Mexican American History

1. Students will write an argumentative research paper on a topic of Mesoamerica or colonial Mexico.
2. A requirement for the paper is that whatever topic is chosen students have to write its historical or
cultural importance during Mesoamerican or colonial times and also argue how it is still relevant to
the contemporary Mexican or Chicano/a community.
3. Because it is only a five-page research paper, I am asking you to narrow your focus to a very specific
topic, issue, or theme.
a. If you choose to write your paper on a Mesoamerican topic, do not write your paper on a
whole culture. Instead, write in on something very specific such as their social hierarchy,
a religious view, gender roles, child rearing, agriculture, folklore, or other, and its
continued importance, legacy, or relevance to contemporary Mexicans and Chicano/as.
For example, The Day of the Dead is an indigenous tradition. What was it? Why did
Mesoamericans celebrate it? What did it represent to them? Was it ritualistic? In
contemporary Mexican/Chicano/a culture it is still celebrated. Why? Is it still important?
Has it changed much over time? If it has, why?
b. If you choose colonial Mexico, remember that the conquest of Mexico changed the
Mesoamerican world and introduced a new colonial rule. Spain introduced new foods,
religious views, political rules, traditions, different cultural values, slavery, diseases, new
social classes, and so on. In some cases, it was to the detriment of the Mexican people, in
other cases it enhanced or altered the traditional lifestyle. Consider studying the legacy
of the conquest by focusing on something very specific during colonial times and its
legacy and/or continued significance to contemporary Mexicans and Chicano/as. For
example, Mesoamericans did not have farm animals such as horses, pigs, chickens,
lambs, and cows. The introduction of these animals by the Spaniards changed the
traditional Mesoamerican cuisine. How did it change it? What did it do to their diet?
Their economy? Their lifestyle? The legacy of this in contemporary culture is still felt in
modern cuisine. How? Explain it.
Research Paper Instructions:
1. The research paper has to be in MLA style, typed, double spaced and with a 10 or 12 font size only.
The Purdue website is a good resource to use if you need help writing or understanding the MLA
style of writing a research paper. I attached its web link:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/ml
a_formatting_and_style_guide.html
2. The written paper has to be at least five complete pages long, with the works cited page as the fifth
page. The research papers are allowed to be longer, but please do not go over seven pages.
 Any paper less than five complete pages long, including the works cited page, will be
incomplete, returned and not graded.
3. The works cited page has to have a minimum of five sources and each source has to be cited at least
once in your text. Make sure you follow the MLA style for the works cited page and the in-text
citations. Please do not use the class text as one of your sources.
4. You need to have a solid thesis clearly stating what the purpose (or argument) of your paper is.
5. Students are encouraged to use a wide range of sources to analyze the subject matter. For example,
students should look into primary and secondary sources such as media outlets, internet sources,
books, magazine articles, journals, and newspapers.