The Mysteries of the Americas, Hosted by Andrew Colón

During the Mexican-American War, Irish immigrants serving in the U.S. Army crossed over to fight for Mexico. Led by John Riley, the San Patricios battled at Monterrey, Buena Vista, and Churubusco—and faced severe punishment when the war turned against them.
Why did they switch sides? This episode looks at anti-Irish and anti-Catholic prejudice, life in the U.S. Army, Mexico’s offer, and the reasons historians give for their decision. Were they traitors, heroes, or something more complicated? The answer depends partly on which side of the border remembers them.

Where does La Catrina really come from? Before she became the elegant skeleton of Día de Muertos—or appeared in makeup tutorials, Halloween costumes, movies and merchandise—she began as a sharp piece of Mexican satire.
In this episode of The Mysteries of the Americas, Andrew Colón follows La Catrina’s transformation from José Guadalupe Posada’s Calavera Garbancera to the beautifully dressed figure painted by Diego Rivera.
You’ll discover:
• Who Posada’s original skeleton was mocking
• Why she was called La Calavera Garbancera
• What Diego Rivera added to her image
• Whether La Catrina is truly connected to the Mexica goddess Mictecacíhuatl
• How Self Help Graphics and Chicano artists in East Los Angeles reclaimed Día de Muertos imagery
• How James Bond’s Spectre helped inspire a real Mexico City parade
• How Hollywood, Halloween and major corporations turned La Catrina into an international icon
The often-repeated story that La Catrina is a modern version of Mictecacíhuatl is fascinating—but the direct historical evidence is far less certain than many online accounts suggest. Her real journey is a story of satire, Mexican identity, Indigenous survival, Chicano pride and constant reinvention.
Learn more about Self Help Graphics & Art and support its artists:
https://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/
Follow The Mysteries of the Americas on Spotify for more overlooked history, myths, legends and mysteries from Mexico and across the Americas.
What does La Catrina represent to you or your family?

Eight years after Mexico won its independence, Spain sent an army from Cuba to take the country back. Andrew Colón tells the overlooked story of the 1829 Spanish reconquest attempt, the Battle of Tampico, the tropical storm that transformed the fighting and the victory that made Antonio López de Santa Anna a national hero. This was the moment Mexico secured its independence from Spain for good.

Did Polynesian navigators reach the Americas centuries before Columbus? Follow the evidence across the Pacific, including pre-1492 sweet potatoes, the words kumara and kūmara, Indigenous American DNA on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and disputed Polynesian chicken bones in Chile. We examine the Case For and the Case Against, compare the evidence with the Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows, and then you decide.
Welcome to the Mysteries of the Americas...there's lots more to see and hear!-Andrew

Gonzalo Guerrero arrived in the Americas as a Spaniard. After a shipwreck left him stranded on the Yucatán coast, his life took a path few could have imagined.
He learned the Maya language and customs, married a Maya woman, had children, and eventually became a Maya war captain. Then Hernán Cortés offered him the chance to return to the Spanish. Guerrero chose to stay with the Maya.
In this episode of The Mysteries of the Americas, we follow the remarkable story of Gonzalo Guerrero, from the shipwreck that changed his life to his transformation from Spanish soldier to a man who fought alongside the Maya during the Spanish conquest.
But Guerrero's story also comes with unanswered questions. Some details appear in early Spanish accounts. Others became part of his story much later. We'll look at what the historical sources actually tell us, what remains uncertain, and why Gonzalo Guerrero became such a fascinating and complicated figure in the history of Mexico and the Americas.
The Mysteries of the Americas explores the myths, legends, history, and mysteries of the Americas, from the ancient civilizations of Mexico and Indigenous histories to forgotten people, disputed origins, migrations, archaeology, and the stories connecting people across the Americas.
Follow The Mysteries of the Americas on Spotify for more stories from across the Americas.