Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

This November, as a work trip I had the privilege of attending FIL, the international book festival in Guadalajara. I work in collection development of Spanish language materials for the city library, so this proved a rich experience for both my acquisitions work, and for my own personal understanding of Mexican national identity where I have familial roots.

I studied International Studies in undergrad, with a focus on Latin America. During that time I read many texts on the tumultuous history of Mexico, but I didn’t internalize the existential question Mexico has posed to itself again and again : “who are we and what do we stand for?” I saw this question asked and answered over and over again, expressed in the architecture, murals, and culinary arts. Mexico lives at the rich intersection of Native, Spanish, French and American influence, where food, music, and art all blossom into a National identity worthy of mass export. This trip has renewed my interest in the history of revolution in Mexico, and sparked a new curiosity about the territory of Mexico in North American relations from the Elizabethan era to present.