The Hispanic Population of Rural Central Louisiana and Their Traditions By William F. Manger Agricultural Sector Non-Agricultural Employment Mexican Traditions / Religious Traditions Secular Holidays Food and Music Traditions / Conclusions   Food and Music Traditions Hispanic food, music, and dance traditions are maintained as much as possible by workers. It can be somewhat difficult, however, given that there are few stores that cater to Hispanics and no Mexican radio or television stations in Central Louisiana. To receive Spanish language television stations, for example, a satellite dish is required. The Ruiz family of Alexandria now has satellite television, without which, Sara Ruiz said they would not be able to have contact with their Hispanic culture. Some Hispanic foods can be obtained from Wal-Mart and larger grocery store chains. There are also several small convenience stores that specialize in Hispanic foods located in Forest Hill, Alexandria, and across state lines in Nagadoches, Texas. A number of Hispanic residents, however, drive to Houston to shop at the Fiesta Supermarket chain. The lower prices obtained in Houston were said to make the trip worthwhile. While most workers in Central Louisiana drive to Houston to obtain traditional goods, those further north are more likely to go to Dallas. Mexican restaurants can be found throughout the area and are primarily Mexican owned, but it was noted that the food they serve is very different from traditional Mexican food. Several Hispanic residents therefore said that they do not eat out at Mexican restaurants very often. The Ruiz family of Alexandria said that they sometimes purchase goat meat from a farmer located to the north in Boyce and a local friend butchers the goat them. Sara Ruiz said, however, that she has been able to get a greater variety of foods over the past two to three years because grocery stores allow customers to special order food. Conclusion Whether temporary or permanent residents, Hispanics have become an important part of Central Louisiana. Moreover, their influence can be found in rural areas, small towns, and cities throughout the region. Their presence is not always noticed by residents of the region, except where they reside in large numbers, but Hispanics play an important economic and cultural role in Central Louisiana. They provide an important source of labor in economic sectors where it is difficult to obtain a sufficient number of local workers. At the same time, Hispanic workers and residents are a significant market for many local businesses. In addition to the purchase of daily necessities, temporary workers often buy products to take home to their families at the end of each work season. Several members of the Hispanic community have also opened businesses, including nurseries, convenience stores, restaurants, and a store that sells traditional Mexican crafts. Hispanic culture is also becoming more widespread in Louisiana. This is particularly noticeable in the greater availability of Mexican foods in supermarkets and restaurants. Whether they realize it or not, residents of Central Louisiana, are therefore increasingly being exposed to Mexican and Mexican-American culture. Dr. William Manger is an Assistant Professor of Geography in the Department of Social Sciences at Texas A&M International University. This article was prepared as part of the New Population Project. Also see his article, The Mexican Community of Forest Hill, Louisiana. Bibliography Bauer, Mary. 2007. Close to Slavery: Guestworker Programs in the United States. Montgomery, AL: Southern Poverty Law Center. Brandes, Stanley. 2007. The Great Festivals of Colonial Mexico City: Performing Power and Identity. New York: Wiley-Blackwell. Covarrubias, Luis. n.d. Mexican Native Dances. Mexico, D.F.: Eugenio Fischgrund. Curcio-Nagy, Linda A. 2004. The Great Festivals of Colonial Mexico City: Performing Power and Identity. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. Davidow, Joie. 1999. Infusions of Healing: A Treasury of Mexican-American Herbal Remedies. New York: Fireside. Dickins, Guillermina. 1950. Dances of Mexico. London: Max Parrish. Donica, Karina. 2007. Mass in Spanish, a Cultural Experience. The Town Talk Saturday, May 26, 2007, p. D1. Ets, Maria Hall and Labastida, Aurora. 1991. Nine Days to Christmas: A Story of Mexico. London: Puffin. Griffin, Andrew. 2003. Holiday Food from Around the World. The Town Talk Wednesday, December 10, 2003, p. 1D. Griffin, Andrew. 2004. A Taste of Home. The Town Talk Wednesday, October 13, 2004, pp. 1D-2D. Illsley, Linda. 1999. Food and Festivals: Mexico. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers. Jacobs, Sam G., Bishop. 1992. Diocese of Alexandria Hispanic Communities. Alexandria: Diocese of Alexandria. Johnston, Edith. 1986. Regional Dances of Mexico. Lincolnwood, IL: Passport Books. Kay, Margarita Artschwager. 1996. Healing with Plants in the American and Mexican West. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. Latorre, Dolores L. 1977. Cooking and Curing with Mexican Herbs. Austin, TX: Encino Press. Marcus, Rebecca B. and Marcus, Judith. 1974. Fiesta Time in Mexico. Champaign, IL: Garrard Publishing Co. Martinez, Maximino. 1969. Plantas Medicinales de Mexico. Mexico: Andres Botas. Menard, Valerie. 2004. The Latino Holiday Book. New York: Marlowe & Company. Moreno Rivas, Yolanda. 1989. Historia de la música popular mexicana. Mexico, D.F.: Alianza Editorial Mexicana. Morgan, Robert. 2004. Cenla has Budding Hispanic Population. The Town Talk Friday, October 15, 2004, p. 1A & 8A. Morgan, Robert. 2004. Hispanics in Cenla. The Town Talk Monday, September 27, 2004, pp. 1A & 5A. Peña, Manuel. 1999. The Mexican American Orquestra. Austin: University of Texas Press. Porter, Eduardo. 2006. Here Illegally, Working Hard and Paying Taxes. New York Times Monday, June 19, 2006, pp. 1 Porter, Eduardo. 2006. Katrina Begets a Baby Boom by Immigrants. New York Times Monday December 11, 2006, p. 1. Rodriguez, Jeanette. 2005. Our Lady of Guadalupe: Faith and Empowerment among Mexican-American Women. Austin: University of Texas Press. Rodriguez, Sylvia. 1996. The Matachines Dance: Ritual Symbolism and Interethnic Relations in the Upper Rio Grande Valley. Publications of the American Folklore Society. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. Ross, Corrine. 1976. Christmas in Mexico. Chicago, IL: World Book Encyclopedia, Inc. Schwendener, Norma and Tibbels, Averil. 1934. How to Perform the Dances of Old Mexico. New York: A.S. Barns and Company. Steele, Thomas J. 1994. Santos and Saints: The Religious Folk Art of Hispanic New Mexico. Santa Fe, NM: Ancient City Press. West, John O. 1989. Mexican-American Folklore. Little Rock, AR: August House.

Folklife in Louisiana Home | Living Traditions Home | Louisiana Voices: Educator's Guide Folklife Program Introduction | Planning and Funding Folklife Projects Overview of Louisiana's Traditional Cultures | News, Events & Programs Links | Site Map & Search | Credits | Contact Us/Link to Us Louisiana Division of the Arts | Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism Copyright 1999 Louisiana Division of the Arts, PO Box 44247, Baton Rouge, LA 70804, tel 225-342-8180