Tex Mex- Defined

The term Tex Mex was first used in the 1940s, and refered to mexican recipies adapted by texan cooks. Ex: enchiladas, tacos, refried beans, chimichangas, and nachos. Tex Mex resturants were first seem in the southwestern part of the U.S. in cities with large mexican populations. Diana Kennedy is credited with elevating Tex Mex to trendy status, in 1972. As with all trendy foreign foods, what most americans call mexican food is actually americianized "mexican" food. Our version of tacos is different from the real mexican tacos, and burritos are a mexican-american dish, which was created in America. Despite popular belif not all mexican food is spicy. This proves that it is difficult to define what exactly mexican food is. The only definiton I have found that seems at all satisfactory is "food that originates in mexico, and is authentic," and some say that you will never find "authentic" mexican food in a resturant because they take too many shortcuts. So what is it that makes a dish Tex Mex instead of Mexican? The main difference between the two is ingredients, and the amount of time put into making the dish. A common example of this is chili. Texan chili relies mainly on beef, while Mexican chili relies heavily on beans. Tex Mex combines the two together. When one thinks of Tex Mex they should think of Taco Bell, Paco's Taco, and Serranos. These resturants all serve Tex Mex dishes. As is expected, however, the idea of what Tex Mex should be varies slightly from region to region as it changes to suit the taste of the people of the region.

La Llorona

La Llorona # 4

1: A young, very beautiful, but also very poor girl is seduced by a wealthy young man. When she becomes pregnant he abandons her. When the child is born she discards it by throwing it into a watercourse. Shortly afterward she dies. When she appears at the Gates, St. Peter tells her that, because she lived a blameless life save for her one indiscretion, she will be allowed to enter Heaven—but only if she brings with her the soul of her child. She is condemned, therefore, to wander watersides, calling “¡Mi niño! ¡Mi niño!” in search of the soul of the child she cast away until she finds it. 


2: There was a woman with a son and daughter whose husband had abandoned her. Desperate, poor, and hungry the woman decided that her children would be better off with God. So she took them to the edge of the river and dropped them in and they drowned. Realizing what she had done, and unable to save her children, she herself jumped in and drowned. Now they say that at night you can hear her sobbing and wailing for her children: "Mis niños...donde están mis niños?" 


3: Once a poor man was married to a beautiful woman who lived in his village. The couple was very much in love, but the man insisted that they were too poor to have any children. When he found out his wife was pregnant, the man was very angry. He told the woman they could not keep the child. After the birth of his son, the man drowned the child in the river. His wife, too weak from giving birth to get up from the bed, pleaded in vain with her husband to spare the life of her child. Several more sons were born to the couple, and the poor man drowned every one. The day the poor man took his fifth child to the river, his wife followed even though she was still weak and bleeding from giving birth. When he threw the child in the river, the woman went in after her son, determined to save the boy even though she did not know how to swim. The woman and her baby were swept away by the current and they both drowned. The very next night, the woman's spirit returned to the river beside her home, wailing and searching for the sons she had lost. At first, the poor man was terrified by the spirit of his wife. He begged her to return to the spirit realm. But she did not hear him. Night after night, the woman returned to the river, wailing and wringing her hands in her grief. The poor man became angry. But he could not stop the ghost of his wife from searching for her sons. Finally, the sound of the wailing woman drove the man mad. He grabbed a knife and jumped into the river after the spirit to kill her. But the poor man did not know how to swim. The current swept him away and he drowned. From that day to this, the spirit of La Llorona -- the wailing woman -- still haunts the waters and lakes, weeping and wailing and searching for her sons.


4: Once there was a widow who wished to marry a rich nobleman. However, the nobleman did not want to raise another man's children and he dismissed her. The widow was determined to have the nobleman for her own, so the widow drowned her children to be free of them. When she told the nobleman what she had done, he was horrified and would have nothing more to do with her. As she left him, the widow was overcome by the terrible crime she had committed and went to the river, looking for her children. But they were gone. She drowned herself and her spirit was condemned to wander the waterways, weeping and searching for her children until the end of time.


1, 4, and 2 both have her killing her children, but in 1 she does it because she feels they would be better off dead, in 4 she does it to marry the nobleman, and in 2 she does it because her husband left her. In 3 she doesn't kill her children, her husband does. She then drowns trying to save them.  In 1 she is told that the only way she can enter heaven is if she brings the soul of her child with her, and in 2 and 4 she searches for them out of guilt. In 3 she is searching for the children her husband killed. All follow the same basic outline, with 3 being the one most different. 1 seems to be a more religious version, and 2 seems to be version that more people could relate to. 4 seems to be the version that is less relatable, but still understandable in some strange, perverse way. 

La Llorona # 9

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/l/lamia.html
Lamia Vs. Llorona
Differences: Lamia is portrayed as having the body of a snake, and the torso of a woman. The Lamia has also been portrayed as a male, hermaphrodite, or a female. She was said to drink the blood of children. Also, Lamia was a queen, and did not kill her own children, but those of others. She did this out of jealously, as her children were killed by the Greek Goddess Hera.
Similarities: Both Lamia and Llorona were said to kill children.






http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/medea.html
Medea Vs. Llorona
Differences: Medea was a sorceress who murdered her brother, and a king for the man she was in love with, Jason. She also killed Jason's new wife.
Similarities: Both had their lover leave them from a woman of higher rank, and killed their children in desperation.




http://darkartsmedia.com/Banshee.html
http://www.movilleinishowen.com/history/mythology/legend_of_the_banshee.htm
Banshee Vs. Llorona
Differences: The Banshee didn't have any children, and it is not specified where or how she died.
Similarities: Both are said to be seen near rivers, and both are usually crying when encountered. Encountering either is said to be a warning of death.



http://www.pantheon.org/articles/c/cihuacoatl.html
Ciuacoatl Vs. Llorona
Differences: Ciuacoatl is the patron goddess of birth and women who died during childbirth. Ciuacoatl is said to have abandoned her son at the crossroads and returns only to find a sacrificial knife.
Similarities: Both have dead children, who they are said to weep for. People say they both steal away children to replace the ones they lost.





http://thedemoniacal.blogspot.com/2009/12/rusalka.html
Rusalka Vs. Llorona
Differences: The Rusalka is described as a mermaid type creature, who spends half the year in the water, and the other half on land. They are said to be faeries, or the souls of young women who died by drowning. They are also said to kill young men, instead of taking children.
Similarities: Both are often seen near water, ad are said to be very beautiful.

http://www.gnosis.org/lilith.htm
Lilith Vs. Llorona
Differences: Lilith was cursed by god for leaving Adam. As punishment 100 of her children would die daily, and she swore to never kill a child if it bore the amulet of the three angels sent to fetch her above it.   She also was immortal, and never drowned.
Similarities: Both killed their own children.






I liked all the different stories, but I liked the Banshee the best. She has several different tales, and isn't actually said to kill anyone. In fact, it is said that she cries because she is in mourning for the one to die.

La Llorona # 10 (Collage)

Don't go down to the river child, don't go there alone. For the Weeping Woman, wet and wild, might claim you as her own.

*Collage*

Carmen Lomas Garza Project

© Carmen Lomas Garza, "Blessing"

1. La madrina, María, esta ayudando Camila con Eliana. 
2. La cuñada, Adriana, lleva un vestido azul, y esta poniendo maquillaje en el espejo.
3. La madre, Camila, lleva un vestido rosado, y esta preparando su hija. 
4. La hija de Amaya, Bianca, esta haciendo un corona de flores.
5. La nuera de Camila, Lucia, lleva un vestido verde y rosado. Ella esta trenzando el pelo de Bianca.
6. La abuela, Sofia, lleva un vestido negro y blanco. Ella esta haciendo nada.
7. La novia, Eliana, no esta haciendo nada tampoco. 
8. El padrino, Leonardo, esta dando su benedición. 
9. La hermana, Reyna, esta cosiendo la vestido de Eliana.
10. La novio, Veto, esta esperando para su novia. 

Versos Sencillos

Estrofa 6

Yo he visto al aguila herida
volar al azul sereno,
y morir en su guarida
la vibora del veneno.