Cultural Mash-Ups Are An American Tradition
Two days before Christmas, the Associated Press introduced its readers to Poncho Claus, the Tex-Mex Santa.
It's yet another example of cultural cross-breeding in the United States. Poncho Claus is the Mexican-American Saint Nick.
In his many manifestations Poncho Claus is accessorized with trinkets of the culture he was born from: sombreros, zoot suits, and donkeys. The AP reports his origins stem from the Chicano civil rights movement in Texas and California.
Cultural mash-ups are everywhere in America. Mexican traditions are particularly contagious and spreading beyond their mainstay in the Southwest.
But it's often in case that in the U.S. culture is less about tradition and more about making a buck.
Las Vegas International airport reportedly welcomed a record number of Mexican citizens this September during Mexico's Independence Day holiday. The city is marketing itself as a destination for Mexicans looking for a quickie vacation.
Efforts to mix culture with profit sometimes end up badly, as was the case when the Disney Enterprises, Inc. wanted to trademark the phrase "Día de los Muertos." The phrase is Spanish for Day of the Dead, a sacred holiday in Mexico honoring deceased loved ones.
The Latino community responded with online outrage to the news and Disney retracted their trademark request within hours.
In other occasions the marriage of two cultures creates delicious outcomes. This summer Fronteras Desk produced a series on tacos in America. One of our stories described the success of a couple who mixed Korean barbecue with Mexican tacos.
Among the more unexpected cultural collisions this year was the translation of the movie "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" into Navajo. KUNM reported it was the first time a major motion picture was translated into a Native American language. The effort was a means to get a younger generation excited about Navajo in hopes of ensuring its ongoing future.
