Essay
The odd state of New Mexico
New Mexico is perhaps the least typical American state. I find it a downright oddity.
It’s sparsely populated and economically disadvantaged, but its history with Mexico and the early Spanish conquistadors gives this southwestern state a unique and mysterious identity.
New Mexico’s population is 48% Hispanic, with most claiming Spanish ancestry. One out of every 3 residents speaks Spanish at home. There are also many in the state who speak New Mexican Spanish, an old form of Spanish brought here by colonists between the 16th and 18th centuries. In addition, Native Americans have inhabited New Mexico for about 13,000 years. A Navajo reservation spreads across 14 million acres, and 4% of the population speaks Navajo.
New Mexico is supported by federal funding for three Air Force bases, as well as the White Sands Missile Range and Fort Bliss’s McGregor Range, where weapons are tested. About 1 in 4 workers is a federal employee. Federal research institutions in Los Alamos and Albuquerque invest over $3 billion (Y400 billion) annually in jobs and the economy. That helps explain why New Mexico has more PhDs per capita than any other state. And yet, the money isn’t spread evenly — nearly 75% of the roads in New Mexico are unpaved. I think you can begin to see how peculiar things are here.
But for me, the oddest part of New Mexico is its long history of folklore, ghost stories and superstition. Santa Fe and Albuquerque are famous for hotel ghosts who disturb patrons and cause much innocent mischief. One tale that fascinates me is the Weeping Woman of La Llorona, a centuries-old legend about a beautiful woman with long black hair who haunts rivers and creeks, wailing and searching for children to drown.
There are variations on the story. In one, Maria left her two children every night to drink and dance with the young men in the area, and because of her neglect, her children drowned — though some stories say she drowned them. In another version, her husband ignored her but still showed affection for his children. In a rage of jealousy, she threw the boys in the river, where they washed away. She grieved them on the riverbank, her white gown soiled and torn, not moving until she grew thin and frail and died. But her spirit returned. Depending on the version of the legend you hear, her cruelty is famous. Some say she kills anyone foolish enough to get close to her. Others say she kills only children, dragging them screaming to a watery grave.
This might well be the New Mexican version of the boogeyman, a story that keeps children well behaved. But supernatural tales abound here. I love the oddity that is New Mexico. (Beverly A. Jackson)
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