Aztlán is the legendary first city of the Aztecs, apparently located in what is now the American Southwest. No physical location has ever been found, and much of the Aztec oral traditions have been lost. Like the Seven Cities of Gold, Aztlán has acquired a magical reputation.
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According to Aztec tradition, the Aztecs left Aztlán in 1111 c.e. and journeyed southward for some two centuries.
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Once in a permanent and secure location in the central valley of Mexico, they destroyed their written records and rewrote them in a manner favorable to the tribe. The Aztecs created a rich body of myth and legend, illustrated with much symbolism. They reported no defeats or weaknesses and portrayed themselves as a messianic people chosen by the Gods.
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Handcanons)
The name Aztlán may be broken down into two words in Nahuatl, aztatl, “heron,” and tlan (tli) “place of.” Tlantli literally means “tooth” and denotes being rooted in place. This word is often used to indicate a settlement or home. Words in Nahuatl have three meanings: literal, syncretic, and connotative. The connotative meaning of Aztlán is “place of whiteness.” Several theories surround this meaning. These include the idea of a city built in a land of white-skinned giants or in a snow-covered land. The myths also contain repeated images of the number seven. The Aztecs believed they crawled from the center of the earth to arrive at the city. It is often called Aztlán of the Seven Caves. Or it may be depicted as having seven temples: one central large step-pyramid surrounded by six lesser sanctuaries. After the arrival of the Spaniards in Mexico, a parallel myth emerges of the Seven Cities of Gold. Like the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, Aztlán was supposedly built on an island.
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It has even been suggested that Aztlán was the legendary Atlantis. It may be assumed that Aztlán was located in northwestern Mexico or southwestern America near the coast or an estuary. One historian has suggested the exact site to be San Felipe or even in the state of Nayarit, Mexico.
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Aztlán symbolized the beginning of the Aztec civilization and Mexican heritage. It signifies acceptance and cultural pride for all Mexican Americans (Chicanos). To many Mexicans and Mexican Americans, Aztlán presents a venerable, dignified heritage. Since the mid-1970s, the University of California at Los Angeles has published a well-known journal named Aztlán, which focuses on Chicano issues, lifestyles, and history. MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán) provides a popular focal point for Chicano student pride at many universities. The group uses Aztlán as a symbol both of its members origin and of their future goals of cultural identity and acceptance as Mexican Americans.
Several groups, such as La Raza, and companies capitalize on the automatic recognition and identification of Aztlán with people of Mexican heritage. This symbolism has been used in several political campaigns over the years as well. Representing lost Mexican lands and identity, Aztlán remains a potent political symbol. Companies in the American Southwest, such as Aztlán Archaeology, Aztlán Graphics, and Aztlán Productions, take advantage of the name's broad recognition. Even the arts make the most of the name. The Ballet Folklórico Aztlán travels with productions of historical representations of ceremonies and tribal dances believed to have begun in Aztlán and continued throughout the Aztec culture.
