"I'm sorry, are you a drug addict or a TV junkie?"

[babylonsister]

https://www.facebook.com/marlenelockett

Marlene Chambley Lockett

Gringo: - Hi, where are you from?
Mexican: - Hi, I’m from Mexico.
Gringo: - Ah! The land of Chapo Guzmán, narcos, marihuana, crime and extortion.
Mexican -I’m sorry, are you a drug addict or a TV junkie?
Gringo - No!!! Why?

Mexican -Because if you were an athlete or sports fan, you would have identified Mexico with Ana Guevara, Hugo Sanchez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Finito, Chicharito Hernandez, Canelo Alvarez, Rafael Marquez, etc.

If you were an educated person, you would have asked about the Aztec empire, the Mayan culture, the Olmecs or any other of the great mesoamerican cultures.

If you were a well traveled person you would have talked about our majestic archaeological sites, our tourist-friendly colonial cities, our megalopolis or our exotic beaches… the astonishing biodiversity of our rainforests, mountain ranges, deserts, conifer forests…

You could have identified Mexico with our great painters, Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, Frida Khalo, José Clemente Orozco; our composers: Agustín Lara, Consuelo Velázquez, Armando Manzanero, Juan Gabriel, Jose Alfredo Jimenez, our writers and poets: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Juan Rulfo, Octavio Paz, Juan José Arreola, Elena Poniatowska, Amado Nervo, Jaime Sabines;

our inventors or scientists: Manuel Mondragón, Guillermo González Camarera, Luis Ernesto Miramontes;

our cinematographers: Ismael Rodríguez, Emilio Fernández, Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Emmanuel Lubezki, and even Luis Buñuel, who, being originally from Spain, chose to adopt the Mexican nationality...

If you were a gourmand, you would have asked about Tamales, Cochinita Pibil, Mole, Adobo, Chilaquiles, Chiles en nogada, Guacamole, Pan de Muerto, etc. Or our traditional beverages: Tequila, Mezcal, wines and beers.

However, I can see, the only thing you can relate to Mexico is the provider to American drug addicts...
I just want you to realize that México is a lot more than what ignorant people and fear-mongering media knows or chooses to propagate.
There are millions of honest Mexicans, who even without knowing you, will open the door to our homes, and that if you care to visit, you will love to get to know us and to visit us. Mexico is even more than I can possibly tell you!

VIVA MÉXICO!
Pass it on to help people understand Mexico.
(Copied) Thank you, Robin Mullen.

[brush]

1. Thank you. Well said.

[niyad]

2. KNR

[plimsoll]

3. Ral Alcal

Andy Hampsten teammate from the 7-11 cycling team. Really a great cyclist.

[judesedit]

4. x 100

[1WorldHope]

5. Wonderful knowledge to be shared far and wide. nt

[MLAA]

6. Right on!

[Hekate]

7. Wonderful

[NBachers]

8. Well done!

[Paladin]

9. Very well stated. Gracias. (nt)

[fierywoman]

10. To the composers, please add Carlos Chavez and Revueltas and Moncayo; as a young person I

remember reading Edward Weston's first diary that took place in Mexico City and the rich culture there that inspired him.

[Wednesdays]

26. Juventino Rosas

Whose waltz, "Sobre las olas," now merely associated with circus music, was originally intended to be a serious classical composition. Rosas, who was destined to become a world-class composer, died at age 26 before he could realize his full potential.

[ShazzieB]

11. Love this!

This piece is lovely! But as a Frida Kahlo fan, I feel compelled to point out that her last name is spelled with the "h" in the middle of the other 4 letters. The way it's spelled on the cover of this book. 😀

[malaise]

12. An excellent OP

Thanks and Rec

[markodochartaigh]

13. Not to give away a family secret...

but if you use pecans instead of walnuts for the sauce for chiles en nogada the result is amazing. And chiles rellenos? For vegetarians the chiles can be stuffed with cornbread dressing, rice, couscous, etc. mixed with your favorite spices, caramelized onion, chopped vegetables, raisins or cranberries, and covered with a vegetarian friendly sauce.

[KarenS]

14. Thank you!

I want to do some research on some of these people & places.

[Lonestarblue]

15. Cochinita pibil--oh yum! I haven't had that in a long time since my favorite Mexican restaurant

in Austin closed.

[GoCubsGo]

16. Chicagoans can relate.

We hear the same kind of BS talking points whenever "Chicago" gets mentioned. "Crime blahblahblah", "gun violence blahblahblahfartblahblah", "Chiraq droooolslurpblahhhblahhahhhhh""". 'Democrat run cesspoool bblabbbblablpffffftblurpblabbbberblabbblabb"... Same shit. Same idiots. It's so fucking tiresome. And, it's embarrassing that there are so many ignorant Americans out there, who are so blatantly propagandized.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

18. Wish I could remember who was unexpectedly promoting travel.

Seemed like a great idea to promote traveling to another country. When I was coming of age my sister and I spent a month traveling through Europe. It was such an eye opener. Then I moved to London for three years and learned so much more about the USA from an outsider's POV. Even traveling across Canada was a big eye opener.

I can't convince any of my Republucan relatives to travel.

[Axelrods_Typewriter]

33. I hear the same thing from the country yokels around me.

Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, doesn't matter the city. They think they're all "democrat shitholes" infested with drugs. They don't take a look around them, there's about as much drug use and activity around this area, but they think it's squeaky-clean just because it's not a "democrat city".

[SleeplessinSoCal]

17. It seems like we are a nation of addicts.

Either drugs, tv, guns, gossip. Too many to contemplate. And it's very problematic. Add AI and . . .

[Sympthsical]

19. I like how she gets mad at a conversation she made up

I also grow irrationally angry at conversations I have with myself. Lemme tell ya, some of those soliloquies in the kitchen get tense.

She could have just said, "Hey, here's a list of awesome things about Mexico!" But nah, she had to A) Invent someone B) Create the dialogue from whole cloth then C) provide readers with a path to feeling superior to this fictitious person so it'd get more likes and shares.

If someone was locked in a room watching nothing but Narcos, maybe that dialogue would track. Except plenty of Americans everywhere know all kinds of culture, history, and famous people from Mexico just by general cultural osmosis. Go to any bar, they'll have Mexican beers. I'm supposed to believe sports fans have no idea who Mexican athletes are? Have you seen sports fans? They'll tell you every athlete's shoe size through the years if you let them.

And let's not get into incredibly unknown and little discussed *checks* Salma Hayek, Guillermo Del Toro, and Alfonso Cuaron who are all incredibly popular Hollywood figures.

This is pure racial catnip.

Why is it so easy?

[yardwork]

28. To be fair, Trump has said these things.

Maybe she was talking to Trump. But, why bother?

[calimary]

20. And if you're into arts 'n' crafts, you'd have to ask

about the murals, the garments, embroidery, fabrics, and personal adornment, the pinata-making, the weaving, the illustrations and public art. And the clay/ceramic works - all that wonderful pottery, folk art, and symbology!

And the music!!!

[OldBaldy1701E]

21. Ms. Lockett, I am from the south.

Believe me, I feel your pain. There are times when one might think that every bad thing in the world originated from the southern USA.

[ejbr]

22. Love it

Another Mexican director that I find fantastic is Autoro Ripstein. Tragic plots, but superb nonetheless.

[electric_blue68]

23. Nicely done! I do know some of each of those (non-drug!) catagories...

I remember a good while back the NY Times did a piece on (if I have right) these island & canals in a section of Mexico City where a whole lot of flowers were grown for the Market. It sounded so wonderful!

Then last year the Urbanist guide who's name I'm blanking on 🙄 - ? Alex Vega, ?Rivera (on his site he has his wonderful travel vids but didn't see his name)...

Anyway he went to Mexico City. We saw the Temple of the Sun from a distance, and you really could see with a vid how *massive* it is!
Then he strolled around a gigantic indoors market! Very cool.

I've had Tex-Mex, L.A.-Mex, New Mexico-Mex (in NM), and even probably some full Mexican cooking at some small restaurants here in NYC.
One place when I lived on Brooklyn had crickets (I didn't), but a wonderful Ancho chilli rub + other stuff roasted chicken.

[Uncle Joe]

24. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread babylonsister

[Joinfortmill]

25. 👍

[yardwork]

27. Mmmmm... tamales.

[wnylib]

32. Sopapillas for dessert.

Two of my closest friends as an adult were Mexican women who married Americans and became US citizens.

Both were excellent cooks and many times I enjoyed home made mole, tamales, frijoles refritos, flan, sopapillas, empanadas, and more.

Sadly, both of them have passed away.

[GenThePerservering]

29. Mexico has such a long and storied history

and a rich culture - we're actually lucky to be able to share some of it.

[bringthePaine]

30. olz do not overlokk another amazing contribution: viva la musica!

[usonian]

31. I look forward to USONA. The United States of North America.

Land of Apple Pie, Chiles rellenos and back bacon.