councilor.org
| Source | James Michael Craven |
| Date | 99/07/24/00:04 |
| >From the World Book Encyclopedia, circa 1920 "What is a Mexican? Mexico had in 1910 a population of about 15,112,600 people; an accurate census has never been taken because of the superstitious fears of the people. When a census taker appears they conceal from him as many facts as possible, thinking that he may do them harm in some way--at the very least make them pay heavier taxes. The people are for the most part very ignorant; this is not strange when it is considered that out of the whole population only nineteen per cent may be classed as pure whites, while the remaining eighty-one percent are Indians or of mixed Indian and white blood. The typical Mexican, then, is quite sure to have Indian blood in his veins and to have inherited with it most of the superstitions, the customs and the vices which his Indian ancestors possessed four centuries ago, before the Spanish conquest. See subtitle, Government and History. It is somewhat difficult to give the characteristics which distinguish Mexicans, so poorly have the different Indian tribes been assimilated; but for the most part it may be said that, whether Indian or half-breed, they are pleasure-loving, fond of ease, unreliable and totally incapable of understanding the principles of wise and sane living. The wages they earn are all too small, but whatever they can save above the bare necessities of life they almost invariably spend foolishly. Particularly strong is their love for intoxicating liquors, and every festive day serves as an excuse for excessive drinking. Living Conditions. The foreigners, of whom there are about 100,000 in the country before the revolutions which began in 1911, have introduced so far as possible their own modes of life, and the results are notable in the large cities. Here, to some extent, European and American methods have been introduced, and it is frequently possible for the traveler to find a fairly good hotel with electric lights and only a moderate amount of dirt, instead of the indescribable lodging houses of the past. The 'native whites', if so they may be called, are Spaniards; and many of them live in a style which has much of the display if very little of solid comfort. But the mass of people, the Indians and the half-breeds, live in the most squalid poverty. Their little one-story houses of adobe, or sun-dried brick, lack all means of comfort and of sanitation, and the death rate, especially from filth diseases, is very high. Having resisted all progress for centuries, they live to-day on the same food which satisfied their ancestors hundreds of years ago, and for the most part they cook it in the same way. There are 'tortillas', or thin cakes of corn, and 'frijoles', or black beans, cooked with the pungent red peppers of which they are so fond; these are the staple articles of food the year around. Even such variation of diet as the poorest family can hope for in the United States or Canada is unknown to these Mexicans. Indeed, it is scarcely fair to compare the present Indians of Mexico with those that Cortez found there, for the latter were in a more advanced state of civilization. The official language of Mexico is spanish, but the Indian tribes have clung steadfastly to their own languages, which are numerous. Education. The government of the republic has not neglected the question of education, but the task before it is an appalling one. Every state has free primary schools, and each has compulsory education laws, but in the disordered condition of affairs which has prevailed almost without cessation since the founding of the republic these have not been enforced, and illiteracy is till widespread. Among most of the Indian tribes no progress has been made, for it has never been possible to convince them that there could be the slightest value in education; two tribes, hoever, the Mixtecas and Zapotecas, have been more progressive, and some of the foremost men of the nation have come from them. In addition to primary schools, almost 1,000 in number, which are supported in part by the Federal government and in part by the states and municipalities, there are a number of secondary schools, normal schools and professional schools. The United States is proud of the institutions of higher learning which were founded in its very early history, but Mexico had a university in 1553--before the vast region to the north of it had even been explored. For over three centuries, until 1862, this institution carried on work, but in that year it closed its doors. In 1910, however, it was reorganized, and bids fair to exert a strong influence on educational affairs in Mexico. Religion. Mexico has no state Church, but no country with an established religion has people more uniformly of one faith. The Roman CAtholic Church to which most of the people belong, has always had an important place in the history of the country; indeed, missionaries fired with zeal for the conversion of the Indians were among the very first arrivals. Most of the Indians are, nominally at least, converts to Christianity, but they cling to many heathen rites and superstitions, often sacrificing in secret to the gods their ancestors worshipped before the coming of the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. It was not until 1859 that Church and State were separated in Mexico and the vast properties which had been accumulated by the Church nationalized. At about that time freedom of faith was allowed. The various Protestant denominations took advantage of this liberty to send missionaries into Mexico, and their work has continued steadily ever since. Growth has been slow, however, and at present all the Protestant churches together have a membership below 25,000. transcribed from the orginal exactly by Jim Craven (no scanner, I am a primitive, sorry for any typos) James Craven Dept. of Economics,Clark College 1800 E. McLoughlin Blvd. Vancouver, WA. 98663 jcraven@clark.edu; Tel: (360) 992-2283 Fax: 992-2863 -------------------------------------------------- |
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