Running head: The Motherland: Mexico 1

The Motherland: Mexico

Nataly Hernandez Montes

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The Motherland: Mexico 2

I was born here, and both my parents were born in Mexico therefore I am Chicana. It is

something that I am extremely proud of. Throughout my life I have balanced the fact that I am

being raised in two different cultures as best as I can. Something that is always significant and

shows patriotism for one's country is their flag. Although Mexico has not always had the same

flag the basics haven’t been altered too much. It has always had the same basic design of

splitting into three different colors, and in the middle of the flag there is an eagle with a serpent

in its mouth. The flag that is currently being used was put in place in 1968. The flag was then

approved and made official into law in 1984. The flag also has historical value. The eagle

holding the serpent in its mouth honors some of the legends that the indigeneous people believed

in. The Mexica, indigenuous people of Mexico, believed that their god, ​Huitzilopochtli, ​would

indicate to them where to settle after traveling for so long. He would place an eagle above the

cactus, and the current flag currently depicts that. Aztec History (2019)The colors also have their

own meaning, red represents the blood of the heroes, green represents hope, and white represents

unity. Smithsonian (2019) I think the flag is a nice representation of the people that make up the

nation. I also really enjoy the message that the flag gives.

I have dual citizenship. I do remember my mom always saying that they should do it

before I turned eighteen as it would be easier. I also remember my mom asking for both her, and

my dad’s birth certificates from Mexico. We had to drive all the way to Raleigh and since I was

only eight it felt like a longer than necessary car ride. Once we got into the office the woman

asked my mom for a specific thing on her birth certificate.

My mom said, “I have no idea what you are talking about.” We all sat down and waited

for my mom to call someone in Mexico.

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While waiting the woman called my mom over and said, “We actually figured everything

out.” I did not have to complete any form of test. All my parents did was submit my birth

certificate and their birth certificates. It was that easy because I was underage, for I was only

eight years old. Having dual citizenship has made me felt closer to my parents and our country.

Even though I can not be in Mexico for as long as I wish, just knowing that I have citizenship in

that country reminds me that I still have connection with the nation.
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Mexican Flag. (n.d.). Smithsonian Museum Retrieved July 18, 2019, from

https://amhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/collection/object.asp?ID=235

Mexican Flag History.(n.d.).Retrieved July 18, 2019 from

http://www.aztec-history.com/mexican-flag-history.html

Robirosa, P. (n.d.). ​Can U.S Citizens Have Mexican Dual Citizenship? ​Paloma Robirosa.

Retrieved July 18, 2019, from

https://www.dualcitizenship.com/blog/can-u-s-citizens-have-mexican-dual-citizenship/