Hypocritical mexicanity

There are many things to say about Mexico. A lot of different perspectives; but they mostly depart from the idea, the violent idea, of one mexicanity.

There's not such a thing like mexicanity. It's a cruel invention. People like me, without roots, with a mixed up appearance, grasp onto that concept, to claim for some identity, and it's easy to feel committed to praise and flatter it, so we can feel as being part of something good, or compensate a strong inferiority complex, due that insane habit of comparing ourselves with americans and europeans.

And not satisfied with that, we impose that mexicanity to communities that have already their own identity. We appropriate from their culture, and even decide what's "best" for them. We take over their autonomy. No one asked them if they wanted to be mexican; we just assumed it, taking advantage of it.

Some violent people came once, and claimed these lands in the name of a foreigner crown. They homogenized all this diversity into one brutal empire. After that, some other people came to "set them free", and by the time they realized, they were already part of something, and had to conform to it.

The result: a society that boasts to be "so rich and diverse", but at the same time, judges and mistreats those authentic groups of people, setting them aside, to barely survive and to starve at the mountains, and then, hypocritically, claims for solidarity, for aid, to "save them", to take progress, health care and services within their reach, so they can brag on being considered and nice, good-hearted people that "always care about others".

We pretend to be proud of those roots, but adopt a cruel beauty standard, condemning brown skin, our own brown skin, as inferior, poor and ugly, to the extend of using the word "indio" as a derogatory term, as an insult.

Jose Emilio Pacheco, mexican writer, said once that "if indians weren't poor, "indio" wouldn't be an insult"; but we are to blame for that, since we judge them ignorant, incapable, less than human.

Yes, we pretend to preserve those originary cultures, just as zoo's pretend to preserve biodiversity: as a live museum, to show what it was, how it was, to go to their communities and think to ourselves and wonder "how can they manage to live in those conditions?".

People in Chihuahua that come from the indigenous Raramuri culture, go down to the city and ask for alms and charity. They say "Kórima", Raramuri word that is interpreted as "handout", even used often as slogan for government and charity associations. What this word really means is "give me back what is mine".

Mexican double moral has a wide spectrum of manifestation. We call ourselves very giving and sharing, but we take advantage of every single opportunity we have.

Also, this culture is known as a "very happy" culture, always chilled and cool, with good vibes and an optimistic perspective for each grief that is presented, which ends up perpetuating the low standards and the unacceptable conditions of security, hygiene and education we feature. "Everything is OK". "There's no need to worry". "We have to be thankful for what we have". "Other people live in worse conditions all over the world".

And we get so excited when a mexican seems to success in sports, in fighting, and in any sort of competition at an international context. Always trying to feel superior in some lame way.

But that laughter, that wide grind we show to the people who see us... What's the real cost of it, if it comes from mocking of someone else's grief and misery? "The culture that makes fun of their own disgrace". "The culture that makes a party out of death". "The culture that celebrates their deceased"

No wonder it's a very masculine culture. In one hand, we claim mother to be the most sacred figure, and in the other, we beat and murder women, to consolidate our cynical hypocrisy.

Mexico is a violent, diverse, weird condition I'm born into. Something I have to live with, and be judged by. But personally, I'm starting to refuse to join into that party of masquerade and disguises.