The Research Man Stall-eth

My plans to slip right into the Biblioteca Nacional de Mexico at UNAM have been thwarted by a minor detail. They require two "infant-sized" photographs of their researchers before they are allowed to access the Fondos Reservados, or "reserved collection." Not to worry, tomorrow morning I will locate the nearest photography studio and have them done up as soon as possible. Anyway, I spent the day hounding around the neighborhood I'm staying in. Apparently, Colonia Roma has a mixed history, one of a distinct indigenous cultural heritage dating back to the post-Conquest days and the other of a late-nineteenth century to mid-twentieth century eurocentric, nouveau riche veneer of mansions and new Gothic church spires. I need to learn more. For example, I'm enthralled with Aztacalco and La Romita block. I'll have to look into this fascinating community more tomorrow, but it seems to be something I should have had on my radar from the thesis. According to what I've read thus far, it's a community that claims some indigenous heritage linked to the Aztecs, or Mexica Nahuas, from the main island city of Tenochtitlan. At the time of the Tlaxcalan-Spanish invasion, there were small islands doting the surface of Lake Texcoco, and in the decades following contact a group, or groups, of Nahuas moved onto the island. Fray Pedro de Gante, one of the fathers (literally a padre, you know) of colonial education, asked the native to build a chapel within their community. The community was semi-autonomous and determined much of the daily activities in their midst, and, today, the tight streets and colonial architecture supposedly demonstrates the persistence of their distinct mindset. The chapel structure still stands, well not the original, but a variation built by the Aztacalcans in 1530, and it would have been the place for some of the first instances of localized education, away from the Colegio of Santa Cruz in the city proper. Fantastic!

The Research Man Approach-eth
PDX 8:30am

My flight boards soon, but I wanted to get re-started on the ol' (*blows*, *sputters*, and *coughs* as digital dust flies around the room) blogspot. I am heading to Mexico, again (finally!), this time for some serious one-on-one time with the archives and sites I am using for the dissertation. I'm looking to answer questions about the role of education in Spanish/European colonization, especially in the less institutional teaching and learning places away from the formal religious schools. I am most interested to understand the various methods and pedagogies that educators used to reach and then transform their "student body," and the ways that the locals created their own places of learning. I'm studying early colonial documents and material goods, especially a few specific "classrooms." More on this topic as the research progresses.

Anyway, This is my first solo trip (scared much?), and I am hoping to spend a little more time than usually (ahem) on tracking my research and findings. I am very excited to see what I find to help my investigation, but I also want a safe (boring) trip abroad. Stay tuned to see how this crazy adventure unfurls.