Si
muero lejos de ti
In the states along the southern border of the U.S. there are more than 100 federated teams and 30 groups of escaramuzas (female riding teams), horsemen and women who maintain their culture in a strange land and who, in order to achieve this, must do everything from crossing the border in order to buy the necessary equipment to fighting members of congresses who wish to do away with their favorite sport. On this occasion we met with Juliana Betancourt Ávila, member of the Espuelas del Norte escaramuza, California; Gabriel Velázquez Ruiz, Association President for the state of Arizona, and Marcos Franco Aguilar, U.S. Vice President of the FMCH (the Federación Mexicana de Charros, or Mexican Charros Federation), in order to understand all that it “takes” to be a charro in that country. With her head held high, Juliana Betancourt. It is very difficult being a man or woman who practices charrería in the United States. One faces criticism, jokes... I live in a community where our tradition is unknown, much less the existence of charros, and they laugh at you due to ignorance. When I was a girl, I was ashamed to dress as an Adelita; I didn’t want to be Mexican. But my parents insisted that I not lose my roots and customs, since these are the foundation of our identity. Now I thank them for their persistence. Marcos Franco. Exactly. Even though one finds himself far from home and spends most of his time speaking another language, he never forgets or stops loving everything charro, his homeland. No matter where I go, I always say that I am Mexican and a charro. Gabriel Velázquez. I am very proud to wear the national costume and transmit to our children the love we have for the Mexican culture, just as our parents did with us. As you know, many people leave their homes to live and work in the U.S., and they forget about tradition. Charrería gives people roots, it unites them and strengthens family ties. That is very important when you settle in another country. Juliana. Being a charra is something you can’t explain, it’s an abstract
feeling. When they look at me as strange, I think, “I’m Mexican and I
carry history, tradition, and culture in my blood. They don’t.” So I’m
winning because I have more than anyone else in my neighborhood: identity. Juliana. Yes, maintaining a well-attired group with an “authorized” routine requires great economic and physical effort. We need to save to buy our packsaddles and boots and take care of them as if they were made of gold, because it’s not easy to repair them or replace them. When a stirrup strap breaks, you are basically left without a saddle... Marcos. And that’s not all. With the FMCH changes as to the people in charge of the female sector, the members of the escaramuza teams in the United States don’t know which way to turn... Juliana. We’re very far away and the information doesn’t get to us in time. Besides, we don’t have much contact with the people who give the talks and seminars. Verónica Lantos is our coordinator, and it was very hard for her to get someone from the FMCH to explain the regulations and their changes to us. If we have a question, we contact Lupita Peña, because if we wait to receive news from Mexico, nothing happens. There are girls in the U.S. who are interested in forming escaramuza teams, but there isn’t sufficient information. The channel was slightly opened only a few months ago with official petitions.
Juliana. But it was only there in the U.S., in Zacatecas, before entering, that they informed us of another change in the value of a move. Maybe the other groups knew of this requirement and had no problem, but... We’re so far away that it seems that they don’t take us into account. Gabriel. With the male performers there are also conflicts, though not as complicated... Marcos. What happens with men is that we always count on a friend, acquaintance or relative to travel to Mexico, quickly access new information from the FMCH and send that information to us. Of course, it shouldn’t be that way, but we’ve gotten used to it. On the other hand, finding out about changes in female competition regulations takes real effort because everything is very secretive... Gabriel. That’s why we try to stay one step ahead. We know that the Federation is always being updated. So that they don’t catch us by surprise, we get together to “foresee” the official plans and therefore be prepared when the changes arrive. Marcos. In order to do this, the Association Presidents are in frequent contact, we know what we are doing in each state. We use the politics and the rules of the FMCH with the sole objective of dignifying charrería, uniting ourselves and making ourselves stronger. It is only in this manner that we can face the accusations of activists and defend our sport... Under Attack Marcos. As Vice President, I’ve had to speak with various institutions, especially ones involved with rodeos, for mutual support. As a result, they are starting to have a better understanding of our sport and they recognize that we are a strong sector with organizational power that, in the long run, can attract a lot of sponsors. One clear example is the Autry Museum’s exhibit on charrería, where they offered us space to make our tradition known. They built a portable arena where we held exhibitions on the different maneuvers. We also brought several artisans so they could demonstrate how they do pita embroidery, ironwork, leather handcraft, etcetera. Juliana. We can only defend the sport if we are united, because the limitations imposed on us by U.S. law affect our competitive level. Even though we have extraordinary horsemen, the fact that we can’t knock over the mares has had an effect on the results at the congresses, although lately we have gained ground... Gabriel. We travel thousands of miles to attend a national competition and, generally speaking, we compete with borrowed animals, but little by little we’ve recovered our losses... In 2001 we won first place in the national competition in colas with 41 points. That victory renewed our spirits and made us realize that if we try, we can achieve it. We saw proof of this in Zacatecas, when one of our teams almost entered the semifinals. This speaks of change. Juliana. When I saw that a competitor from California brought down three mares in the manganas performance, I was left with my mouth hanging open. I would like for the sport to be this way in the U.S., but it can’t be done. What we must do, then, is practice so that we can attend congresses and enjoy charrería as it is. The thrill that one feels when she steps into an arena in Mexico cannot be compared with anything. The economic and physical wear and tear is made up for with the support and applause of the people... It’s worth it. Before Crossing Juliana. There is something inexplicable about charrería that makes people stronger, and that is what one needs when far from one’s own country. Fighting—in another land—against people’s ignorance to keep passion alive for what is ours is very difficult and debilitating. That is what makes us brave. We carry a fighting spirit in our blood that has survived for many generations, and it is up to us to make sure it continues to be the flag for defending the charro culture... Marcos. It makes me proud to be a part of an activity that arose from the Mexican countryside and that carries a priceless cultural and historical legacy. However, in the country in which we live, there are a lot of limiting factors for charrería. We have to deal with an infinite number of problems because we practice a sport that is constantly being attacked. We have to show that we’re strong and be ready to fight to promote and spread our tradition, since only by doing this, making it known, will they someday recognize and respect it as they do us... Résumés |