Unsettling Settler Societies: Miscegenation as Nation building: Indian and Immigrant women in Mexico. ~Natividad Gutierrz

This article discusses the fusion on two cultures in Mexico: the Spanish and the Native. This mixer of culture brought with it the mixer of it’s people. The offspring that sprung from the union of this fusion are called mestizo.

Mestizo has evolved over time. It is the rejuvenation of culture and respect of and the rights to land. The pride shown by this now ever growing group has countered the government in Mexico. They believe there should be a redefinition of the traditional relationships between the state and indigenous people. This proposition was in hopes of destroying the practice of discrimination and the state’s neglect of development around the issue of indigenous identity. Today’s Mexico stresses the survival of the indigenous societies, thus creating a unified nation.

With the fusion of these cultures, a class structure has developed. There are three levels/classes for women in Mexico. The status is usually unchangeable and determines your educational opportunities and role with the society. Native women are looked to with more respect because of their close ties to their tribes. The keep their native tongue, tradition and culture alive. These carry the burden of their people into the current context of society, completely aware of their marginalization within the system. These women are fighting their rights, to land and life.