Performance in the Zcalo - 9780472132096

Performance in the ZcaloConstructing History, Race, and Identity in Mexico's Central Square from the Colonial Era to the Present\nAuthor(s): Ana Martnez\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: The University of Michigan Press, United States\nImprint: The University of Michigan Press\nISBN-13: 9780472132096, 978-0472132096\nSynopsis\nFor more than five centuries, the Plaza Mayor (or Zcalo) in Mexico City has been the site of performances for a public spectatorship. During the period of colonial rule, performances designed to ensure loyalty to the Spanish monarchy were staged there, but over time, these displays gave way to staged demonstrations of resistance. Today, the Zcalo is a site for both official government-sponsored celebrations and performances that challenge the state. Performance in the Zcalo examines the ways that this city square has achieved symbolic significance over the centuries, and how national, ethnic, and racial identity has been performed there.\n\n A saying in Mexico City.