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Students Reclaim Mexican Heritage, Make Memories
Students hold a snake while docked in the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco. Throughout the route, there were stops to grab snacks or view small exhibits such as one housing exotic animals like the axolotl, whose origins trace back to Xochimilco.
Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños Your browser does not support the audio element."Surreal" encapsulated Rodrigo Lizaola's experience in México.
Lizaola, history senior and student communications assistant for the Center of Mexican American Studies, hasn't practiced Catholicism in many years, but when walking up the altar in Basilica de Guadalupe, he was moved to tears. The Virgin of Guadalupe refers to when the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus and an important figure in Roman Catholicism, appeared to an Indigenous man named Juan Diego in México in 1531.
The image of La Virgen de Guadalupe is seen inside as the study abroad group makes their way through the Basílica. The original image of La Virgen dates back to 1521.
Photo by Ronaldo BolañosAll he could think about was his grandmother, and after sharing the moment with his parents, they told him it was a message from her. While he isn't completely sure what it meant, he knew seeing the centuries-old image that's been ingrained in his mind since childhood was important.
"It's something that really, really hit home to me," Lizaola said.
CMAS director Xavier Medina Vidal took students on the center's first study abroad trip to México over spring break.
Growing up on the border of New Mexico, he said he remembers spending summer vacations and Christmas with his grandparents in México.
It wasn't until college that Medina Vidal was able to travel to cities across México as well as Cuba, Spain and Portugal. A journey beginning with a professor in Chicano studies, a few classmates and a trip would change his relationship with the country.
Students take photos of the sunset during a passage through the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco. The students were met with a sunset as they approached the dock.
Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños"Just by doing trips like these, I think, as an adult, as a university student, I appreciated México on a whole other level," he said.
Medina Vidal said enrolling in Spanish classes while studying economics in college was an entry point in becoming more connected to his culture. Through the courses, he met professor Charles Trujillo, a mentor and friend who introduced him to another world, one he got to know through traveling.
"He just had a gift. He was a very dynamic professor," he said. "He was very charismatic and he's just very passionate about México and getting students to go to México and become one with their Mexican identity."
Students were asked to reflect on their experiences throughout the trip with photos, videos or journaling. Political science senior Nadia Contreras chose to create a scrapbook with stickers and items she collected.
Courtesy of Nadia ContrerasThe trip was a goal he had been interested in since starting as CMAS' associate director, but there were obstacles to navigate. During his second full year as director, he knew it was time to take the idea and make it happen.
For the first trip of its kind, students from various majors paid about $1,900 to cover flights, transportation, housing and basic necessities. A trip like this costs a lot more, but CMAS subsidized those costs significantly, Medina Vidal said.
Taking pieces from his travels and calling on relationships he made from his collegiate trips, Medina Vidal was able to curate an agenda that reflected what students wanted and his personal experiences.
"It's something that I've done hundreds of times by myself, but it's different when you're with people who are seeing things for the first time," he said.
Students rest in the van on the way back from a trip to Tenochtitlan. The ancient pyramids are located an hour out from Mexico City and were the second stop of the day between visiting Plaza de las Tres Culturas and La Basílica de Guadalupe.
Photo by Ronaldo BolañosLizaola said he first heard about the potential class trip floating around the CMAS office. Growing up in a family of four, Lizaola never truly felt he fit in as he was the only one born in the U.S.
He relegated himself to being "the American one," but after signing up for Intro to Mexican American Studies on a whim, he found he had a story to tell and a place where he belonged.
His mother was always cautious of letting Lizaola roam México alone. It wasn't until his last trip there that he was able to really explore his families' hometown with his cousins. Now surrounded by his peers, he was able to visit new areas while still being able to do what he wanted.
The trip was designed for those who've never felt like they deserved a shot in México, who may struggle with Spanish or don't feel a connection to the country, he said.
The Hemiciclo a Benito Juárez was barricaded with graffiti messages painting each wall. The structures were placed throughout the city in response to protests on International Women's Day.
Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños"This type of trip to Mexico City or any part of México can be that defining experience for people," Lizaola said. "That ability to have a defining experience shouldn't be limited to me and other people going to this class."
Political science sophomore Isabella Mendez said she always struggled with Spanish as a Mexican-American.
"We can sometimes have two identities because we're not Mexican enough," Mendez said.
She hadn't visited México since she was a few months old, but after hearing about the class from Medina Vidal, she decided to take the chance.
Being engrossed in México and its culture allowed her to take it in and appreciate everything.
From tortilla cooking classes taught by Indigenous communities in Puebla, México, to meeting candidates and members of Congress, students had opportunities to learn about culture and interact with peers studying in México.
Political science senior Nadia Contreras makes a tortilla during a workshop in Puebla. The maza was made from corn locally sourced by Indigenous committees in Puebla.
Photo by Ronaldo BolañosGraduate student America Resendiz grates corn during a tortilla-making workshop in Puebla. There were multiple stations for students to experience from grating corn, grinding corn kernels, prepping maza and making a tortilla.
Photo by Ronaldo BolañosPeople can get a sense of how large places like Zócalo in Mexico City are on video, but Medina Vidal said it can't encapsulate its distinct smell and unique sounds. He said he can still remember how the water in Madrid tasted from when he visited years ago.
"The sounds of the city are things that stay with you forever and ever," Medina Vidal said.
Students built deeper relationships with the country and each other. Mendez remembered the group giving 2,000 pesos after dinner to live bolero performers, a musical genre originating in eastern Cuba.
"We just kept requesting songs and we were all enjoying it," Mendez. "It was just such a good moment."
Though some felt under the weather, everybody got to experience the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco where they traveled by boat. Other vessels sold food, drinks and gifts, while another one carried a mariachi band.
As they were serenaded by the live music, tears began to stream from Mendez and her friend.
Boats navigate through the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco in Mexico City, carrying passengers as well as selling food, drinks and gifts. Other vessels held mariachi bands and other performers that played for the students.
Top photo by Ronaldo Bolaños; Bottom photo courtesy of Isabella Mendez"We were just so emotional and it was so good," she said. "It was just so surreal."
The group was able to shape the trip however they wanted, but that also meant not knowing exactly what would happen. Medina Vidal remembered the nervous feeling himself but reminded his students to keep an open mind. He said after his family, his students are the most important people to him.
Leading the students through the week, he guided their learning and answered questions. Medina Vidal said it was better than being a student himself.
"You get to be with students on a learning journey, emotional journey, educational journey — and that for me, that's the most rewarding part of this job," he said.
Students gather in the Templo Mayor museum with a guided tour as the sun sets in Mexico City. The temple was part of the trip's first activity as the group walked through El Zócalo to reach the ancient ruins.
Photo by Ronaldo BolañosIn the moment, Medina Vidal was taking it all in but now reflecting on the trip, he's proud of everything the group was able to accomplish. After the trip's success, he hopes to provide the opportunity to students in the next year.
Medina Vidal encouraged students to reflect and document their experiences however they choose, whether by collecting photos or journaling.
"I just want this experience to live with them forever," he said.
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Editor's NoteOur multimedia editor Ronaldo Bolaños went on the trip at his own expenses as a student. Interviews for the story were conducted by managing editor Christine Vo before and after students went to México. Vo did not go.
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A Stateline State Of Mind: Michelin-trained Chef To Open Barbecue Restaurant In Napa
You'd be hard-pressed to find traditional barbecue in California, according to former PRESS chef de cuisine Darryl Bell.
But with the opening of Bell's newest culinary venture Stateline Road Smokehouse on the horizon, Kansas City-inspired barbecue is coming to the Napa Valley. The restaurant, which Bell is operating with business partner Jeremy Threat, is on track to open sometime in June.
Bell — a Michelin-trained chef who has worked numerous positions within the Thomas Keller group of restaurants — explained that the "barbecue" offerings in California are often of the grilled variety where fire is the source of heat.
"Barbecue is completely different," said Bell, a native of Kansas City, Missouri. "It is about indirect heat" — using the smoke and warmth of a smoker, of which Bell has several situated behind Stateline Road's Vallejo Street building in Napa. The top-of-the-line smokers have been in use even though the restaurant space itself is still under construction. Bell has been operating Stateline as a pop-up at events and through a temporary residency at the Oxbow Public Market, located a few blocks away.
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Four months at the Oxbow allowed Bell to test out recipes, connect with customers — both locals and visitors — and spread the word about Stateline Road's upcoming brick-and-mortar location.
It is not often that a new restaurant is able to get such a rigorous test run, Bell explained, but the Oxbow residency and other pop-up events provided just that. Stateline also had a presence at BottleRock Napa Valley, serving up ribs and other smoked classics to music lovers during the three-day 2023 festival. Bell and his team are set to return to BottleRock this year. The restaurant's June launch is to allow staff to rest and recover from BottleRock before opening.
A recent tour of the restaurant in progress — located at 872 Vallejo St. — revealed a plan to create a quick-service eatery similar to a Chipotle, where customers can walk down a line and choose their sides and entrees. Bell explained that customers will be able to order and receive their food in about 12 minutes.
"It is all about speed," Bell added, walking along the frame of what will soon be the restaurant's ordering area. A small construction crew filtered in and out around him as he pointed out the kitchen and dining room areas. Stateline will be able to host up to 85 guests inside, with up to 25 additional diners stationed in the back patio area — the backyard for this backyard barbecue joint. A Kansas City-inspired mural by San Francisco-based artist Serge Gay Jr. Provides a colorful backdrop.
While the menu is still getting its finishing touches, past Stateline offerings have included barbecued half-chicken, baby back ribs, Kansas City-invented burnt ends, Yukon Gold potato salad, and cherrywood-smoked maitake and greens salad. Bell indicated macaroni and cheese will be a fixture on the upcoming menu.
Despite the obvious hints of what the restaurant will become, it has been a long road to bring Stateline Road to life.
A former auto body garage built in 1947 and transported from Vallejo's Mare Island, the structure was not exactly "turnkey" ready to become a restaurant, Bell said. Some of the other potential locations the chef viewed would have been, but there was something about 872 Vallejo St. That stuck with him.
"Some of the best barbecue in Kansas City is in gas stations or warehouses," Bell explained. The other locations "didn't have enough character" to don the Stateline name, which in itself is a tribute to Kansas City being on the state line of Kansas and Missouri.
It was actually Bell's wife who turned him on to the Vallejo Street location and when Bell saw it for himself, he said, "This is the one."
And this started a journey to create a restaurant from scratch.
One of the more challenging issues was figuring out how to get a proper climate-control system installed in the former garage. What is typically placed on a roof would not work — the old building's barrel-shaped roof would not allow it. Instead, an internal solution was used, placing the system inside the building but raised above the kitchen.
One might think the HVAC system was for the smokers, but those are all located outside the building. The words #StatelineStateofMind are etched into the metal of what Bell called the "Rolls-Royce of smokers" — the Moberg. Bell was also gifted a smoker from chef Charles Phan, who opened his Napa location of The Slanted Door last year on nearby Soscol Avenue, a block and a half east. Bell said he's received a lot of support from other chefs in the Napa Valley.
Bell admitted that after he settled on the location, architects and others on the project cautioned him that it would take a lot of time. It was not a simple upgrade from one business to another.
"The initial architect did a walk-through and asked, 'Are you sure?'" Bell recalled. "But I could see how cool it could be and they said, 'It is going to take so much time and so much work to get this to what you are envisioning.'"
But Bell was committed and noted he would "kick myself" if someone else ever turned the space into a barbecue restaurant.
"I've waited this long," he said.
Stateline Road Smokehouse is set to open in June. It is located at 872 Vallejo St. In the Rail Arts District of Napa. For more information, visit stateline-road.Com.
Picking wine that compliments the unique flavor of barbecue food can be tricky. Here are some wines that pair nicely with barbecue foods.
PHOTOS: Sips and snacks in Napa Valley Young Chef ContestAppetizers are seen during the American Young Chef, Young Waiter's semi-final competition at the CIA at Copia in Napa on Monday, Aug. 21.
Nick Otto, Register The GardenThe Smash Burger is seen at The Garden in downtown Napa on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.
Nick Otto, Register The GardenThe Jerk is seen at The Garden in downtown Napa on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.
Nick Otto, Register The GroveThe insalata misticanza with preserved lemon vinaigrette will be served at The Grove in Napa during Napa Valley Restaurant Week, which returns Jan. 19.
Nick Otto, Register The GroveDishes to be offered at The Grove in Napa during Napa Valley Restaurant Week include this torta caprese.
Nick Otto, Register The HavenMaître d' Leena Laroski makes a "Death in the Evening" cocktail at The Haven located in CIA at Copia in Napa on Friday, Aug. 25.
Nick Otto, Register Nosh NapaA serving of Volovan with Nutella and Berries is seen at Nosh Napa on Thursday, March 30.
Nick Otto, Register The HavenA Mai Tai Consommé is seen at the new cocktail bar, The Haven, located in CIA at Copia in Napa on Friday, Aug. 25.
Nick Otto, Register Lencho's Mexican FoodAcclaimed chef Alex Soto prepares tacos Pollo con Pipian in the kitchen of his new restaurant Lencho's Mexican Food which is located in the food court of the Napa outlet mall on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Nick Otto, Register The FinkA nui nui, candy apple sour and axolotl are seen at the Fink in downtown Napa on Thursday, Aug. 3.
Nick Otto, Register CroccanteA Detroit style deep dish pepperoni pizza at Croccante Pizza in downtown Napa is seen on Friday, Aug. 4.
Nick Otto, Register Wilfred's LoungeJoel Pfeifle the bar manager at Wilfred's Lounge in Napa garnishes the mocktail "Ube-bae-baby!" with nutmeg on Friday, Dec. 8.
Nick Otto, Register ScalaA photo of the whole petrale alla plancha at the newly opened Scala osteria & bar in downtown in Napa on Friday, Jan. 20.
Nick Otto, Register The HavenA blackberry Cobbler is seen at the new cocktail bar, The Haven, located in CIA at Copia in Napa on Friday, Aug. 25.
Nick Otto, Register Nosh NapaMaple syrup is poured on a serving of Buttermilk Pancakes with fresh Blueberries at Nosh Napa on Thursday, March 30.
Nick Otto, Register CroccanteThe burrata cheese appetizer at Croccante Pizza in downtown Napa are seen on Friday, Aug. 4.
Nick Otto, Register Mary's Pizza ShackThe spaghetti and meatballs are seen at Mary's Pizza Shack on Friday, Nov. 17.
Nick Otto, Register Burger TruckA classic cheeseburger and fries are seen at the Burger Truck on Thursday, Oct. 12.
Nick Otto, Register Ohm Coffee Roasters cuppingA cup filled with hot Ohm Coffee Roasters coffee that will be used during the cupping process is seen at the Ohm production facility and tasting lab in Napa on Tuesday, Oct. 24.
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