The state of Oaxaca has more indigenous groups than any other state in Mexico. One of my teachers spoke Zapotec as his first language. Oaxaca city is heavily steeped in that diversity, and it is honored and treasured here.
Dan and I went exploring and we ran across this amazing mural on the theme of the World Cup. At one end is a white guy with devil horns holding a World Cup futbol, then some indigenous children playing futbol, and at the other end, a Tiliche, also wielding a ball.
Tiliche is a slang word in Spanish that means “old rags”. El Tiliche is a reference to the Marmanos- the peasant fieldworkers who couldn’t afford fancy clothes, so they improvised with colored strips of rags and burlap sacs. They would dance in the streets mocking their abusive bosses. El Tiliche represents the uprising of the working class. He’s like the underdog mascot of Oaxaca, and his image is everywhere.
My Spanish is still pretty bad, but after just four weeks of instruction, I (theoretically) know how to conjugate four tenses. I have basic vocabulary, and I understand some grammar. Through my independent study projects (telenovelas, Mezcal tasting), I can navigate a romantic conflict while talking about flavor profiles.