Although we constantly complain about the increasing racism, discrimination and poverty that Hispanics face in the USA, Indigenous Mexicans suffer the same problems in Mexico.

In a nation devoted to celebrating its Indian heritage, the terrible irony is that Indians are despised. "Don't behave like an Indian," are common sentences heard among the white mestizo (person of mixed race or blood, specifically a person of mixed European and Indian) and the criollo (direct Spanish descendants) families. The Indians are despised for their physical appearance, their poverty, and their language. Racism enters every criollo and mestizo family, defining the value and the place of the children according to their color. The darkest one may become the outsider, while the fair-skinned one is a prize.

In Mexico, two different worlds exist, the world of the white and rich population and the world of the indigenous. The Indians have been excluded from the privileges that the white population in Mexico have. They have been abused, attacked, neglected and forgotten during the last 100 years.

Today, the indigenous population continues to face systematic discrimination in the public and private sectors, and remains largely outside the country's political and economic mainstream. Extreme poverty disproportionately affects indigenous segments of the population, particularly in the province of Chiapas, where conflict between a national liberation movement and authorities has raged since 1994.

Language barriers preclude meaningful participation of indigenous peoples in the public education system. Most Indians do not speak Spanish; nevertheless, Spanish is the language that has been assigned in the Education System. As a result, for the non-Spanish-speaking people, education is often essentially unavailable. The illiteracy rate among indigenous peoples in Mexico is six times the national average. Spanish illiteracy particularly disadvantages indigenous peoples in the political process, as ballots and voter information are only available in Spanish. If citizens of Mexico cannot read or understand Spanish, they are not able to cast their votes.

In addition, Indians' inability to speak Spanish means that they face widespread employment discrimination in Spanish-speaking areas. Indians are also over represented in low-income jobs; 40 per cent of migrant farm workers in the country are Indian. Even among menial jobs, employment discrimination persists. For example, one report indicates that Indians are often not allowed to do the easier plant packing work; ostensibly because they are "too short" to reach the vegetables to sort and pick them. Migrant farm workers in the south have been subjected to discriminatory police brutality. These people claim that police specifically target them for abuse. Reports indicate that the police target those with "markers" of being Indian, such as skin color and height.

The vast concentrations of wealth among the white (9% of the population, according o the CIA Factbook) ruling class contrasted with extreme poverty among the darkest citizens are the proof that racial and class discrimination exists in Mexico. The official and his peers in the business and intellectual elites of the nation tend to be white (there are exceptions, but they are becoming scarcer), well educated, and well traveled abroad.

Although this is happening right before their eyes, the white population in Mexico (the most powerful one) refuses to acknowledge it or even address it openly. They refuse to notice the skin color and height differences between the rulers and the ruled in Mexico.

The current government has made an effort to bring the issue of indigenous rights closer to the forefront of the country's agenda, but it still maintains that racial discrimination does not exist in Mexico. While they acknowledge that indigenous people suffer debilitating and disproportionate social, cultural, and economic hardships, it contends that racial discrimination is not the cause of such poverty, but rather that the poverty itself is the cause of discrimination.

We aren't going to be able to take all the appropriate measures to ensure equal and impartial treatment before the law for all people, until we recognize that racism perpetuates the economic, social, and political marginalization of indigenous peoples.

Unfortunately, racism is a fact of life in Mexico, one that costs lives. But the struggle goes on, for the dead are only dead if they are forgotten. Let's not forget about them

The "white and rich" vs. the Indian poor? By your definition of who is white (a European complexion or one that reflects a mixed European-Indian ancestry), the vast majority of Mexican immigrants in southern California are white and rich. That's a little stupid, wouldn't you say? At the same time, it is true that Indians are heavily discriminated in Mexico and other parts of Central America.

This and the next three messages were a kind of "spam" or "troll" post by the anti-Mexican folks allied with (or in) the SOS.

It's a tired old tactic, for racists in one country to point at another country that's more racist, as justification of their own racism.

It has the dual purpose of:

: 1) polishing their own turd, making their mess look better.

2) scaring the oppressed by presenting an image of how much worse it can be.

3) and in this case, battering the identity of people who identify as Mexican, so that they'll think that there are two options: to ally with the "old country that's racist" or the "new country that's less racist"... but happens to be racist against them.

It's telling the oppressed person -- "your people are inherently screwed up." Then it offers up the new, American, identity as a better option, but, the deal is this -- under this new identity, you're a second-class person.

This is the root of self-hate.

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To be certain, Mexico is more racist than America. But, it's the same racism as America's. It's European colonization.

I just noticed this:

>>Although this is happening right before their eyes, the white population in Mexico (the most powerful one) refuses to acknowledge it or even address it openly. They refuse to notice the skin color and height differences between the rulers and the ruled in Mexico.

Yeah... just like all the people in the USA who say they're "colorblind."

I guess I can't distinguish the good racists from the bad racists like others on this forum can. To me it's all ugly. I guess I'll just take the high road and clearly state that racism, in any form, should be condemed.

>>I guess I can't distinguish the good racists from the bad racists like others on this forum can. To me it's all ugly. I guess I'll just take the high road and clearly state that racism, in any form, should be condemed.

I'm glad you've come to your senses and joined the protest against the MMP and SOS.

"I'm glad you've come to your senses and joined the protest against the MMP and SOS."

I see this as a stereotypical confrontation where both sides use what ever they can to get the masses on there side. Hypocrisies' run deep. Both claim the others are racists, and I am sure there are some on both sides. I believe many are not on both sides as well.

What confuses me is pretty simple. It goes without saying that latin american countries need help on political, social and economic issues. Otherwise these debates and issues wouldn't exsist. The question is what form of help should be rendered if any at all.

What in the long run will benefit latin america? It is apparent the dependency on foriegn governments to supply work is not the answer. Why? because foreign governments can change policies overnight. As demonstrated in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Governments and people change there minds all the time.

So what can be done to create a substainable latin america? I don't believe the solution will be born in the confines of the U.S. border.

Blaming everything and everyone under the sun and pointing fingers only hinders the problem, it never solves it.

johnk... Do you believe that the Minute Men do what they do because of racism or because they are tired of the lax law enforcement at the border?