This week marks the beginning of Latino Heritage Month. By design, it begins in the middle of September because that is when Mexican Independence is celebrated.
Beginning Latino Heritage Month basically on Mexican Independence Day represents a rather ironic dichotomy in that it features the Mexican flag in America. It is ironic because, contrary to flags like that if Italy on Columbus Day or Ireland on its holiday, there is a passionate love-hate relationship with the flag of Mexico across America.
Coincidentally, that love-hate relationship extends to the Latino community in general and even to the Americans of Mexican descent trying to find their way in the country. The source of pride in being a successful American of Mexican descent is counterbalanced by the secret reminder that we are orphans in both lands.
Over the years, I have been blessed with the ability to “fit” among many in Mexican communities. There have been times that I have expressed pride in the fact that only my closest friends in Mexico and Central America “know” that I am an American.
The opportunity to successfully fit into the Mexican fabric has taught me that the fundamental ills related to vision of self among Mexicans abroad, Mexicans in the United States and Mexican Americans are very similar. I sensed the commonality of issues of this type since my early years of study when my thoughts included an urgent desire for self-discovery.
Toward the beginning of graduate school I came face to face with the notion of identity as clinically defined as well as it applied to me in a seminar on the Latin America essay. Among the books we read and researched was The Labyrinth of Solitude (1950) by Octavio Paz, an essay that truly questions the historical basis for Mexican identity.
Later, meeting Paz and reading his other essays and poetry convinced me that his criticism assumes a Spanish and European context to Mexican self-image. This context evidences the sons and daughters of a defeated people that still bare a large and bloody open wound that continues to torment the Mexican as an individual and as a people.
The wound is even greater in the Mexican American as he was conquered twice, once by Spain and the other by Manifest Destiny in America. However, the consequences of land dispossession and the movement of borders pales in comparison with the negative collective psychology that all conquered people suffer and repress.
In the last years, Mexico has been attempting to change the concept of origins away from a European centered cultural value system to that of its indigenous past through a deliberately planned process called the Fourth Transformation. It is in the acceptance of its indigenous past that the country looks to reform its long-held vision associated with origins.
That this is happening at the present time is fortuitous as the Western Civilization cultures are less viable each day. The great things that they created in the last 700 years are gradually coming apart.
When Spain came to America it pushed the indigenous civilization into a dark age. However, for a century, Mexico has had an opportunity for new vision but has been slow to take it because of the indigenous context of that change.
The Chicano Movement sought to revive the notion of an indigenous framework for origins led by the concept of Aztlan. However, it is important to note that Mesoamerican Civilizations are still here manifested by cultures such as the Olmec, Maya, Zapotec and the 60 indigenous languages still spoken.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
