Three Engaging Virtual Events!

Prepare a fabulous meal at home, and then join together online for a cultural exchange between people from Mexico and Alaska. The evening will include Alaska and Mexican music and Alaska Native dance, along with poetry, art and conversation.

Our International Partner

our international partner

We are thrilled to be collaborating with Historias de Azcapotzalco, based in Mexico City, Mexico.

Historian Julio Arellano Velázquez, mexico cooridnator for Diálogo delicioso. 

Julio studied History at UNAM’s Faculty of Philosophy and Letters. He is a former member of the publishing house Artes de México’s editorial team. He was the Azcapotzalco Historical Archive director and coordinator of the Carlos Monsiváis School of Chroniclers during the 2012-2015 period. Furthermore, he was a collaborator with the radio program El Cocodrilo MVS from 2016-2018. He coordinated Azcapotzalco’s TEDx talks in 2016. Since 2019 he has been a Member of the College of Cronistas of Mexico City. The same organization granted him in 2020 the Mexico City’s Congress’s Medal of Merit in Arts 2019. He currently is part of the Council of Culture of Azcapotzalco’s Mayor’s Office and coordinates the publication of the Revista Azcapotzalco: historia, arte y literatura.

Historia de Azcapotzalco’s background

Historias de Azcapotzalco is a project that seeks to reflect on the tangible and intangible heritage of Azcapotzalco, focusing on the historical and artistic development that took place in the municipality. It has been part of the local government’s projects and research via capsules, historical tours, and publications. Moreover, it has also collaborated with independent projects and artisanal and traditional businesses in Azcapotzalco. 

Azcapotzalco’s history

Azcapotzalco is one of Mexico City’s 16 municipalities. The town’s origin dates back to pre-Columbian times, as a viceregal document stated the founding date during the 12th century. However, archeological excavations have shown that people already lived in Azcapotzalco and neighboring regions 3,000 years ago.

The word “Azcapotzalco” is a Nahuatl idiom which means “in the ant mound” or “anthill;” represented in its pre-Columbian glyph, which is an ant on top of black dots representing stones.

Upon the Spanish arrival in the XV-XVI century, the Dominican order evangelized Azcapotzalco. In addition to Azcapotzalco’s main church, the Parish of the Holy Apostles Philip and Santiago —which was elevated to the category of Cathedral in 2019— more than twenty chapels of Mexico’s colonial-era remain. In the Parish’s tower, there is a stucco ant embedded which, legend states, rises little-by-little towards the bell tower and, when it finally reaches its objective, the world will end.

The old government palace of the early twentieth century lies in Azcapotzalco’s center. It preserves a clock that has worked for a hundred years. Currently, it is a space open to the public, used to disseminate Art and Culture. In this place, chef Matilde García and businessman Enrique Escandón have met together to prepare the recipes for our Delicious Dialogue.