Why These Mexican American Women Are Crossing The Border Into Mexico | Style Out There | Refinery29 - video Dailymotion

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On this episode of Style Out There we travel to Zacatecas, Mexico for the women's-only sporting event on horseback called Escaramuza. This sport dates back to a historic period in Mexican history incorporating elaborate dresses and large sombreros. Press play on this week's Style Out There to explore how politics plays into this historic sport!  ABOUT SERIES In fashion, what's seen on the streets is just as important as what goes down the runway. R29's Style Out There takes a look at the drastically different subcultures around the world, examining the myriad influences that color what we wear — and why.  ABOUT REFINERY29  Refinery29 is a modern woman's destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life. http://refinery29.com/  RELATED CONTENT What Harajuku Girls Really Look Like https://youtube.com/watch?v=WblNctc3ys0 How Luxury Streetwear Shaped Calabasas https://youtube.com/watch?v=ElghrCC2Rbs The Dark Side Of Harajuku You Haven't Seen Yet https://youtube.com/watch?v=1Wsk3Oa_3F8  SEE MORE REFINERY29 VIDEOS http://refinery29.com/video  SUBSCRIBE TO REFINERY29 Subscribe to the Refinery29 channel: http://bit.ly/subscribe-to-r29 For the latest trends and videos, visit: http://refinery29.com Like Refinery29 on Facebook: https://facebook.com/refinery29 Follow Refinery29 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/refinery29 Heart Refinery29 on Instagram: https://instagram.com/refinery29/  TALENT Follow Connie Wang on Instagram: https://instagram.com/conconwang/ Follow Coronelas De Illinois on Instagram: https://instagram.com/coronelasdeil/ Follow Real Del Valle on Instagram: https://instagram.com/esc.realdelvalle/ Follow Unbothered on Instagram:  https://instagram.com/r29unbothered/ Follow OnHerTurf on Instagram: https://instagram.com/onherturf/ Follow Refinery29 on Instagram: https://instagram.com/refinery29/

Transcript

00:01Cuando estén en el hombro, Sammy,

00:03¿qué?

00:03¿Qué?

00:04¿Qué?

00:06¡Alto!

00:14Pregúnteme si quieren entrenar solas

00:15y ustedes se dirigen.

00:17No.

00:20Entonces,

00:21si yo digo es azul, es azul y calladitas,

00:24y lo corrigen.

00:31Just look at me.

00:33Yes.

00:35Think small.

00:36I'm in Zacatecas,

00:38a historical capital city

00:39in the center of Mexico.

00:43It's a hotbed for charo fashion,

00:45where stylish cowgirls and rodeo kings alike

00:48are pouring in for the event of the year.

00:51The Nacional de Charteria Championship

00:53is the Super Bowl of Charteria,

00:56Mexico's national sport.

00:57It's a raucous, month-long rodeo.

01:00But amidst the chaos of dancing ropes

01:03and stomping hooves,

01:04there is one display

01:06that's impossible to miss.

01:10Esqueramuza.

01:11It's the only event

01:12that's exclusively for women.

01:14It's a high-stakes ballet on horseback,

01:17like synchronized swimming,

01:18but at 15 miles an hour.

01:22It's also one of the only sports

01:25that scores you on what you're wearing.

01:26Regulations mandate heavy sombreros,

01:29puffy sleeves,

01:30and ankle-skimming headlines.

01:32Details rooted in Mexican tradition.

01:35But this year,

01:36more teams than ever

01:38are coming from the United States.

01:42I'm here to follow two of them.

01:44That was cool.

01:45One, seasoned champs from California.

01:47We've been practicing week after week.

01:50One ride, let's give it our all.

01:52The other, underdogs from Illinois.

01:54You look a little bit too fluffy.

01:57Yeah, I feel like I might look too fluffy too.

01:58At a time when straddling the border

02:00feels nearly impossible.

02:02Your staff is using Spanish to customers.

02:05It should be being very wise.

02:07It's America.

02:08And Mexico has been the target of ire

02:10from the highest seat of US politics.

02:13Do you have papers?

02:14Do you have papers?

02:15What does it mean to double down on your heritage

02:18when lots of people are telling you to leave it behind?

02:24I'm not sure if I'm more Mexican

02:26or if I'm more American.

02:27I'm kind of like in between.

02:32I have to be able to relate to both,

02:35to being Mexican,

02:36and then also bounce back from that idea

02:38and relate to being American.

02:43An hour outside of Chicago,

02:45an unexpected community is formed.

02:48Over the past three decades,

02:50this predominantly white Midwestern suburb

02:52has become a home for Mexican Americans,

02:54who now make up nearly 30% of its population.

02:58I've been living in Illinois for the past 90 years.

03:01This is the only other place besides Mexico that I know.

03:05I do the same thing over and over throughout the week.

03:08I just study in the morning,

03:10work in the afternoons,

03:11and then in between,

03:12I find time to make it to Escalamosa.

03:15Nineteen-year-old Marea moved here

03:17when she was 10 years old.

03:19She works at a local Boost Mobile store

03:21while pursuing a bachelor's degree in business education.

03:24Her drive for the American dream came from her father.

03:29My dad and I were really close.

03:33He trains horses.

03:35He lives with horses.

03:37Nearly a decade ago,

03:39Marea's father packed up their family

03:41and fled from Mexico,

03:42where it became too dangerous to work as a rancher.

03:45Now, he's legally seeking asylum in the U.S.

03:48He holds two full-time jobs

03:50trying to rebuild all that he worked for back home.

03:54They built a life here,

03:56but it wasn't easy.

04:02It was a really big shock.

04:04When my family and I moved here,

04:07we didn't know anything of the culture, the language.

04:11This is something that's from my personal experience,

04:13but I've noticed that for a lot of immigrant families,

04:15they rely on the kids a lot.

04:16I guess until this day,

04:18I'm like my parents' personal translator for everything.

04:23It is a huge deal for me to be able to go to

04:26Des Nacional en Zacatecas.

04:28I am not only going for the sport.

04:30I'm also going because I will be able to reunite with my family there.

04:34The last time that I went to Zacatecas was in 2015,

04:37and that was the last time that I saw my grandma alive.

04:43So you're going to be the literal bridge between your family in Illinois

04:46and your family in Mexico?

04:48Yeah, yeah, especially for my father.

04:51For legal reasons,

04:52Maria's dad is unable to make the trip to Mexico.

04:56Instead, she'll head down with her scrappy but mighty squad,

05:00Las Coronelas de Illinois.

05:02From the time that I remember,

05:03I've always wanted to become a Nascaramuza

05:06and to become this writer that I am today.

05:08I didn't really have the opportunity to make it happen

05:12if it weren't for my dad,

05:14because he's the one that made that grow inside of me.

05:18Ahead of nationals,

05:20Las Coronelas patched together resources.

05:24A borrowed barn.

05:26Horses from various farms.

05:28A few hours in the dark after school and work,

05:31in order to prepare.

05:34We're called Coronelas.

05:37It describes a strong woman,

05:39not necessarily physically,

05:41but strong woman mentally and driven.

05:48Across the country in California,

05:53Real de Valle has a secret weapon.

06:03Frené is one of Esqueramuza's most respected coaches.

06:07She's Mexican, from Tijuana,

06:09but coaches teams from both sides of the border.

06:12Control the circle! Control the circle!

06:14With a fierce approach to the sport,

06:16and a knowledge of what it takes to win,

06:19Frené's brought 14 different teams to the championships.

06:22A me no me gusta tener gente conmigo sin disciplina.

06:27Por medio de la disciplina que yo manejo dentro del ruedo,

06:33les ayudo muchísimo.

06:35Es un deporte donde viven bajo disciplina.

06:37While outside the ring,

06:39many immigrants are told they must speak English.

06:43Inside the arena,

06:44Frené insists that her writers speak only in Spanish.

06:48¿Cómo en español?

06:51¿Cómo en español?

06:53Oh my God.

06:57It can feel dangerous to celebrate being Mexican,

07:00just with what's going on in the United States right now.

07:02In that way,

07:04do you feel like you're doing something

07:05to make these women more brave

07:06and more courageous about their identities?

07:08Yo digo que sí se aporta porque el practicar la charrería,

07:13y más en Estados Unidos,

07:15te engrandece y te da una seguridad como mexicano

07:18para poder abrirte todas las puertas,

07:21quitarte todas las barreras y no temerle a nada.

07:25Por la seguridad que te da el deporte de la charrería

07:28practicar en Estados Unidos.

07:30Above all, Chartería has given Marea

07:32a sense of confidence as a Mexican American.

07:35Confidence that she'll need to compete back

07:37in her hometown of Zacatecas.

07:41Out of 114 teams that are gearing up

07:44to compete in Zacatecas,

07:45only 16 have qualified from the United States.

07:49But in order to ride,

07:50their outfits must still be traditionally Mexican.

07:54They're called Adelita dresses.

07:56Behind the frills and petticoats

07:58is a history of bravery and battle.

08:01The Adelitas were a group of women

08:04who fought during the Mexican Revolution in 1910,

08:07a time when women weren't expected to ride,

08:10let alone assist in battle.

08:11Today, these women are honored in both the uniform itself

08:15and through the spirit of the sport.

08:20The team sources their uniforms

08:22from a legendary local seamstress, Rosario.

08:25Each dress is completely custom

08:28and can run up to $350 a pop.

08:31Did you choose the colors of the flowers specifically?

08:35No, we actually got the design off of Pinterest.

08:44Just an hour outside of Zacatecas City,

08:47but worlds away from the stress of competition,

08:50a long-awaited reunion is taking place.

08:54By visiting her grandfather's ranch,

08:56Mireya has an opportunity to reconnect with her family.

08:59It's a moment she's been waiting for for years

09:02and one few working-class immigrants get.

09:14It's here, with her grandfather,

09:17that Mireya first discovered her love for writing.

09:29Yes, they trusted her.

09:30Yes, they trusted her.

09:31Yes, they trusted her.

09:31And now I'd like to go with that,

09:35because I bought it for her.

09:38Yes, it's good.

09:40I wish her very good luck

09:42and it'll go well.

09:46Here we go.

10:06It's 10 p.m. the night before the performance, and Frené's team is practicing in the dark.

10:11The power in the arena has gone out, forcing them to work on final adjustments by headlight.

10:17While most teams would be in bed by now, resting up before their big show,

10:20Frené will work Real de Valles until each move is perfect.

10:35It's competition day.

10:37The Real de Valles and Coronelis base camps are buzzing.

10:41Have you worn these dresses before?

10:43We wore them once for our first state competition.

10:47These are lucky dresses then.

10:48Let's hope so.

10:57We need to prove ourselves that we didn't just get here because the judges were being easy.

11:02Yeah, this is all horse sweat.

11:04Horse sweat?

11:05But some of that's red.

11:07Yep.

11:07What's that?

11:08Oh, I think I feel Kool-Aid on it.

11:12It's raining.

11:16It's raining.

11:26You're gonna have to fix my dress.

11:34No, please.

11:48If the girls are out of sync, if they spin when they're supposed to slide, if their

11:53bows don't match, points will be deducted.

11:58And with each decimal point, the dream of making the semifinals and of more time here

12:03in Zacatecas goes with it.

12:06The odds are stacked against the American teams.

12:14And the stakes are especially high.

12:19The California squad storms in, looking to make a name for Real de Valles.

12:25Frené's frontrunners look like they're masters at work, but Frené looks worried.

12:49With one U.S. team on shaky ground, the pressure mounts for Illinois.

12:55I'm feeling really excited and nervous.

12:57My family from the ranch, from La Gavia, they are here.

13:01And so I think that's also part of my excitement.

13:18It's on.

13:26Charging through the arena like true warriors, Las Coronelis and Illinois are poised, powerful

13:32and in control.

13:35As I watch them spin in layers of crinoline, visions of Adelitas from centuries ago, it occurs

13:41to me that today, this sport and its pageantry really tells a story about the grace and bravery

13:47of these women who dedicate their lives to it.

13:52On top of their horses, in these dresses, Esqueramuzas like Mireya are proudly announcing

13:58who they are and where they belong.

14:02Ever since the elections, I do feel that wearing an Esqueramuza dress is more than just wearing

14:07team gear, it's more like sending a message and proving that I am proud of being Mexican-American.

14:20Their team captain must meet with a panel of judges to review their performance.

14:25Outside, Las Coronelas wait for the final verdict.

14:31up Chicago.

14:36Ok, you guys want to hear it?

14:38Yes.

14:40294.66.

14:41Noo!

14:44It's actually really fun!

14:47You're a bug, you're a bug, you're a bug.

14:52I'm texting my dad our scores.

14:55I'm really, really happy.

14:56We all doubted ourselves because we were in a whole different country, different arena, horses.

15:04As the second highest scoring team from the United States,

15:07Las Coronelas' time in Mexico validates their place in this sport

15:11and in a country many used to call home.

15:13One, two, three.

15:23I'm really proud to consider myself an Esqueramuza.

15:27I feel honored to wear and conserve the tradition.

15:30Just like the uniforms, Esqueramuza is a bold sport.

15:34It takes courage, grace and dedication.

15:37It tells the world who you are and where you came from.

15:47Thank you for watching our style out there.

15:50To see more videos, to see more videos, please press here.

15:53To subscribe to Refinery29, press here.

Why These Mexican American Women Are Crossing The Border Into Mexico | Style Out There | Refinery29

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