The document discusses tracing Mexican ancestry and understanding who Mexicans are. It notes that over 9% of the US population and over 21% of California's population is of Mexican descent. The earliest traces of human life in what is now Mexico date back 20,000 years ago, when hunters and gatherers migrated from Asia across the Bering Strait into Mesoamerica. During the Pre-Classic period, the dominant group was the Olmecs from around 1500 BC to 500 BC, who are known for large stone heads they carved.

1. Title: RETRACING MEXICAN ANCESTRY
Power Point Visual: Card 1
Is anyone here Mexican? Who has a friend that is Mexican?
According to the 2006 census, 9.6 percent of our nation’s total population
is of Mexican descent. In the state of California, people of Mexican descent
account for over 21 percent of the total population.
It is undeniable that “Mexican” is all around us. But do we truly understand
the ancestry of the Mexican people? Who is a Mexican?
Power Point Visual: Card 2
The first traces of human life in the region that we know today as Mexico
date back to 20,000 BC. During this time, known as the Archaic period, it is
believed that hunters and gathers migrated from Asia, across the Bering
Strait and southward into the region of Mesoamerica, that is the land
between North and South America.
Power Point Visual: Card 3
During the Pre-Classic, or Formative period, the most prominent group in
the region was the Olmecs. This group declined around 500 BC. They are
mo