Mexico Celebrates the Dia de la Raza
It all started on October 12th, 1492 when Christopher Columbus discovered new coastlines; unbeknownst to him this was the first contact between Europe and America, when the famous “meeting of two worlds” first took place. This event changed the way we view the world and is considered memorable by many. Interestingly, Columbus believed he had arrived in India, and was unaware that he had reached an entirely different continent.
Years later, journeys and expeditions were made by important historical figures such as Francisco Hernandez de Cordova, Juan de Grijalva and Amerigo Vespuccio, the latter of which finally proved that Columbus had reached a new continent and named it America.
Dia de la Raza is celebrated on different dates in different places, but it was instituted for the purpose of uniting countries with common languages, origins and religion. In Mexico, it was made official in the year 1928 and is also known as the “Day of the discovery of America “.
Aside from discovering different geography from what was previously known, new identities were also born in the villages. This meeting of cultures laid the foundation for the modern cultural identity of Mexico today.
Happy Dia de la Raza and let’s celebrate the multiculturalism of the world!