Tribute to "La Virgen de Guadalupe"
in Beverly Hills and New York
by
Miroslava Flores
La Voz de Aztlan
Los Angeles, Alta California - November 5, 2003 - Two events, one today and another later this month, are proof of the ever increasing influence of "La Reina de Mexico" in the United States of America. The
first event, to occur this evening, is the passing across the US/Mexico
border of the "Torch of Guadalupe" on its way to New York City. The
second event, to take place on November 17 in Beverly Hills, is the
unveiling of an extraordinarily beautiful sculpture of "La Virgen" by
Lladro of Valencia, Spain.
The 2nd Annual "Carrera Guadalupana: Mexico City - New York" sponsored by the "Asociacion Tepeyac de New York" has great religious and cultural significance for Mexican immigrants in the United States. The relay race, which most probably will become a yearly tradition, originates at Tepeyac located in Tenochtitlan (Mexico City). Tepeyac is the sacred ground where Tonatzin or Tecuauhtlacuepeuh which in the Nahuatl language means "She who comes flying from the Region of Light like an Eagle of Fire" miraculously appeared on December 12, 1531 to the Aztec Prince Cuauhtlatoahtzin, now canonized as St. Juan Diego by the Vatican. Today, Tecuauhtlacuepeuh is known as "La Virgen de Guadalupe" or "La Reina de Mexico (Queen of Mexico)."
This year's "Carrera Guadalupana" has as a theme "Messengers for the
Dignity of a People Divided by the Border". The lighting of a "torch"
and carrying it by relay runners to areas where the sons and daughters
of Tonatzin (La Virgen de Guadalupe) reside has it roots in ancient
Aztec culture. Each year, in an Aztec religious ceremony, a "torch"
would be lit in the heart of Tenochtitlan and carried to remote regions
of the Aztec Empire including Aztlan, as a symbol of protection and the
spreading of the "Light" of Tecuauhtlacuepeuh. This tradition has taken
special significance today for Mexican immigrants in the United States
because of the violence along the US/Mexico border and physical attacks
by racist bigots in New York state.
Today at 8:00 PM, nine Mexican congressmen representing all Mexican political parties will carry the "Guadalupan Torch" across the border at the Matamoros International Bridge. There will be a rally there where the Mexican congressmen will be calling for their counterparts in the US Congress to support the bill "Border Security and Immigration Improvement Act (HR 2899)". The relay runners are also taking a message from the Mexican Congress and will deliver it to US Congressmen on December 8th, in Washington, D.C. on their way to New York City. New York City now represents the most remote city in the US where there is a large Mexican population.
The second tribute to "La Virgen de Guadalupe" will take place on November 17 when Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angeles will bless a limited number of beautiful Lladro porcelain sculptures of "La Virgen de Guadalupe" to be unveiled at a special benefit reception in Beverly Hills on the evening of November 20. The world renown Lladro of Valencia, Spain will utilized the funds raised during the evening's festivities to benefit the "In Your Hands" project in Mexico. "In Your Hands" helps artisans in the Mexican village of Zautla, to continue with their only means of living: sculpting and selling pottery. In the town of Zautla, Mexico, 1,200 families make a living from sculpting and selling their clay goods. The present environment in which the Indigenous artisans live is extremely disadvantaged making Lladro's assistance necessary. Lladro also had humble origins in Spain. It was founded by three brothers Juan, Jose and Vicente Lladro and now it has a strong presence in over 120 countries.
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