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Response Paper 2

Mestizaje and the Mexican Revolution in Orozco and The Underdogs

The Existence of White Prejudice

As shown by the way Díaz hid his mestizo heritage by making his face whiter, Porfirio Díaz’s reign was marked by his supporters, Los Científicos, and their idealization of the European cultures under the idea of Social Darwinism. In contrast, after his rule ended in 1910 with the start of the Mexican Revolution, much more emphasis was placed on the indigenous culture and Mexican pride, which was evident in the artwork of the revolutionary era. José Vasconcelos, a pioneer of the muralist movement, not only advocated for public art but also greatly supported the indigenous and mestizo cultures. Vasconcelos writes about “la raza cósmica,” the idea that “a fully mixed race, a ‘cosmic race,’ in which all the better qualities of each race would persist by the natural selection of love” (Vasconcelos). This seems to be the opposite of Social Darwinism, that instead of one prevailing race, it is a blend of races, such as the mestizos in Mexico, which will prevail. However, while I agree with Vasconcelos that the union of backgrounds is powerful, I believe that his beliefs are also too idealistic as he forgets to mention the consequences that come with this mixture of races, such as the continued presence of white supremacy.

Even though Vasconcelos mentions that the Spaniards avoided white prejudice in their mixing with the Indians, white supremacy still prevails and is seen through subtle actions and depictions of the lighter skinned individuals. Vasconcelos argues, “the English have always stood for the conservation of an original unmixed human stock and have succeeded in maintaining it; and the Spaniards have always disregarded this purely white prejudice” (Stavans 98). However, it is not true that this “purely white prejudice” does not exist. In The Underdogs, the lighter skinned members of European descendent are described more favorably and in a more refined manner than the indigenous and mestizos. For example, in one of the villages that Demetrio Macías visits, a woman’s tongue is described as “thick as a rag” (Azuela 88). In comparison, Luis Cervantes’s future wife is of European descendent and is described much more elegantly as “a girl of unusual beauty.” (Azuela 81). “Her skin was ruddy and smooth as a rose petal, her hair was blond, and her eyes…had much vague childish fear in them,” and his wife is often described with fragile, expensive objects such as the “fine glasses, porcelain, and flower vases” (Azuela 81). Azuela describes the village woman is in a rougher manner than the girl with European roots. Also, the village woman is described in juxtaposition with a rag, something that is easily thrown away, while Cervantes’s wife is described with precious objects, suggesting that those of European heritage are more prized and important than those who have Indian roots.

orozco
Cortez and Malinche    
orozco2
The Franciscan and the Indian   

In the same way Azuela shows the presence of white supremacy, Los Tres Grandes, such as Orozco, also depict the power the whites have in society through their focus on white individuals in their murals. In José Clemente Orozco’s Cortez and Malinche located in the National Preparatory School in Mexico City, he summarizes Cortez’s creation of the mestizo race when he had relations with the indigenous women. However­­, Cortez is portrayed in a more dominant manner in comparison to the indigenous woman. His arm and leg both cover those of the indigenous woman. This shows Cortez’s dominance and control over the indigenous. His eyes are open while the indigenous woman’s are closed, which demonstrates the continuation of the European vision and suppression of the indigenous ideals. His features are highlighted with bright colors while the indigenous woman is marred by dark, dull colors. The colors bring focus to Cortez and diminish and downplay the indigenous woman. On the ground, Cortez steps over the body of an Indian and pays little attention to this gruesome detail, further indication of the Spaniards’ exploitation of the Indian population. Overall, these artistic nuances all show how the Spaniards overpower the indigenous, despite the creation of the mestizo. Orozco shows a similar sentiment in The Franciscan and the Indian. The depiction of a large, powerful priest embracing an emaciated Indian proves “the consequences of Catholic imperialism” (Rochfort 46). Although it seems that the priest is helping the indigenous, at the same time, he seems to also be subduing him. The bony indigenous man crumples underneath the priest, and the arms of the priest also hide his face. It seems as if the mind, thoughts of the Indian are diminished in the presence of the Europeans. In the same way, although the mestizos are a blend of European and Indian, they will never be looked upon as favorably as a pure white male.

Through the literary work of Azuela and murals of Orozco, we can see that despite the way Vasconcelos downplays the consequences of the “la raza cósmica” in his argument, downfalls, such as prejudice, are still present in the mestizo race. In The Underdogs, those who seem to have mixed or indigenous heritage or darker skin are displayed in a more derogatory way. In Orozco’s work, the white Spaniards repress the indigenous people. In these ways, the white race seems to be “better” than that of the indigenous race. Even though two races, European and Indian, have come together, one race still overpowers the other; the two races are not equal as Vasconcelos insinuates in his argument in The Race Problem of Latin America. It is beneficial that we are growing to accept the merging of races instead of previous opinions that keeping races separate and pure is more advantageous. Yet, it is not enough to just physically create a mixed race to progress past the consequences of prejudice.

 

Works Cited

Azuela, Mariano. The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution. Trans. Sergio

Gabriel Waisman. New York: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Rochfort, Desmond. Mexican Muralists: Orozco, Rivera, Siqueiros. San Francisco:

Chronicle, 1998. Print.

Stavans, Ilan, and José Vasconcelos. "The Race Problem in Latin America." José

Vasconcelos: The Prophet of Race. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 2011. 91-

Vasconcelos, José. "The Cosmic Race / La Raza Cosmica." The Cosmic Race / La Raza

Cosmica. Trans. Didier T. Jaén. JHU Press, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2017.