Grupo Folklórico Los Mejicas is a Mexican folkloric dance group at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

[1] Grupo Folklórico Los Mejicas is one of the oldest student organizations on the UC Santa Cruz campus.

Olga Najera-Ramirez, a notable Anthropologist professor at UC Santa Cruz, is a key contributor to the literature of Mexican Folklórico dance.

[3] In her undergraduate career at UCSC, Najera-Ramirez was also a committed member of Los Mejicas and currently acts as their faculty advisor.

[6] Los Mejicas have performed regions such as: Chihuahua, San Luis Potosi, Guerrero, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Sinaloa, Jalisco, Nayarit Costa, Colima, Durango, Puebla, Tabasco, Veracruz, Sonora Bronco, Yucatán, Baja Norte, Aguascalientes, Chiapas, and many more from past years.

[2] Mexican folkloric dance was used to represent a cultural symbol of national unity in post revolutionary Mexico.

Cultural Significance The mission of Los Mejicas is derived from the folkloric reasoning of promoting the Mexican heritage.

It is a tagline that holds both literal and symbolic meaning, one that represents more than the simple association of having once participated in the group; it indicates something deeper, an acknowledgement of where one has come from, and the promise to take that knowledge into the future.

The coastal region of Mexico, specifically Sinaloa, has women wear lighter and more colorful dresses.

[2] Los Mejicas functions as a student organization and club, but also functions as a class where students can enroll through the Latin American and Latino Studies or through the Anthropology department for class credit and fulfillment of an arts general education requirement.

Events include things such as Spanish Camp, ORALE “Brought to you by MECHA”, Danzantes Unidos Festival “Carnaval de Muertitos", Womyn of Color Conference 2011 “Celebrating Our Stories: Breaking Traditional Constraints and Striving for Empowerment”, UCSC Day by the Bay Celebration, Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Santa Cruz High School, Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Soledad Prison, Relay For Life 2011, Multi-cultural Festival “MCF", Baile Folklórico Stanford Annual Concierto de la Primavera at Stanford University and finally at the end of the year spring show celebrating their 40th anniversary: Mejicas, hoy y siempre – Mejicas, now and forever.