Before I began this blog I didn't have a clue about anything to do with El Salvador.  I know my blog gave little information about the country itself but I know I learned quite a bit and I now have the urge to actually visit.  On top of it all, I was graciously blessed to have speakers and professors visit the campus to talk about El Salvador.  That was amazing.  I felt I was given a golden ticket but didn't produce much of a blog in return. :(

From the extra credit seminar that was conducted on UCLA's campus on May 15 2013

As part of our class discussion, I researched a few websites about Salvadoran Immigrants in the United States.  As we know, civil wars engulfed several Central American counties in the 1980s.  Hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans fled their country and came to the United States.

Between 1980 and 1990, the Salvadoran population in the US increased from 94,000 to 465,000.  The number continued to grow due to the natural disasters that hit El Salvador.  An estimated 1.2 million Salvadoran immigrants are currently in the US which puts them as the sixth largest immigrant group after Mexican, Filipino, Indian, Chinese and Vietnamese foreign born.

Migration Information Source - Salvadoran Immigrants in the United States

The immigrant population from this tiny Central American country is now nearly as large as the immigrant population from much larger China. (As reference, China's total population is 200 times larger and its territory is about 500 times larger than El Salvador's.)

Quick little visit down to Mexico.  I thought I'd share.

Religions in El Salvador

El Salvador religion is mainly Roman Catholic, although El Salvador Protestant groups have lately become very active.  There are over a million Protestant evangelicals residing in El Salvador.

El Salvador: The Role of Religion


According to CIA World Factbook 

Roman Catholic 57.1%,
Protestant 21.2%,
Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%,
Mormon 0.7%,
other religions 2.3%
none 16.8% (2003 est.)

The Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang started in Los Angeles in the 80s by Salvadoran immigrants.  The gang's main purpose was to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in LA. 

National Geographic has made a documentary called World's Most Dangerous Gang, portraying MS-13.

 

MS-13 InSight Crime

 

 

 

 

Short clip I found on El Salvador.

Keeping with the Latin American theme. I went up to San Francisco to watch Dominican Republic play baseball vs Puerto Rico for the World Baseball Classic Championship.  DR wins.

  Sophia is my 8 month old niece.   She was getting her grove on to Cumbia Music. HAHA

El Salvador has a history of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.  The country has over twenty volcanoes, although only two, San Miguel and Izalco, have been active in recent years.

Izalco

San Miguel

Quick video of the Volcanoes of El Salvador con Musica de Cumbia ;) 

Conquest of El Salvador

Between 1524 and 1525, Spanish Conquistador Pedro de Alvarado and his brother Gonzalo crossed into El Salvador.  They were initially disappointed because the Pipil people didn't have gold or jewels like what was found in Guatemala or Mexico, instead they discovered the lands richness in volcanic soil.

El Capitan Pedro de Alvarado y Contreras

  

     On June 8, 1524, the Spanish crossed the Rio Paz and the Battle of Acajutla ensued between them and the Pipil people.  Alvarado had his archer's shower the natives with arrows, but the Pipil would not retreat.  Alvarado noticed a spot behind a hillside and pretended that his army had given up and retreated, but in fact, he had his men hiding.  Seeing this, the Pipil people quickly rushed towards Alvarado and his army of invaders.  The Spanish archer's again sent out a barrage of arrows aimed at the indigenous, this time they took massive loses.

     In Alvarado's words “the destruction was so great that in just a short time there were none which were left alive..."  However, Alvarado's army also suffered causalities, even Alvarado himself was injured during the battle, which left him with a broken leg and leaving him partially crippled.

     The indigenous continued to put up a fight and resisted the Spanish.  Although Alvarado did win the first battle, the Pipil people, led by warlord Atlacatl, defeated the Spaniards and forced them back up north to Guatemala.  Alvarado would again be injured which led him to be handicapped for the duration of his life.  He eventually abandoned the war and his brother Gonzalo would continue the task of conquering El Salvador.

     It took two expeditions to finally bring the Pipil people under control of the Spanish.  In 1525, the city of San Salvador was established.  Still, the Pipil resisted the onslaught of the Spanish and held them back from taking over eastern El Salvador, the area of the Lencas.

     For ten years the Lencas prevented the Spaniards from officially settling.  Finally, with reinforcements of more soldiers, the Spaniards, led by Alvarado's nephew, Luis de Moscoso, eventually pushed the remaining Lencas into the hills and the Spanish were able finish the conquest.

    

I decided to try Salvadorian food last night.  I ended up choosing, El Amanecer Cafe, which is located in Santa Ana, CA.

A pupusa is a traditional Salvadoran dish made of a thick, handmade corn tortilla that is usually filled with a blend of cheese, cooked pork meat and refried beans.

Pupusas were first created centuries ago by the Pipil tribes who inhabited the land now known as El Salvador.

First European Contact (1522)

The first known visit by the Spanish to El Salvador was Meanguera Island, located in the Gulf of Fonseca on May 31, 1522 by Spanish Admiral Andres Nino.  By the time Nino arrived, the population of the land had been reduced by nearly 80 percent because of the small pox epidemic.

El Salvador is located in Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras.

El Salvador, with a population estimated at 6.1 million people, is the smallest geographically Central American country ( size of Massachusetts ) and the only one without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea.

 
Spanish is the official language spoken in El Salvador with Nahua being used among some Amerindians.

.

WHY EL SALVADOR?