Can the forced displacement of families ever be justified? This is a question that knows no borders as governments seek out locations for new highways, hospitals, universities, and, especially, airports. The people of Atenco, Mexico, argue against plans to put one on their farmlands.

If you find it unusual that a farmer is comparing compensation for his land with the cost of presidential bath linens, you are clearly not aware of the toallagate scandal that rocked Vicente Fox’s administration and led to resignations at Los Pinos. We’re not sure what kind of towel US $400 buys, but it best be pretty darned afelpado is all we can say!

Something that induces lagrimas (tears) is said to be lacrimógeno. So if you were organizing a Festival de cine lacrimógeno, only tear-jerkers would fit the bill. If, on the other hand, you were organizing a protest of the forced seizure of your family’s farm, you might find yourself crying because of the gas lacrimógeno wafting through the air.

In this installment of the dispute documentary we hear Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata quoted over a protester’s loudspeaker. As Zapata said: “¡Victoria o muerte!” (“Victory or death!”). To protest the taking of their farmland, the people of Atenco are using stronger and stronger language. Listen in.

Partido de la Revolución Democrática is what PRD stands for, and Mexican presidential hopeful Manuel López Obrador has been with the organization since its infancy when was known as the “Democratic Current” (Corriente Democrática), a dissenting wing of the once indomitable PRI, Partido Revolucionario Institucional.

López Obrador’s campaign commercials really try to shake potential voters out of their sillas, attempting to give the potentially marginalized a strong message: “now it’s our turn, now it’s your turn!” He blatantly positions himself against the rich, those who “take the biggest piece of the cake.”

Just, as immigration is a big campaign issue in the US, emigration touches a nerve in Mexico. When Andrés Manuel Lopéz Obrador ran for president of Mexico in 2006, he wanted to make it clear that his goal was to create jobs, in Mexico, so that would-be migrants would feel less need to flee north.

Should government pump money into the economy and generate jobs by financing giant public works projects? In the extremely close Mexican presidential election of 2006 (which he lost), Andrés Manuel López Obrador made it clear that that his answer is a decisive ¡Sí!

Political campaigns are tough (and they can get even tougher after the voting). In this video documenting Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidential race, we learn some of the tricks of the trade in Mexico.

Enjoying almost full support by his party as their presidential candidate, Andrés Manuel López Obrador stepped down from his post as Mayor of Mexico City, aka D.F. (Distrito Federal) to campaign for the presidency of Mexico in the 2006 elections against Felipe Calderón.

Útilies. It relates to school supplies, including notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, paper, scissors… anything children need to get through the school year. Not a big deal for the middle class, but it can be a serious challenge to those of lesser means. López Obrador made it a campaign promise that útilies would be provided free to all children throughout Mexico, just as he did for the children of Mexico City while he was mayor.

Julián Martínez will tell us a bit about himself, including how he grew up between Mexico and the United States and came to be a teacher at various levels and institutions.

Although one language unites the people from all Spanish-speaking countries, it is useful- and fun- to become familiar with the different vocabulary and expressions utilized by Spanish speakers from various nations.

Felipe Calderón is running for president of Mexico as the candidate of PAN, Partido Acción Nacional. “The National Action Party” is also the party of Mexico’s current president, Vicente Fox. Felipe’s campaign slogan? Para que Vivamos Mejor, “So we can live better.” We know there must a word play parody of this phrase, but we haven’t found it yet!

Does Felipe Calderón love his children? We are quite sure that he does. If this promotional video for the possible heir to fellow PANista Vicente Foxe seems to you to have a “North of the border” slickness, it may not be simply coincidental.

Harvard-educated Felipe Calderón, who the New York Times calls “a dapper man who speaks with all the fire of an economist,” is perceived as the safe, business-friendly presidential candidate. This video carefully cultivates a persona antithetical to the rougher-hewn López Obrador.

Guillermo the shaman, an expert in Mayan cosmology, explains the origin of and symbolism behind the Mayan word "chamamán" as well as some other interesting aspects of their belief system.

Guillermo gives us an in-depth explanation of the manner in which Maya ceremonies were used to welcome the seasons, each of which represented a unique consciousness.

With roots in the world of theater in her home country of Mexico, Adriana Barrera moved to Berlin, Germany for love. The annual Day of the Dead celebration, which she will explain to us in detail, is one way in which Adriana and an association of fellow Mexicans in Berlin are able to maintain and raise awareness about aspects of the Mexican culture.

In part two of this video about the Day of the Dead celebration in Berlin, Adriana explains the elements that an offering to the dead contains, from sugar skulls to copal to music.

In this final part of this video about the Day of the Dead celebration in Berlin, Adriana explains how Mexicans prefer to celebrate death with humor, fun performances, and revelry.

Manuel Guarneros was the famous Mexican singer Chavela Vargas' main guitar player. In this video, he'll share with us his perception about various Mexican accents and slang as well as performing for us a piece of the popular polka song "El barrilito" [literally "The Little Barrel"], which is known in English as Beer Barrel Polka.

Karla and Fernando discuss some differences between two types of traditional Mexican music: mariachi and bolero, pondering the occasions for which each might be better suited.

With the Spaniards' arrival to Tenochtitlán, Mexican culture as we know it began to emerge with their racial, cultural and spiritual merging with the diverse pre-Hispanic inhabitants of those lands. The Concheros dances about which native Mexican, Alfredo Martinez, speaks to us, are just one representation of this fusion.