the loop, catching it by the hind legs.

Colas en el Lienzo, or Coleadero (Steer Tailing) similar to bull dogging except that the rider does not dismount; the charro rides alongside the left side of the bull, wraps its tail around his right leg, and tries to bring the bull down in a roll as he rides past it.

Jineteo de Toro (Bull riding) similar to the rodeo event. Bulls are smaller, between 990 and 1320 pounds, and are ridden until they stop bucking. The charro cannot fall off; he must dismount and land upright.

Terna en el Ruedo (Team Roping); a team roping event in which three charros attempt to rope a bull - one by its neck, one by its hind legs, and the last then ties its feet together.

Jineteo de Yegua (Bareback on a wild mare); similar to Bareback bronc riding. Yegua means mare. An untrained horse, often a mare, is ridden with a bullrope.

Manganas a Pie (Forefooting) a charro on foot (pie) has three opportunities to rope a horse by its front legs and cause it to fall and roll once. The horse, usually a mare, is chased around the ring by three mounted charros or hazers. Extra points are given for the tirón del ahorcado (hanged pull) in which the rope is around the charro's neck, like a noose, and he uses his body to cause the mare to fall and roll.

Manganas a Caballo or (Forefooting on Horseback) a charro on horseback has three opportunities to rope a horse by its front legs. In the USA, the horses are not rolled; they are released as soon as they are roped. But elsewhere, the goal is to have the horse fall and roll once. The horse is chased around the ring by three mounted charros.

El Paso de la Muerte (The pass of death) a charro riding bareback, with reins, attempts to leap from his own horse to the bare back of a loose, unbroken horse without reins and ride it until it stops bucking. The most dangerous part of this is if the charro performing the pass falls under three other mounted charros that are chasing the loose horse round the arena ring.

Escaramuza (English: "skirmish") Since the 1950's, this breath-taking event adds beauty and elegance to the Charreada. During this event a team of 8-12 women riding sidesaddle and dressed in colorful Adelita dresses perform a variety of precision riding techniques. Years of training by the rulebook make this event art, sport, and an extension of the culture that is Charreria. It is usually held between the Coleadero and the Jineteo de Toro.

It is an exhilarating event to witness and to see humans and animals perform with such skills.
There's much to be said for this kind of authentic culture, sport and way of life that most people in the world living in cities and urban areas never experience or maybe not understand.

Written by michnus

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Charrería - The art of Mexican horsemanship

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Mexican Cowboys and Señoritas. This is not your average cowboy rodeo event. This photo essay captures the drama of the sport Charreria best described as traditional Mexican horsemanship. It's a fast-paced sport packed with action and passion. According to some folk, Guadalajara has the oldest lienzo, (arena) and charro (cowboy) associations in Mexico.

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Jibaro is the name of the rural farmers of Puerto Rico. All my grandparents on my Puerto Rican side and their parents and so on were Jibaros, working on farms, farming tobacco or sugar cane. I think about this a lot and reflect on how my life is drastically different than theirs just a difference of two generations.

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I think that putting this as an integral part of the overall story because Chicago has a lot of opportunity and it is what brought my parents here. It is also what is bringing so many students here and the hope for a better life is something that I hope can be passed on to other students.

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Puerto Rico's version of "America the Beautiful," this was a song my grandma would sing reminiscing about Puerto Rico.

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Javier Solís - En Mi Viejo San Juan ((Cover Audio)(Video))

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Orizaba | Description, Economy, History, & Facts

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Orizaba, city, west-central Veracruz estado (state), east-central Mexico. It lies in a fertile, well-drained, and temperate valley of the Sierra Madre Oriental, over which towers Citlaltépetl (also called Pico de Orizaba), a snowcapped volcano. The town was founded by Spaniards in the 16th century

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This is the small rural town my Mexican ancestors originated from.

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I lived in Alaska for 5 years as a child, then 4 summers as a tween/teen. My father lives there with his wife, and my brother lives there (although his mother have now moved to Oregon), so I travel there and share it with my husband and children. I feel a connection to the state and hope to visit the Katmai National Park and Brooks River bears one day.

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This is the humboldt park boathouse. My family has lived in humboldt park for the better part of 40 years in various different sections of it. I also have taught locally and seen the neighborhood change. The neighborhood is the place I call home ans wehre I choose to be in Chicago

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This is an indigenous park that contains the meeting grounds of the indigenous tribe located in the town where my father was born.

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My family from both sides come from the state of Zacatecas.

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My dad said that the first time he left home to come to the US, he heard this song (not by Alejandro Fernandez)playing as he was getting on the bus, and it brought him to tears. I love this song, because of my dad's connection to it, but also because the lyrics express the sentiment that so many who leave their homeland must feel.

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I always dreamed of living in another country. First, it was the idea of going to DC for college. But I stayed and went to DePaul. Then, I decided I would spend summers in France teaching English. But I didn't follow through. Then, I got accepted for a temporary 8mo job in Australia, but I didn't go. I chose to stay and go to Northwestern for Master's. I fell in love and my dreams changed from leaving to staying and raising a family surrounded by family. Life had other plans. So now I'm just a little bird working on the courage to fly.

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This monument is in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. This is the neighborhood my parents called home when they immigrated to Chicago in 1970. They lived right by this monument. My mom liked it because it reminded her of the "Angel de la Libertad" in CDMX.

Many people from my parents' hometown lived near this monument and they often referred to it as. "La Aguilita." And then they nicknamed this area, "Tayahuita," because so many people from Tayahua (their hometown) lived there and often used this as a hangout spot.

This "Aguilita" holds a special place in my heart. This is the the place that my Chicago roots were planted.