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PEYOTE
Peyote has played a spiritual role in the native lives of the people of the Americas before the conquest of European forces. When the conquerors entered the American's the use of peyote was condemned and even criminalized. Even with the criminalization of peyote, the use of peyote has continued as a sacramental role to the Indians of Mexico. In 1976, the United States government granted the Native Americans the right to use Peyote in religious practices.
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DOÑA LEO LA PATRONA
Doña Leo La Patrona and a small group of women aid struggling migrants of Latin America by providing and distributing food as they pass through the town of La Patrona, Venezuela on cargo trains. Doña Leo and her group cooked hundreds of meals to help eliminate the harsh traveling conditions of journeys to the north. Doña Leo's is persistent in helping the migrants and her passion has not ceased, even at the age of 90.
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AMERICAN JAGUAR
The American Jaguar has now been placed on the endangered species list after being hunted to near extinction in America. The American jaguar is native to the Southwestern region of America migrating to northern portions of Mexico. The migration is crucial to its survival and the Mexico-America border prevents this natural movement north.
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HUMMINGBIRD
The hummingbird is a natural migrator. There are eighteen known species of hummingbirds north of the Mexican border. Hummingbirds are known to migrate south during the winter. Unfortunately, there are many signs that show the number of hummingbirds decreasing in America.
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OLMEC HEADS
he Olmec are now recognized as the predecessors of the Mayan and Aztec civilizations. The Olmec lived between 1200 BC to 400 AC. The Olmec settled in the southern region of Mexico and Central America. The head featured in the mural are massive stone heads, massive altars, and sophisticated statues. The Olmec is one of the oldest known civilizations in the America's.
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CORN (MAIZE)
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was an international trade agreement between Mexico, the United States, and Canada. NAFTA opened the Mexican market and allowed for corn to be sold without tariffs. The impact of opening the market led to millions of displaced Mexican farmers because they no longer could compete with the subsidized foreign corn. NAFTA and the effects of corn affected the lives of indigenous population as well as the peasants.
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BOOTS
The DREAM Act was first written with community service component, but later was rewritten to include a military piece to encourage support. The bill states two years in the military, but there are no military contracts that allow a person to serve two years in the military. A typical military contract runs for eight years.
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BORDER CROSSING
In 2011, there were 327,577 border detentions. Approximately 11 million undocumented migrants live in the United States and each year 400,000 undocumented migrants are deported.
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QUETZALCOATL
An Aztec who has the symbol of the Feathered Serpent or Precious Twin. Quetzalcoatl is the god of creation and the giver of life. Representations of the god first appeared in the 3rd to 8th century CE. Later, in the 9th and 12th centuries, he was thought to represent the Patron of Priests.
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JOSE ANTONIO GUTIERREZ
Jose Antonio Gutierrez was one of the first soldiers killed in the Iraq war. Native to Guatemala, Jose entered the country "illegally" through Mexico. Due to the genocide in Guatemala, Jose was left orphan at age eight. In order to obtain citizenship, he joined the military and was granted citizenship after his death.
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MARIA ISABEL VASQUEZ JIMENEZ
Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez was a pregnant seventeen-year-old girl that died of heat stroke working as a grape packer. When she reached the hospital she had a core temperature of 108 degrees Fahrenheit. Maria was one of hundreds of farm workers that died that summer due to heat exhaustion. The condition she was forced to endure show the inhumane working conditions agricultural workers are forced to endure. In July 2010, governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would extend overtime to farm workers working over eight hours.
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MANUEL JAMINES
Manuel Jamines was an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. Jamines was shot twice and killed after an encounter with the police over a knife that he had in his belt. The police claims to have attempted to get Jamines to put down his weapon after shouting to him in both English and Spanish, but Jamines only spoke a Mayan dialect.
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WATER JUGS
Water is the lifeline of migrants crossing the desert border. Most of the Mexican-American border is desert and many times no physical border is placed in the most hostile parts of the Texas desert. During the summer months', temperatures roar in the triple digits. Each year, nearly 500 undocumented people die attempting to cross the border. Immigrants have to carry their water jugs with them throughout their journey limiting the consumption. Movements in Arizona, like No More Deaths, work to place water jugs through the hostile terrain to limit deaths.
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I.C.E.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, created in 2003, is now the second largest investigation agencies. ICE employs 20,000 employees in forty-seven states. Their mission involves the enforcement of federal laws, custom, trades, and immigration. ICE was created out of a response to the September 11, 2001 attack. ICE is responsible for the thousands of deportations each year.
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FRUITVALE & MISSION
These streets are located in San Francisco, California and is home to a large Mexican population.
