To true Mexicans, is there racism IN Mexico?

Yes, there is. Still, it's a little bit different than what would be in the United States, of course, in the end it's all the same, prejudice over someone considered inferior.

The thing goes like this, racism in Mexico is directed mostly towards native people, something kinda wierd since the whole population is somewhat mixed in racial terms.

All may come from the fact that in one certain moment, the Church established, as absurd as now would sound, that "indians", meaning native mexicans, had souls too. Therefore exterminating them would be a sin. So native mexicans were converted to catholicism and taken as workers, of course, meaning slaves. Slowly, though, europeans and native mexicans started to mingle and have offspring. Their children would be called criollos (double l pronounced as y, as in crioyos), and became the base of nowadays Mexicans. But there was also black slaves brought in from Africa to the Caribbean, and then to Mexico, and they mingled with criollos and indians too. In primary school, at least in my days, we were thought of the numerous names their descendany were called (few examples: criollo, child of Spanish and native Mexican; mulato, child of black and white, and other names I forgot, between black and indian, criollo and black, criollo and mulato, and so on).

At one point mingling was so extended the discrimination became that of social class, and more or less is what is more common in present Mexico. Children of "High Class" tend to look more fair skinned, and Low Class, darker. There is also some animosity between "Chilangos", first a despective name given to inhabitants of the country's capital, Mexico City, and "provincianos", those who lived in the rest of the country. Chilango now is the official name given to those who live in Mexico City, even if some of them actually dislike it quite a bit, or some of them bear it proudly.

But I say racism is mainly directed to native Mexicans, or rather, their descendants, because most of the population ignore everything about them, being confined to certain regions, with rare contact with the general population. They are considered, at least, simple and ignorant, and ridiculed or even abused, when not exploited and eliminated.

There are two Mexicos indeed, or maybe more, since every remaining ethnic group has different ways of life, ideologies, and of course, languages and traditions.

It's actually even more complicated that what I have said, and it could be great if you could ask more Mexicans about it, you could understand what makes us tick a little bit better, because somehow it made us what we are now.

Regarding to the eye color thing, well, through massive media we recieve, as any population in the world I guess, standards of what is beautiful and not. Add to massive amounts of information and influence from the United States and we got a sort of distorted esthetic model, I bet you a lot of people here actually think themselves as "white", lol. It's ok, there are periods where "high class" and "intelectual" elites go Frida Khalo crazy, and look down on more "transculturized" people. Right now, for example, the "hip" fresas, or high class young people with certain aquisition capacity like Banda, a music genre traditionally related to rural and low class, and english singing rock freaks like yers truly are considered weirdos. (Insert Shrug here). When I was in my early teens, the thought of liking such music would be considered "naco", or lowlife (quite free translation). It's just fashion and fad periods, no big deal.

So there, I hope it explains a little bit, but if it causes more doubt still, keep asking. I loooove extending in such themes. :)

Adding something: there was this outrage not long ago, due to this cartoon, created by a Mexican, where the main character is a little black boy named Memin (short for Guillermo, spanish for William) Pinguin (which means little devil). The boy is portrayed in a comic way and has funny manerisms, is of "low class" condition. It outraged some leaders of opinion in the US. But racism towards black skin in Mexico is slightly different than it is in the US. There are few, but easily recongnized black celebrities in Mexico, and mostly they are beloved and respected.

In Mexico, we tend to laugh at everything, not only horrible or sad things, or physical features, we laugh a lot at ourselves, our poiticians, families, natural disasters. Joking and kidding is a big part of our daily life, and we laugh at all that is different than "common", but almost immediately, we had adopted it as natural. Features, defects, peyorative names may come from rage, but in the end, it basically means "you @-hole". Rarely further.

The people who are from the city, and the northern part of Mexico are Mexicans that have been mixed with Spaniards long ago when people from Spain inhabited the Aztecs. As time went on, the Aztecs mixed with the Spanish from Spain and they had a lighter tone of skin color. Those people you see on magazines, are the descendants of the mixed. The lighter tone people are famous and rich and more popular in Mexico. Mexico is a big country, with different areas, and different type of people. Although, for some reason, the lighter toned people are more famous and most of Mexico's stars are mixed. Now, the Mexicans you mostly see working, or those who are illegal who are UNJUSTLY being deported are considered the minority. They are the ones that live in villages of Mexico and they don't always live like the U.S. portrays them, living in the wild and such are not true. They are the descendants of the real Aztecs that inhabited Mexico long ago. There are more of those than mixed or Mestizos. There are some that are famous too that are this type of Mexicans but not many. I do not know if racism exists between these two types of Mexicans but I doubt it. Usually, you wouldn't see them interact. Think of it as if someone from the North part of the U.S. talked to someone from the South. You can notice the difference in apperance and the way they speak. The mixed white Mexicans are the ones mostly on novelas ( spanish soap operas) and T.V related things. Hope this helped##)(

Not at all, actually is very cool! I know this topic is old, but I found it by accident. I am Mexican, I live in Auckland, and all I have got from kiwis is love and respect, it is actually cooler to be Mexican there, everybody treats me like I'm something special. I have had issues being a Mexican in the USA but only when crossing or flying through, but it is the government people who are jerks, American citizens are really nice, I have a lot of American friends in NZ, It was a surprise to me realizing Mexicans and Americans are so alike nowadays due to the cultural mix that is why is so easy to get along overseas, I found easier to hang out with Americans than any other countries even Latin countries. I also understand that some of the people in the states or in the border are jerks, because I agree some Mexicans have had given a bad name to the rest, but c'mon, I'm in the US border with my tourist visa which another American immigration agent gave me based on their research, I'm crossing the same way a European or anybody would, so they don't have to be jerks. I hate being judged because something someone else did. My point is, should I call Nazis to all Germans only because they were born in Germany? HELL NO! Someone here mentioned that if he's proud of his country he should go back.... I met a beautiful kiwi girl that was part maori-check-dutch-Rumanian.. should she go back to any of those places??? If you read, Elizabeth mention her husband was raised and born in the States, but came from a Mexican dad. Sorry to say this but if you think you are better only because the sun reflects a different colour on the surface of your body.... you are seriously mental ill. You are a better person for your actions not your body and if your actions are racist, I don't care the colour of your skin, you're a jerk, period. I noticed that older people tends to be more racist than younger people that travels a lot nowadays. An American friend while he was drunk, apologized to me because his grandpa hated Mexicans, but he love them. hahaha that was hilarious, specially because I had to do the same thing, my grandpa hates americans, but I love them. I guess they had this hate because of the cultural differences in their time. So I'm just saying they going to love you and your husband a lot in NZ, they are soooooo nice! and trust me, I think mix are the best, that's the same reason you don't marry your cousin or someone close, the more mixed, the better blood, and that's not me, that's medical researches. You'll find people that don't like strangers, but that kind of people you'll find them all over the world, they are afraid of change. So say Hola to your husband, and big hug to you darling.

I read in a book at the library that most of the Mexicans that are seen as beautiful in Mexico are blonde with blue eyes. Whiter people usually meant they were richer. The indians there so I hear are discriminated against a lot.

Yeah there is racism everywhere! You should watch novelas and they feature light skin latina with dyed light brown, red or blonde hair. Most of the times maids, butlers or bodyguards are dark skin. It's sad but true.

There's racism in every culture some more than others... and also some people have low self esteem so they tend to put themselves down

Their racism every where.But to answer your question yes their racism in Mexico.

Yes, it's based on, guess what, skin color. Lighter colored Mexicans discriminate against darker ones. Sound familiar?

YES!

Dark people in Mexico are considered inferior.

Danny you're so wrong

mexico is a multiracial country

u got fully white mexicans, some of northern european origin, to black mexicans to native americans to mixed

in multiracial countries, especially in MODERN time latin america (in olden days there were a lot of racism against blacks and indians from whites) there is very little racism.

However, discrimination against native americans in latin america is not so unusual....