When handling a car, Mexicans think nothing of weaving in and out, cutting in front of other vehicles or even stopping if they see a friend.
Stories by Joseph Sorrentino
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Mural project aims to educate residents about their town’s unique history
Zuri Merlo and Iván Galeazzi are on a mission to create 15 paintings throughout the Puebla town of Chipilo that illustrate the town’s story.
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Cotton candy vendor’s act of kindness unites both kids and adults in joy
Cotton candy vendors in the Mexico City pueblo of San Gregorio Atlapulco often provide some free entertainment along with their sugary wares.
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An Easter excursion imparts a sober reminder: be careful, for life is short
In Chihuahua, Joseph Sorrentino followed the sound of mariachis, expecting a religious procession he could photograph. He was wrong.
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On Holy Week, these youths exchange worldly pleasures for divine ones
Los Varones, men in charge of religious tasks in the Mexico City community of San Gregorio Atlapulco, may have existed since the 1600s.
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Holy Week photo expedition leads to an unanticipated cultural encounter
The plan was to document a well-known Good Friday reenactment in Tlalixtac, Oaxaca. When a local official objected, things got confusing.
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Puebla town’s artisans keep alive traditions going back nearly 1,000 years
Artisans in Tecali still create the type of highly skilled marble and onyx sculptures their Chichimeca ancestors made for the Aztec Empire.
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Italian bread brought here 140 years ago still a staple in one Puebla town
Families in Chipilo treasure their recipes for this adaptation of an Old World sweet cornbread that’s been made in this community since 1882.
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Rituals unite Mexico City’s original communities under a modern purpose
El Leñerito, a ritual in Mexico City’s first indigenous towns, combines pre-Hispanic tradition with the goal of conserving forestlands.
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Though it’s not easy work, the ancient art of brickmaking lives on in Cholula
Go beyond this magical town’s center and you’ll find family businesses where they still make bricks by hand in traditional wood-fired ovens.
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In the remote farmlands of Morelos, wildlife can take you by surprise
On a project to document farmers’ lives in the state of Morelos, Joseph Sorrentino had a close encounter with nature he’ll never forget.
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With Covid killing tourism, Cholula’s street vendors face a daily battle to survive
In this Puebla magical town, those who thrived selling snacks and souvenirs to visitors now just hope to make enough to feed their families.
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At these holy processions comes devotion, along with a most joyful noise
At many public religious celebrations throughout Mexico, the tone isn’t somber and sober but filled with music, dance and, yes, fireworks.
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A Oaxaca photography trip becomes a lesson in ceding to the unknown
When Joseph Sorrentino’s light meter failed him during a photo expedition in remote Oaxaca, he ended up learning about a local village deity.
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At a Covid crossroads, some Cholula businesses fear they’ve closed for good
In normal times, Cholula, Puebla, one of Mexico’s magical towns, is a major tourist site. But these are anything but normal times.
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The best advice for pedestrians in Mexico: show no fear
Mexicans may be among the nicest people in the world, but put them in the driver’s seat and some mysterious sort of killer instinct kicks in.
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Kings’ Day bread is all about tradition, but each baker’s method is personal
Rosca de reyes, or Kings’ Day bread, is a Mexican tradition, but each baker expresses their creativity in their unique twist on the recipe.
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Italian Epiphany tradition helps a Puebla town remember its heritage
In the 1990s, Chipilo, Puebla residents brought an Italian Epiphany ritual to Mexico to honor their ancestors from the Véneto region.
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Stuffed chile dish is a staple in Puebla during the Christmas season
Every family has its own recipe for this traditional dish, which is served at Christmas and on New Year’s Day.
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Mexico’s speedbumps are a noble but misguided attempt at road safety
Topes, Mexico’s uniquely tall speedbumps, try to quell Mexican drivers’ love for speed by threatening to take out a car’s undercarriage.
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Puebla town’s New Year’s Day tradition harkens back to Italian ancestry
Chipilo, Puebla residents’ ancestors brought this New Year’s Day tradition with them in 1882 when they migrated from Italy’s Veneto region.
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Love them or hate them, cohetes mark nearly every part of Mexican life
When I complain to friends back in the U.S. about cohetes, the bottle rockets that are a staple of Mexican FULL STORY
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December’s posadas mix dancing, fireworks, drink and devotion
A reenaction of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter, Mexico’s posadas are also joyful community Christmastime parties that unite neighborhoods.
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‘In the future, it will be furniture:’ a Puebla town adapts to a changing market
Chipilo, Puebla, a 100-year dairy community, traded in milk pails for chisels when Mexico’s market bottomed out. Now they make furniture.
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Mexico’s second-biggest pilgrimage site has its own indigenous origin story
Mexico’s annual Catholic pilgrimage from San Gregorio to Chalma is about faith and gratitude, but also the bonds formed in mutual suffering.
