Modern architecture in Mexico has an important development in the plasticity of form and

space, José Villagrán García develops a theory of form that sets the pattern of teaching in
many schools of architecture in the country within functionalism. The emergence of the
new Mexican architecture was born as a formal order of the policies of a nationalist state
that sought modernity and the differentiation of other nations. Juan O'Gorman was one of
the first environmental architects in Mexico, developing the "organic" theory, trying to
integrate the building with the landscape within the same approaches of Frank Lloyd
Wright.[321] In the search for a new architecture that does not resemble the styles of the past,
it achieves a joint manifestation with the mural painting and the landscaping.
The Jalisco School was a proposal of those socio-political movements that the country
demanded. Luis Barragán managed to combine the shape of the space with forms of rural
vernacular architecture of Mexico and Mediterranean countries (Spain-Morocco),
integrating an impressive color that handles light and shade in different tones and opens a
look at the international minimalism.
Mexican architecture is a cultural phenomenon born of the ideology of nationalist
governments of the 20th century, which was shaping the identity image by its colorful and
variegated ornamental elements inherited from ancestral cultures, classical and
monumental forms and, subsequently, the incorporation of modernism and cutting-edge
international trends.

The Mexican (Lo mexicano)

In ethnic and cultural terms, Lo mexicano corresponds only to everything that is referred to
the Aztec culture; therefore, ethnically Mexicans are those who are also known
as Nahuasand whose language is Nahuatl.[322] There is a strong discussion to define The
Mexican (Lo mexicano); There are two completely divided aspects: ethnic and cultural,
which focuses exclusively on the Mesoamerican people called Mexica people, and the
legal-administrative aspect of the territory called Mexico. In legal terms and in accordance
with the Constitution, Mexican is a citizen born within the territory of the United Mexican
States or whoever has decided adopt the Mexican citizenship.
The Mexican could be what characterizes the being of Mexico and its people; however, it is
an ethnic concept that only defines the mestizo identity that had been related for a long
time and that is limited with respect to the ethnic diversity of the country. It is an intellectual
construction product of the approaches of specialists to the cultural reality of the country. In
trying to capture in a single figure the multicultural reality of Mexico, the result of the
intellectual analysis has produced a series of stereotypes and truisms about what it is to be
a Mexican. This discourse about The Mexican has been used in the political field to
legitimize power, and at the same time it is imposed on the population of the country as a
fact beyond all doubt.
The intellectual construction of the mestizo is in dialogue with the triumph of revolutionary
nationalism, which was born after the Mexican Revolution. In the reflection on the subject
(the character of the Mexican, the mexicanity, the definition of a Mexican) have
participated, among others: José Vasconcelos,[323] Samuel Ramos,[324] Emilio Uranga,[325] José
Gaos, Leopoldo Zea, Jorge Portilla, Santiago Ramírez, Salvador Pérez Nevares, Roger
Bartra, José del Val, Arturo Warman, Aniceto Aramoni, Rogelio Díaz Guerrero, Ezequiel
Adeodato Chávez Lavista, Mauro Rodríguez Estrada and Carlos Chilpa Navarrete.[326] In
this specific topic, occupies a privileged place Octavio Paz, author of The Labyrinth of
Solitude.

Literature
Main articles: Mexican literature and Mesoamerican literature
Mexican literature has its antecedents in the literatures of the indigenous settlements of
Mesoamerica. The most well known prehispanic poet is Nezahualcoyotl. Modern Mexican
literature was influenced by the concepts of the Spanish colonialization of Mesoamerica.
Outstanding colonial writers and poets include Juan Ruiz de Alarcón and Juana Inés de la
Cruz.
Other writers include Alfonso Reyes, José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi, Ignacio Manuel
Altamirano, Carlos Fuentes, Octavio Paz (Nobel Laureate), Renato Leduc, Carlos
Monsiváis, Elena Poniatowska, Mariano Azuela ("Los de abajo") and Juan Rulfo ("Pedro
Páramo"). Bruno Traven wrote "Canasta de cuentos mexicanos" (Mexican tales basket),
"El tesoro de la Sierra Madre" (Treasure of the Sierra Madre).

Visual arts
See also: Mexican art

The Palacio de Bellas Artes is the preeminent fine arts hall in Mexico.

Post-revolutionary art in Mexico had its expression in the works of renowned artists such
as David Alfaro Siqueiros, Federico Cantú Garza, Frida Kahlo, Juan O'Gorman, José
Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and Rufino Tamayo. Diego Rivera, the most well-known
figure of Mexican muralism, painted the Man at the Crossroads at the Rockefeller Center in
New York City, a huge mural that was destroyed the next year because of the inclusion of a
portrait of Russian communist leader Lenin.[327] Some of Rivera's murals are displayed at the
Mexican National Palace and the Palace of Fine Arts.
Mesoamerican architecture is mostly noted for its pyramids which are the largest such
structures outside of Ancient Egypt.[citation needed]Spanish Colonial architecture is marked by the
contrast between the simple, solid construction demanded by the new environment and the
Baroque ornamentation exported from Spain. [citation needed] Mexico, as the center of New Spain
has some of the most renowned buildings built in this style.

Cinema
Main article: Cinema of Mexico

Actress Dolores del Río, Hollywood star in the 1920s and 1930s and prominent figure of the Golden
Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s
Mexican films from the Golden Age in the 1940s and 1950s are the greatest examples of
Latin American cinema, with a huge industry comparable to the Hollywood of those years.
Mexican films were exported and exhibited in all of Latin America and Europe. Maria
Candelaria (1943) by Emilio Fernández, was one of the first films awarded a Palme d'Or at
the Cannes Film Festival in 1946, the first time the event was held after World War II. The
famous Spanish-born director Luis Buñuel realized in Mexico between 1947 and 1965
some of his masterpieces like Los Olvidados (1949) and Viridiana (1961). Famous actors
and actresses from this period include María Félix, Pedro Infante, Dolores del Río, Jorge
Negrete and the comedian Cantinflas.
More recently, films such as Como agua para chocolate (1992), Cronos (1993), Y tu mamá
también (2001), and Pan's Labyrinth (2006) have been successful in creating universal
stories about contemporary subjects, and were internationally recognized, as in the
prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Mexican directors Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores
perros, Babel, Birdman, The Revenant), Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Harry Potter
and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Gravity), Guillermo del Toro, Carlos Carrera (The Crime of
Father Amaro), screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga and photographer Emmanuel Lubezki are
some of the most known present-day film makers.
Some Mexican actors have achieved recognition as Hollywood stars. These include Ramon
Novarro, Dolores del Río, Lupe Vélez, Gilbert Roland, Anthony Quinn, Katy
Jurado, Ricardo Montalbán and Salma Hayek.

Media
Further information: Mexican television and List of newspapers in Mexico
There are three major television companies in Mexico that own the primary networks and
broadcast covering all nation, Televisa, TV Azteca and Imagen Television. Televisa is also
the largest producer of Spanish-language content in the world and also the world's largest
Spanish-language media network.[328] Media company Grupo Imagen is another national
coverage television broadcaster in Mexico, that also owns the newspaper Excélsior. Grupo
Multimedios is another media conglomerate with Spanish-language broadcasting in
Mexico, Spain, and the United States. The telenovelas are very traditional in Mexico and
are translated to many languages and seen all over the world with renowned names
like Verónica Castro, Lucía Méndez and Thalía.

Music
Main article: Music of Mexico

Mariachi playing his guitarrón. Mariachi is a musical expression inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible
Cultural Heritage List in 2011.

Mexican society enjoys a vast array of music genres, showing the diversity of Mexican
culture. Traditional music includes mariachi, banda, norteño, ranchera and corridos; on an
everyday basis most Mexicans listen to contemporary music such as pop, rock, etc. in both
English and Spanish. Mexico has the largest media industry in Latin America, producing
Mexican artists who are famous in Central and South America and parts of Europe,
especially Spain.
Some well-known Mexican singers are Thalía, Luis Miguel, Juan Gabriel, Alejandro
Fernández, Julieta Venegas, Gloria Trevi and Paulina Rubio. Mexican singers of traditional
music are: Lila Downs, Susana Harp, Jaramar, GEO Meneses and Alejandra Robles.
Popular groups are Café Tacuba, Caifanes, Molotov, Panda and Maná, among others.
Since the early years of the 2000s (decade), Mexican rock has seen widespread growth
both domestically and internationally.[citation needed]
According to the Sistema Nacional de Fomento Musical, there are between 120 and 140
youth orchestras affiliated to this federal agency from all federal states. [citation needed] Some
states, through their state agencies in charge of culture and the arts—Ministry or Secretary
or Institute or Council of Culture, or in some cases the Secretary of Education or the State
University—sponsor the activities of a professional symphony orchestra or philharmonic
orchestra so all citizens can have access to this artistic expression from the field of
classical music. Mexico City is the most intense hub of this activity, hosting 12 professional
orchestras sponsored by different agencies such as the National Institute of Fine Arts, the
Secretary of Culture of the Federal District, The National University, the National
Polytechnic Institute, a Delegación Política (Coyoacán) and private ventures. [citation needed]
Folk music
Mexican music is the result of diverse influences. Very little is known about Pre-Hispanic
music, although there are many groups that claim that tradition throughout the country.
The Danza del Venado, of the Yaqui Indians of Sonora and Mayos of Sonora and Sinaloa,
is one of the few testimonies of Pre-Hispanic music that have persisted to this day, both in
its instrumentation and in the lyrics; although there are also records of the sones of the
custom of other ethnic groups such as the Tének of San Luis Potosí and its Danza del
tigrillo or the Huaves of Oaxaca and its Sones de la tortuga, etc. In the Pre-Columbian
towns, the only stringed instrument used was the percussion arch and the music was more
rhythmic and creative of atmospheres than melodic. Also the eeneg (monochord), of the
family of the chordophones, is used by the Komkaak. Among the instruments used
were teponaztliand huehuetl, the former being an idiophone instrument and the latter
an membranophone instrument; the ocarinas and flutes of mud or reed, scrapers of bone or
wood, and rattles. After the arrival of the Spaniards, the natives learned European music
from the missionaries. Many of the Conquest dances that are practiced in the indigenous
communities of the country have their origin in that time; as well as certain genres
associated with Catholic worship, such as Danza de Matachines and Son de Concheros,
among others. In Tabasco, in the city of Tenosique, every year the carnival is celebrated,
which many say is the rarest in the world, which begins with the Danza del Pochó . The
endemic indigenous music was also strongly influenced by the dances of the slaves and
the maroon black, something that is easier to appreciate in the music of the indigenous
communities of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Tabasco, among others.
Opera

Teatro Juárez in Guanajuato City

In 1711 the opera La Parténope was premiered in Mexico City with music by Manuel de
Sumaya, master of the cathedral chapel together with Francisco López Capillas and Juan
Gutiérrez de Padilla, one of the greatest Mexican Baroque composers, the special
importance of this opera is that it is the first one composed in North America, [329] this opera
gives beginning to the fertile and still little studied history of the Mexican operatic creation
that has not been interrupted since then for three hundred years.
The opera Guatemotzín, by Aniceto Ortega, is the first conscious attempt to incorporate
native elements to the formal characteristics of the opera. Within the Mexican operatic
production of the 19th century stand out the opera Agorante, rey de la Nubia of Miguel
Meneses, premiered during the commemorative festivities for the birthday of the
emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, the operas Pirro de Aragón by Leonardo
Canales, Keofar by Felipe Villanueva and above all the operatic production of Melesio
Morales, the most important Mexican composer of operas of the 19th century, whose works
had great success among the public of Mexico City and which were released in Europe. In
the first half of the 20th century they excel in the Mexican operatic creation Julián
Carrillo, Sofía Cancino de Cuevas, José Fracisco Vásquez among others, all of them were
relegated by the official musical historiography that he only recognized the work of
nationalist composers.
Since the late 20th century there is a growing interest of composers to write opera. Among
the Mexican composers of the beginning of the 21st century who excel with their operas
should be mentioned Federico Ibarra Groth, Daniel Catán, Víctor Rasgado, Luis Jaime
Cortez, Julio Estrada, Gabriela Ortiz among others.

Cuisine
Main article: Mexican cuisine
See also: Mexican wine

The first chocolate version (liquid) was made by indigenous people in present-day Mexico, and was
exported from Mexico to Europe after the Spanish conquest. [330]

Mole sauce, which has dozens of varieties across the Republic, is seen as a symbol
of Mexicanidad[331] and is considered Mexico's national dish.[331]

In 2005, Mexico presented the candidature of its gastronomy for World Heritage Site of
UNESCO, being the first occasion in which a country had presented its gastronomic
tradition for this purpose.[332] However, in a first instance the result was negative, because
the committee did not place the proper emphasis on the importance of corn in Mexican
cuisine.[333] Finally, on November 16 of 2010 Mexican gastronomy was recognized
as Intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.[334]
The origin of the current Mexican cuisine is established during the Spanish colonization,
being a mixture of the foods of Spain and the native indigenous.[335] Of foods originated in
Mexico is the corn, the pepper vegetables(together with Central and South
America), calabazas (together with the Americas), avocados, sweet potato(together with
Central and South America), the turkey (together with the Americas) and other fruits and
spices. Other Indigenous products are many beans. Similarly, some cooking techniques
used today are inherited from pre-Hispanic peoples, such as the nixtamalization of corn,
the cooking of food in ovens at ground level, grinding in molcajete and metate. With the
Spaniards came the pork, beef and chicken meats; peppercorn, sugar, milk and all its
derivatives, wheat and rice, citrus fruits and another constellation of ingredients that are
part of the daily diet of Mexicans.
From this meeting of millennia old two culinary traditions, were born pozole, mole
sauce, barbacoa and tamale is in its current forms, the chocolate, a large range
of breads, tacos, and the broad repertoire of Mexican street foods. Beverages such
as atole, champurrado, milk chocolate and aguas frescas were born; desserts such
as acitrón and the full range of crystallized sweets, rompope, cajeta, jericaya and the wide
repertoire of delights created in the convents of nuns in all parts of the country.
Some Mexican beverages have crossed their borders from ancient times and are
consumed daily in Central America, United States, Canada, Spain and Philippines; such is
the case of margarita, agua de raíz and tequila.
The history of the country and its links with other peoples allowed the incorporation of other
cuisines to Mexican cuisine. The Manila galleon, brought from the east a range of
varied spices and above all, the rice. A good mole poblano is unthinkable without Mexican
rice. The Arab cuisine came to Mexico indirectly through the Spanish conquerors.
The invasions left their mark on the entire Mexican culture, and cooking is no exception.
The taste for ground beef came with the Belgian army of Carlota of Mexico. The pan de
caja was, according to legend, an invention of the American troops who came to Mexico in
1847. The arrival of immigrants from other latitudes throughout the 19th and 20th centuries
also participated in the construction of Mexican cuisine. As an example, the Italian cheeses
and the polenta that are made today in Chipilo, Puebla; or the Frenchs of Orizaba as well
as their bread and (German Mennonites) of Chihuahua. The English miners of State of
Hidalgo laid the foundations of paste, a puff pastry stuffed today with the same cheese and
potatoes as the green mole of pumpkin seeds.
The torta are bocadillos made with telera bread and, like the tacos, various foods such as
ham and cheese, carne al pastor, cochinita pibil, chicken meat. It is said that they
originated during the Reform War when it was necessary to find a way to distribute food
among the Mexican troops.
There are many beverages typical of Mexican cuisine: aguas
frescas, atoles, chocolate, mezcal, tequila, wine, tepache, charanda, tejuino.

Sports
Main article: Sport in Mexico

The Estadio Azteca, regarded as one of the iconic football stadiums in the world, hosted the 1970
and 1986 World Cup finals and was the main venue of the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Mexico's most popular sport is association football. It is commonly believed that football
was introduced in Mexico by Cornish miners at the end of the 19th century. By 1902 a five-
team league had emerged with a strong British influence. [336][337] Mexico's top clubs
are América with 12 championships, Guadalajara with 11, and Toluca with 10.[338] Antonio
Carbajal was the first player to appear in five World Cups,[339] and Hugo Sánchez was
named best CONCACAF player of the 20th century by IFFHS.[340]
Game at the Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey. Baseball is most popular in the North (particularly
Northwest) and Southeast of Mexico.

The Mexican professional baseball league is named the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol. While
usually not as strong as the United States, the Caribbean countries and Japan, Mexico has
nonetheless achieved several international baseball titles. [citation needed] Mexican teams have
won the Caribbean Series nine times. Mexico has had several players signed by Major
League teams, the most famous of them being Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela.
Mexico City hosted the XIX Olympic Games in 1968, making it the first Latin American city
to do so.[341] The country has also hosted the FIFA World Cup twice, in 1970 and 1986.[342]
In 2013, Mexico's basketball team won the Americas Basketball Championship and
qualified for the 2014 Basketball World Cup where it reached the playoffs. Because of
these achievements the country earned the hosting rights for the 2015 FIBA Americas
Championship.[343]
Bullfighting is a popular sport in the country, and almost all large cities have bullrings. Plaza
México in Mexico City, is the largest bullring in the world, which seats 55,000 people.
Professional wrestling (or Lucha libre in Spanish) is a major crowd draw with national
promotions such as AAA, CMLL and others.

Charrería, considered a
national sport,[344] have its
Old Mesoamerican origin in Colonial Mexico. Mexican wrestling
ballgame

Mexico is an international power in professional boxing (at the amateur level, several
Olympic boxing medals have also been won by Mexico). Vicente Saldivar, Rubén
Olivares, Salvador Sánchez, Julio César Chávez, Ricardo Lopez and Erik Morales are but
a few Mexican fighters who have been ranked among the best of all time. [345]
Notable Mexican athletes include golfer Lorena Ochoa, who was ranked first in
the LPGA world rankings prior to her retirement,[346] Ana Guevara, former world champion of
the 400 metres (1,300 ft) and Olympic subchampion in Athens 2004, Fernando Platas, four-
time Olympic medal winning diver, and taekwondo fighter María Espinoza, most decorated
Mexican female Olympian.

Health
Main article: Healthcare in Mexico
Since the early 1990s, Mexico entered a transitional stage in the health of its population
and some indicators such as mortality patterns are identical to those found in highly
developed countries like Germany or Japan. [347] Mexico's medical infrastructure is highly
rated for the most part and is usually excellent in major cities, [348][349] but rural communities
still lack equipment for advanced medical procedures, forcing patients in those locations to
travel to the closest urban areas to get specialized medical care. [118] Social determinants of
health can be used to evaluate the state of health in Mexico.
State-funded institutions such as Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) and the Institute
for Social Security and Services for State Workers (ISSSTE) play a major role in health and
social security. Private health services are also very important and account for 13% of all
medical units in the country.[350]
Medical training is done mostly at public universities with much specializations done in
vocational or internship settings. Some public universities in Mexico, such as the University
of Guadalajara, have signed agreements with the U.S. to receive and train American
students in Medicine. Health care costs in private institutions and prescription drugs in
Mexico are on average lower than that of its North American economic partners. [348]

Education
Main article: Education in Mexico

Central Library of the National Autonomous University of Mexico

Public Library of the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo's reading room

In 2004, the literacy rate was at 97% [351] for youth under the age of 14 and 91% for people
over 15,[352] placing Mexico at the 24th place in the world rank according to UNESCO.[353]
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ranks 190th place in the Top 200 World
University Ranking published by The Times Higher Education Supplement in 2009.
[354]
Private business schools also stand out in international rankings. IPADE and EGADE,
the business schools of Universidad Panamericana and of Monterrey Institute of
Technology and Higher Education respectively, were ranked in the top 10 in a survey
conducted by The Wall Street Journal among recruiters outside the United States.[355]