Cornwall and Mexico. The Untold Story……
November 27, 2008
In the 1800′s the first Cornish settlers went to “The New World” with the intent of mining the great Mexican mines. With them, they brought a great wealth of knowledge and tradition. The Cornish Mexican Cultural Society was established in 2006 with the aim of fostering and promoting the historic ties that exist between Cornwall and Mexico and Cornwall and West Devon acheived Unesco World Heritage status. This year has seen the biggest revival of these ties with a trip organised for 30 Cornish men and women to retrace the steps that their ancestors took upon going to mexico (and this week, a trip was organised for a group of Mexican diplomats to come to Cornwall and re-discover their heritage. Omar Fayad Meneses (Mayor of Pachuca), Jessica Blancas (economic development minister) and Aunard de la Rocha Waite (tourism marketing and promotion general director) were greeted by the mayors of Redruth and Camborne, Walter Sanger (chairman of Kerrier District Council), officers of Visit Cornwall, and representatives of Camborne School of Mines, the Institute of Cornish Studies and the Trevithick Society.
Being from Mexico myself and now living in Cornwall it was a great pleasure for me to partake in the event and relate directly with others that share this relationship between Mexico and Cornwall.
It came as a great surprise to learn that the oldest football team in Mexico established in the state of Pachuca (Tuzos del Pachuca), was started by the Cornish minners that had settled there. They also set up the first golf course in the same area. This made me wonder what would have happened to Lorena Ochoa, if it wasn’t for the settlers. Mexico has its own Cornish Pasty, a slight deviation from the original but extremely tasty. The more I learn about the ties that these two countries have, the more pride I feel to be a Mexican in Cornwall and for having the opportunity to encorporate the traditions of these two great nations into my own life.
