xxi Introduction |
racial and ethnic minorities still face unacceptable levels of social isolation and exclu-
sion, but the country has made real and meaningful efforts to embrace, celebrate, and
protect indigenous cultures and to change discriminatory and racist attitudes that still
persist. And other marginalized groups, such as Protestant, Jewish, and Islamic reli-
gious minorities (among others), as well as the LGBTQ community, are able to point
ever more frequently to religious and civil rights protections on the basis of race, reli-
gion, gender, gender identity, and so on.
Finally, Mexico’s literary, artistic, and architectural traditions are some of the most
rich and extraordinary traditions across the globe. Mexican muralist painting shaped
the course of 20th-century global art conventions, at one moment being the premier
artistic innovation throughout the world. Mexican music, sport, dance, television
shows, and visual art have seeped into the cultures and traditions of many places in the
world.
For these reasons and more, Mexico merits our attention. Why should we study
Mexico? Because Mexico is everywhere. It is in the food that we eat, the songs that we
sing, the holidays that we celebrate, the history that we share, and the human values
that we embrace. We should study Mexico because Mexico defines us—is us—in ways
much more than we sometimes notice or care to admit. Hopefully, the following pages
more clearly reveal this.