Ep. 059: Life in the Land of Enchantment

Aug 23, 2023

 

Marina Herrera is a 17th generation New Mexican on the Spanish side of her family with roots as far back as time immemorial on the indigenous side of her family. She joins Garrett today to talk about her life growing up in New Mexico’s Mora Valley. She takes us on a journey through the culture, language, food, and art of the region that inspires a sense of awe. Marina also shares the challenges New Mexico faces and the ways she is working with the Rio Grande Foundation to address those concerns. If you’ve ever said, “Thank God for Mississippi,” you’re likely to relate to the experiences Marina shares in this episode of the Forgotten America podcast. 

 

Statistics Mentioned

• New Mexico is 51st for education 
• New Mexico is 1st in the nation for non-violent crime
• Record breaking homicides five years in a row
• Espanola is the heroin capitol of the world
• Albuquerque is a sanctuary city
• New Mexico spends more per student but gets worse outcomes than any of their neighboring states 
• New Mexico is #1 in the nation for Ph.D.s per capita 
• New Mexico is one of the world’s largest producers (surpassing Mexico) of oil & gas

Places to Visit

The Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio, #7 burger in the nation, Green Chile Cheese burger

The Owl in San Antonio, https://sanantonioowl.com/

Santa Fe, New Mexico 

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, part of the National Park Service System  https://www.nps.gov/sapu/index.htm 

New Mexican music has a distinct style. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico_music

World’s Tallest Tramway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandia_Peak_Tramway

San Miguel Church - oldest church in the U.S. 

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi 

El Pinto - restaurant 

Geronimo - famous restaurant 

Sangre de Cristo Mountains https://www.britannica.com/place/Sangre-de-Cristo-Mountains 

Las Vegas, New Mexico and Taos, New Mexico on the map

 

Additional Information & References

Learn more about Marina and her work at the Rio Grande Foundation. 

Penitente Morada of Abiquiu 

Learn more about Penitentes, a private Catholic Brotherhood unique to Northern, New Mexico

Santeros - Saint art makers, distinct form of iconography art 

Colcha embroidery - unique form of art from the American southwest

Breaking Bad https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903747/

 

---

Garrett Ballengee, Host

Executive Director - @gballeng

Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy

 

Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer

Communications Director - @akieffer13 

Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy

 

Tony Reed, Editor & Producer

Associate Director of Operations - @treed1134

International Center for Law & Economics

 

Follow:

YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram

Support:

Patreon, Donate, Newsletter