Global Issue Essay

College of Western Idaho

The Fight for Dignity in Mexico

Brandy Garza Padilla

2010 FA-ENGL-102-024W

Leslie Jewkes

5 December, 2010

Abstract

            This essay examines racism in Mexico today. The origins of discrimination against the indigenous in Mexico are evident today. Racism in Mexico must be acknowledged because dignity is a human right to all.

           

 

The Fight for Dignity in Mexico

“Oh, don’t be an Indian!” is a derogatory insult that can commonly be heard in Mexico (Padilla 1). The indigenous (also referred to as Indians) of Mexico today are considered to be uneducated, lazy, foul and “dark” (Gall). Even though Mexico is a melding pot of many cultures, a social class structure has placed indigenous people at the bottom of the class based on their appearance and dialect. Racial discrimination against indigenous groups must be recognized as racism because all of mankind deserves dignity, and healing starts with acknowledging the problem.

When the Spaniards conquered Mexico in the 16^th century they established a class system based on race, “thus, “Indian,” blended the diverse cultures of the natives into one deprecating name that became a symbol for vanquished, uneducated, and stupid”(De Leff 620). Although the indigenous people of Mexico have been viewed in many different ways since the conquest, “racism and discrimination are still prevalent in Mexican society and limit options and opportunities open to indigenous populations” (Schmelkes 5). It is reported that the indigenous people are the least represented in higher education in Mexico (Schmelkes 5), and that “the indigenous people of Latin America live in conditions of extreme poverty (Patrinos 1)”.

Table 1: Poverty in Mexico

(Percent of population below poverty line)

Indigenous	Non-Indigenous
80.6	17.9

Source: Psacharopoulos, George and Patrinos, Harry Anthony (Eds.). 1994. Indigenous People and Poverty in Latin America. An Empirical Analysis. Washington, D.C., The World Bank, p. 206-207.

The uprising in Chiapas Mexico in 1994 demonstrated that the indigenous communities demanded better social conditions. The plea of the indigenous community is simple: “dignity for the human race” (De Leff 623). In the name of social integration and economic development, the Mexican government “has taken the lead in directing the progress of cultural changes among the indigenous communities” (Psacharopoulos 206).  The first attempts of reaching the indigenous included homogenizing programs that required the minorities to simulate into the Mexican norm, however new programs have focused on accepting the cultural strengths of the indigenous community (World Bank). Harry Patrinos argues that “The involvement of indigenous people can aid the improvement of the design and implementation of development projects” (15).  Indigenous rights have progressed in recent years; however there is work still to be done.

 Two of the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations are to “ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling” and to “Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty” (Hall). In Mexico those goals are forecasted to be met. “The 2007 passage of the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Peoples‘ Rights provides a new global platform for international collaboration towards the advancement of indigenous peoples”(Gall 2). International interest of the indigenous communities encourages the Mexican nation to work towards a solution. 

While racism lives off of denial, Sandra Parks claims that “Multicultural education is the key curriculum reform in combating racism” (16). Empathy and respect for all mankind are qualities that are required to combat racism. De Leff urges us to be “actively sensitive to social injustice and contest any ideology or behavior that injures human dignity” (622-623). The ancient and inhuman problem of discrimination has yet to be eradicated and therefor the cry for dignity as a human right must be actively fought by all of us.

Works Cited

de Leff, Jacqueline Fortes. "Racism in Mexico: Cultural Roots and Clinical Interventions." Family Process 41.4 (2002): 619. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.

Gall, Olivia. "The historical structure of racism in Chiapas." Social Identities June 1998: 235. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.

Gall, Olivia. "Racism, interethnic war, and peace in Chiapas." Peace & Change 23.4 (1998): 531. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.

Hall, Gillette, and Harry Patrinos. "Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Development." Chapter1. World Bank. United Nations, Apr. 2010. Web. Nov. 2010.

Padilla, Miguel. Personal Interview. Nov. 2010.

Parks, Sandra. "Reducing the Effects of Racism in Schools." Educational Leadership 56.7 (1999): 14. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 17 Sept. 2010.

Psacharopoulos, George and Patrinos, Harry Anthony (Eds.). 1994. Indigenous People and Poverty in Latin America. An Empirical Analysis. Washington, D.C., The World Bank, p. 206-207.

Schmelkes, Sylvia. "Intercultural universities in Mexico: progress and difficulties." Intercultural Education 20.1 (2009): 5-17. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.

United Nations, ed. MDG Monitor:Track. Learn. Support. N.p., n.d. Web. Nov. 2010.