Introduction
The social construction of race and national identity in post-revolutionary Mexico (the 1920s to 1930s) was essentially a story of influence. Those in positions of economic, social, and political authority develop and recreate classes of difference and assign value and meaning based on those classes to naturalize and maintain their dominance. Institutional racism was a factor in the social construction of race and identity for ethnic groups of color in the US. The essay analyzes and criticizes the social construction of race and national identity in post-revolutionary Mexico (the 1920s to 1930s).
Indigenismo
Indigenismo was defined as the political philosophy in Latin America. This started in the late 19th century and continued in the 20th century. It tried to reform the role of indigenous populations in the country. Mexicans embraced indigenismo philosophy and this where many governmental programs, policies, and institutions were established. Many people were empowered through land reforms, economic development, and educational programs due to this ideology (Knight, 1990). Despite the indigenismo being useful to the people, it is still criticized due to its operating under a hierarchy.
Disparities and Realities in Mexican Race and National Identity
Mexicans with black ancestry or indigenous experience discrimination in education, job opportunities, and the corridors of the justice system, although racial differences do not officially exist in Mexico. Mestizaje, a Mexican doctrine of racial mixing, obscures entrenched biases and systematic discrimination from government intellectuals and bureaucrats (Knight, 1990). In the early twentieth century, the government embraced the ideas of mestizaje or mixed race to create a unified identity. Hence, the Mexican masses were seen as Mestizos culturally if not biologically, creating a big country with a happy family (Knight, 1994). The terminology was aimed to remove ethnicity from the national perspective, however, now obscures that racism still happens in government.
Conclusion
The realities of ethnicity, race, and social class in Mexico were, therefore obscured by the government’s construction of mestizaje and indigenismo through discrimination of these people of mixed racing. Racism in Mexico is beyond the words spoken as it has real-world implications. Race in the country matters contrary to the ideology of indigenismo and mestizaje and a large percentage of Mexicans self-identify as members of ethnic or racial groups.
References
Knight, A. (1990). Social Revolution: A Latin American Perspective. Bulletin of Latin American Research, 9(2), 175-202. Web.
Knight, A. (1994). Peasants into Patriots: Thoughts on the Making of the Mexican Nation. Mexican Studies/Estudios Mexicanos, 10(1), 135-161. Web.