Mexico: the racist behind the wall

Discrimination is real, and segregation is now more subtle than before, but it does exist. You could be called out if “they” see you where you aren’t supposed to be. Here, you need to know your place or someone will remind you that your kind “isn’t welcome here”. I’m not talking about the USA, I’m talking about the chill out, cool, super friendly, party-goer, flirt ass, down the road neighbour, Mexico. Yes, Mexico is a racist, homophobic, misogynist country, prove me wrong.

*gasps in Spanish

Until recently, Mexicans, through social media, dared to talk about “Pigmentocracy”, term coined by Alejandro Lipschutz, a Chilean anthropologist in 1944, to refer to the ethnic and colour-based hierarchies of Latin America.  In fact, it was a very uncomfortable topic to many, as upper middle class and higher do not believe that Mexico could be racist, mostly referring to social existing inequalities as the lack of will to “do better in life” by the poorer.

This conversation went on and on, and from it, some other terms arose, like “whitexican”, referring to those individuals who belong to these upper middle class and higher, who lacked a rough start in their professional successful career, usually fostered with family money.

According to one of its definitions in the Urban Dictionary, “whitexican” stands for “a derogatory way to refer to Mexican people who they consider to be “privileged” regardless of their ethnic background.” If you need a broader explanation and some context please go ahead and read this entry by The Mexicanist, What is a ‘whitexican’ and why does this account make fun of them? which couldn’t be closer to reality.

I’m a whitexican undercovered, and I find myself thinking that sometimes, as I do have a good job, come from a middle class working family, went to university, studied a masters abroad, and pretty much have running water and electricity all day long without worrying about shortages, I’m a privileged Mexican. But most of those things I take for granted came from the opportunities I inherited mostly, which later derived on those opportunities I created myself.

Which made me realize that discrimination can be seen in Mexico all the time. At moments it is subtle and tame, like friends talking about their maids and house cleaning services (or “muchachas”, who are now the new face of modern slavery in Latin America*) and how hard it is to find one who “doesn’t get pregnant” or one who doesn’t has the urge to get the weekends off to see her family, instead of serving them 24/7 while staying in a tiny room at their house.

*Oh, you think I’m talking rubbish here, The Guardian had something to say about modern slavery in this 2015 article: “Mexico City’s domestic workers: a life being treated as a lesser person”

Or the way newborns are given the “oh he/she is so white, lucky you!” among other expressions referring to the fact that the whiter the baby the prettier he/she is. On the other hand, I’ve heard the “regardless of being brown, she/he, is very pretty/handsome”. You know you’ve heard it (I’m talking to my Mexican friends, aye, you there, the ones who dated a brown girl and thought she was way “too exotic” to introduce her to your mum, exactly).

And don’t even get me started with Yalitza Aparicio, Oscar nominee for her performance in Roma, directed by Alfonso Cuaron, who was heavily criticized in Mexico not because of how she did in the film but for her indigenous looks. Aye, that’s Mexico, a racist, blatantly discriminatory society who justifies itself with excuses such as “we are just kidding” or “it’s just a cute nickname”.

Well, all this rant has a point. Just recently, because of what’s happening in the USA after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, and the afterwards riots all throughout the country, many Mexicans started sharing or posting a pitch black square in their social media (#BlackOutTuesday), this as a form of solidarity with the African American community in the United States. Hypocrites, that’s what we are, as we solidarize with the neighbours but we turn our heads the other way to our own people, who we call “pinches indios” (fucking indigenous), “Pinches nacos” (no translation), “pinches jodidos” (bloody poor).

So there you go, this is Mexico, a blatantly racist, homophobic, misogynist country. So don’t forget this, you, aye, my Mexican mate, before joining the trending topic with your “prayers and thoughts”, think of the way you despise your own people and segregate at will. Yes, you are equally racist, but we are just behind that wall.

Recommended articles: 

• The Mazatlan Post: “Whitexicans”: a new form of racism in Mexico against the white and wealthy?
• Pigmentocracies: Educational inequality, skin color and census ethnoracial identification in eight Latin American countries. By Edward Telles, René D.Flores, FernandoUrrea-Giraldo.
• Stand up comedian: “Mexicans Are Racist Too” | Felipe Esparza
• CNN, In Mexico, racism hides in plain view

Double Standards and Human Rights

On the second week of September, a picture taken by Kerstin Langenberger went viral as it showed a really skinny polar bear. This is the picture everybody was talking about:

Sad looking image, and as it has been said by scientists and the international community, global warming is a real threat, regardless of the sceptics who keep on cherry picking information to justify the argument that this isn’t more than a conspiracy theory.

“I felt total pity. What a horrible sight! “We all love the bears, I don’t think there’s anyone who does not feel sympathy for them. Seeing a bear on the brink of death is a horrible sight, no question about it.” said Kerstin to Daily Starfish

Friends of mine posted this picture on their social networks, with quotes like: “This really makes me sick” or “This is so sad, and this happens very often and most of us are just indifferent to this outrage”. Must be said that the social media activists reacted immediately to the picture, with anger, sadness, broken hearts, disappointed on humankind.

Anyway, so that was that, and this is this: On Wednesday dozen of pictures of dead Syrian refugees started to be shared by the international media. These refugees drowned close to the coasts of Europe, where their bodies were found on the shores of Turkey, in front of the resort Bodrum.

According to The Guardian they were part of a group of at least 12 Syrians that were trying to get to the Greek island of Kos. They were running away from the military conflict held in the Syrian town of Kobani, where ISIS and the Kurdish forces struggle in a fierce battle.

As said by The Guardian: “The UNHCR calculates that some 205,000 Europe-bound refugees have entered Greece, mostly via its outlying Aegean isles, this year alone. The vast majority (69%) are Syrians, Afghans (18 %), Iraqis and Somalis fleeing conflict in their countries.”

The Greek government states that this is the biggest migration crisis in living memory. So, there you go, 200,000+ have fled these middle eastern and northern African States, willing to risks their lives to find a better place, or at least, one less worse. But social media, and Western Society aren’t willing to share their thoughts on this, nor to express their concern towards other human beings. We rather “feel sick” and say “shame on you, humankind” because of a starving polar bear, than to love and care for our neighbours.

How are we going to “save the planet” if we aren’t capable of helping our own kind?

What´s New: Ferguson, Missouri; and Kent Brantly

It is Monday and among the many things that happened last week there were some news more interesting than others, or more viral, however some things happened less known to the public but extremely relevant to all of us.

Racial tension

Two weeks ago, in Ferguson, Missouri, a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed black young man, it has been the sixth consecutive day without any public protest or the presence of heavy armed forces. The murder of Michael Brown (18 years old) by (apparently) police officer Darren Wilson, has brought public opinion to question the use of plenty of police force to intimidate the protesters.

Analysts, media and key opinion leaders suggested that the police´s response was unusual and unnecessary, and many questioned the fact that Ferguson, Missouri looked more like a scene you´d see in Afghanistan or Iraq, because, let´s face it, the cops did look like freaking soldiers. According to this article by Reuters on the matter, “President Barack Obama has ordered a review of the distribution of military hardware to state and local police, a senior administration official said on Saturday”.

What happened in Ferguson reminded the national and international community that the United States still has a lot of issues in terms of racial discrimination and, now, the implementation of a new legislation by the local police to re use military equipment given by the government to strengthen their local forces: “How Ferguson could be America’s future”

An Update on the Ebola Virus in Murica

Remember that the US received a couple patients diagnosed with the Ebola virus, the were flown from Africa in order to be treated and cured in American soil. Well, Dr. Kent Brantly, one of these two infected, was finally released from the hospital where he was receiving treatment, and he seems OK. According to the doctors who treated him (and Nancy Writebol, the other American infected by Ebola) he represents no public health threat.

Well, and the lad made it

However, according to the World Health Organization, at least 1,350 people have died in Africa since the Ebola outbreak in March. And, according to their latest research, the Ebola virus could live up to 3 months in vaginal fluid and semen.

In other news

The viral campaign: the Ice Bucket Challenge  is known to create awareness and get donations from the general public for research on ASL. It was a huge success, at least now people around the world, no just within the US, know what Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is, often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease. If you want to know more about the disease and how to donate to fight it, go to the ALS Association website and find out.

Enjoy watching Charlie Sheen doing it the right way:

 

What´s New: Ebola, Love at first sight, and Bear rescue

I thought it would be nice to have a weekly post of “What the heck is happening around the world today”, or like twitter calls it “What´s trending”. Usually I find this sort of news on my friends´timeline in Twitter and Facebook (No, no matter how much you insist mate, no one uses Google Plus, knock it off), some of the posts are amusing, other interesting and other just ridiculous.

“Oh no, Miley, don´t do it!”

 

 

Today I found these jewels trending the heck up of our social media outlets

 

 

 

 

The Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone and Liberia, spreading to Guinea, at least three cases reported in Nigeria, and three people with the virus being treated in the US. This is something to think about as we´ve been bombed with apocalyptic movies throughout the last 10 years, from virus, to zombies, to world´s destruction by aliens, earthquakes or solar flames. This virus went from 800 people sick last week to over 1500 reported on Wednesday and the numbers keep rising.

As reported by Reuters, and now being a well known fact, the “Symptoms initially include muscle pains and joint aches, then worsen to vomiting, diarrhea and internal and external bleeding in the final stages.” So, pretty much the way you feel after eating real Mexican Food for the first time.

The conflict in the Middle-East, particularly the recent and ongoing attacks of Israel over the Palestinian settlements has brought some new actors into the international arena. Israel, perceived as being backed up by the United States and the European Community, continues to discourage opinions that question its military action on the region. It has helped that the media has shown lack of empathy for Israel´s military actions, and China as well as Brazil seize the option of becoming heavier actors in the topic.

The chronology of a desperate social media campaign launched by an Irish lad in order to find a Canadian girl he met on a plane from Dublin to Dubai. As the Time article says, this could be the creepiest or most romantic story lurking on the web at the moment. Well, apparently they are in communication now so, let see how it develops… or not.

Aye, this happened

Uh uh… did you guys watch this video of a bear rescuing a crow that fell into a pond? It was everywhere at the beginning of the week. Seems that people are more interested in finding hope in animal actions than in human beings.