Los Haro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Los Haro
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| Country |  Mexico |
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| State | Zacatecas | |
| Municipality | Jerez | |
| Founded by | Jesus Haros | |
| Elevation | 2,000 m (7,000 ft) | |
| Population
(2022)
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| • Total | 4 | |
| Demonym(s) | Jerezano/a | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (UTC) | |
| Area code(s) | 494 | |
Los Haro is a small village in Mexico. It's about 10 miles from the town of Jerez in Zacatecas. Spanish immigrants first settled Los Haro over 400 years ago. This was around the same time that the first English settlements began in North America.
Since then, Los Haro has had an interesting history. It remained an independent community for farming and ranching, even when the Spanish controlled the area. Since the 1950s, many people from Los Haro have moved to places like Napa, California to work in vineyards. Other families have settled in Sacramento, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and cities in Colorado and Texas.
Even though people live far apart, many still feel a strong connection to Los Haro. They love their hometown deeply. This makes it a "transnational" community, meaning it connects people across different countries. In 2010, the village had about 900 people. It is named after one of the first 10 families who settled there in the 1600s.
Contents
Los Haro: A Look at Its Past
Before the Spanish Arrived
Before the Spanish came, the Jerez Valley was home to the Chichimecas. These people grew corn and squash near the rivers. However, most of this dry region was home to hunter-gatherers. They were very good at resisting the Aztec empire from the south.
The Chichimecas were known for their fierce, quick attacks. They hunted deer, rabbits, snakes, and rats with bows and arrows. The nopal cactus and mesquite plants were very important for their survival. From the nopal cactus, they ate its leaves, flowers, and fruit called "tunas." From the mesquite tree, they made bread cakes that could be stored. Unlike people to the south, who had rich soil and lots of rain for farming, the Chichimecas had to move around a lot because of their dry environment.
When the Spanish Came
In the 1540s, a lot of silver was found in Zacatecas. This started a "silver rush" and changed the Chichimeca way of life. Spanish explorers, workers, soldiers, and priests came to the area. They needed a lot of food and supplies for the mines.
At first, these supplies came from other Spanish settlements like Guadalajara. But the long, dangerous roads, with attacks from the Chichimecas, made mine owners look for closer sources. The Jerez Valley became important because it was already a connection point between Fresnillo and Guadalajara. In the Jerez Valley, they could raise cattle, horses, sheep, and mules to supply the mines.
By the early 1600s, land was being given out and farms were growing in the Jerez Valley. Los Haro, located near the Jerez-Fresnillo road, was settled in the early 1600s by a Spaniard named Tomas Gonzales. By 1700, at least 10 Spanish immigrant families lived there. Their last names included Aro, Hurtado, and Perez. Later, families like De Haro, Segura, and Saldivar arrived. These are still important family names today.
What makes Los Haro special is that it has always been a free and independent community. Unlike most other towns in the Jerez Valley, it was not set up by the Spanish government. It was also not a large farm (an hacienda) where people lived almost like slaves. The way the town is built shows its unique history. It doesn't have a central plaza like most Spanish towns. Instead, its streets and lots stretch along the river, with three neighborhoods. Each neighborhood had its own fresh spring water. These original neighborhoods are still linked to the town's main families: the De Haros in the center, the Santiagos in the north, and the Saldivars in the south.
The Colonial Era
The settlers of Los Haro wanted to escape the strict rules of the Spanish government. They moved to remote areas where the King's power was weaker. These immigrants were not rich. They came to the New World to buy land, marry local people, and build independent lives. They wanted to settle down and create new lives for themselves, not just get rich and return to Spain.
As the silver mining economy grew in Zacatecas, Los Haro found itself surrounded by large haciendas. These haciendas were controlled by the Church, merchants, and miners. For many years, Los Haro had a complicated relationship with these haciendas. The haciendas were vital for the mines in Zacatecas, which produced a lot of silver for nearly 200 years. They supplied meat, animal hides, work animals, and food to the mines.
People from Los Haro often traveled to nearby communities and the city of Zacatecas. They traded extra grain, livestock, cheeses, eggs, and fruits for cloth, tools, and other goods. The haciendas also offered jobs to men from Los Haro when they needed more money for their families.
However, relations with the haciendas were often difficult. The large haciendas had tall walls separating their land from the town's land. This caused arguments over water, farmland, and grazing rights for animals. Also, Los Haro farmers had to pay a fee to cross the haciendas' land on their two-day journey to market in Zacatecas. These problems later led to years of fighting during the Mexican Revolution.
Religion in Los Haro
Most people in Los Haro and their families are Roman Catholic.
Our Lady of Refuge
In the late 1600s, a church was built in honor of Our Lady of Refuge of Los Haro. However, one day, the statue of Our Lady disappeared from the altar and was never seen again. The church then fell into ruins.
San Rafael Arcangel
After the statue of Our Lady disappeared, the community wanted to find a new saint to honor. According to local stories, the Tesorero hacienda used to lend Los Haro the San Rafael statue for their yearly October celebration. One year, the hacienda refused to lend the statue. But San Rafael still appeared in Los Haro during the festival! Small traces were found along the road to Los Haro.
Because of this, the hacienda owners decided to give the San Rafael statue to the community of Los Haro. In return, the people of Los Haro began building a new church on April 6, 1905. The church was finished on June 6, 1906. The yearly town festival, held in late October, still honors San Rafael today.
Culture and Traditions
La Morisma: A Historic Play
The celebration for the town's patron saint, San Rafael, is famous throughout Zacatecas. This is because of a special event called the Morisma. It takes place over three days, from October 23 to 25. The Morisma is a big play that shows a historic conflict between Christians and Muslims from the Middle Ages. These plays have been performed for at least 900 years in Spain, where Muslims once invaded.
The Morisma is based on the Battle of Lepanto. In this battle, Christian forces led by John of Austria defeated the Turkish (Ottoman) navy in 1571. This stopped Muslim expansion into Europe. Don Quixote author, Miguel de Cervantes, was part of this battle. He later wrote about it, and his writings are used for the Los Haro play.
What makes the Los Haro Morisma special, compared to a larger version in Bracho, Zacatecas, is that it includes people riding horses. Even though the Battle of Lepanto was a sea battle off the coast of Greece, the Los Haro play uses horses. This is because of the local land and because riding horses was a big part of daily life. It allows the brave townsmen to show off their charro (Mexican cowboy) skills.
Economy
The economy of Los Haro mainly focuses on farming. People grow rich plums and peaches, and often corn.
Los Haro Summer Camp Program
The Los Haro Summer Camp program started in 2007. It was created to help children and young people from this Mexican community that spans across the border. Over the last 50 years, many Mexican-U.S. communities have formed. This happened as people left their villages to find jobs and chances in the United States. Los Haro is one of these communities.
Life for children of Mexican immigrants can be confusing. They are caught between two cultures. They often struggle to balance their parents' traditions with the need to live in a new society. Researchers have found that immigrant children who stay in school and do well in America are those who keep a connection to their parents' culture. Knowing and respecting their origins helps them keep strong family ties. It also gives them a sense of self-worth as they grow up in the United States.
The Los Haro Summer Camp was created by the Los Haro Support Committee. This is a volunteer group based in Napa, California. In the past, members of the Los Haro community in Napa raised money for many projects in their home village. These included supporting the church, buying an ambulance, improving the water system, and paving streets. Now, this new Committee is focusing on helping the next generation, both in Los Haro and in Napa.
In 2006, members of the Los Haro Support Committee met to discuss the future of their home community. They realized that without help, the village might continue to decline as more people moved to the United States. They also noticed new problems. More young people from the U.S. were visiting Los Haro for the summer but had little to do. Adults in Los Haro reported more conflicts between local and visiting youth, and an increase in vandalism.
To help with this, and after talking with relatives in Los Haro, the Committee started a program for young people. The goals were to provide fun summer activities, encourage pride in the village, offer learning chances for both local and visiting youth, and build friendships between the two groups.
Through meetings and presentations, the Los Haro Support Committee shares its experiences with other community groups. This program helps strengthen Mexican families and improves the well-being of young people. It also builds friendships and understanding between Mexican families and the wider Napa community.
See also
In Spanish: Los Haro para niños
