Translator: Natasha Greenhouse Reviewer: Didar Omar
Forty years ago, I met Max and Toño.
Tonillo, as we called him in our junior high class.
Good old Tonillo would make fun of Max day in and day out.
He especially zeroed in on his clothes,
since he wore cowboy boots.
And in those days it was rather common
for many indigenous people to wear them.
From there came the nickname Tonillo used to bother Max:
Boots.
And for the colloquialisms he used.
Colloquialisms that marked his rural roots.
This teasing went on throughout the school year --
in the classroom,
in extracurriculars,
in recess,
in gym class,
afterschool.
Until the day came when Max couldn’t take it anymore.
He mustered up courage and challenged Tonillo to a fight,
as was common among students to resolve their differences.
Challenge accepted, as Tonillo knew Max was scared of him
and he thought it would be an easy win.
The fight was on after class.
and of course everyone said,
“Well yeah, let’s go watch.”
Most were on Max’s side,
even though we saw how scared he was.
He offered to host, since his house was nearby;
plus he was alone
since his parents still lived in their hometown.
We went over there.
After sizing each other up, even though it was more about both sides’ fear,
Tonillo threw the first punches, as he knew he commanded fear in Max.
When Max didn’t fight back, Tonillo thought to mention
the word he frequently used to poke at him.
“Come on, Boots.”
Something that really bothered Max.
And with all the hate and anger held in for so long,
he took aim and clocked him.
Tonillo’s reaction was to run to escape a further beating.
For a brief moment, he tried to attack Max again,
but he met the same fate a second time
until he finally accepted defeat.
And with that,
the absurd bullying ceased.
To me, the bullying isn’t as simple as it seems.
That lack of accepting what’s different.
Because it’s not just a statement of rejection.
More complex factors are involved,
such as feelings,
sets of prejudices,
or the way one refers to others.
As I said, it’s much more complicated.
It’s about classifying people,
where you place people
in positions of power, and others in positions of inferiority.
In our country, especially, those considered inferior
through race or culture, are indigenous and Afro-Mexican.
We are a nation with a mixed culture.
Underneath our non-racist mask
lies a message that shows the opposite.
The whiter you are, the more succesful you’ll be.
The less indigenous, the better off you’ll be.
Underneath lies Mexico’s racism.
There’s a term used by Dr. Carlos Flores, who is Afro-Mexican:
microaggressions.
Which are encountered, he tells us, in everyday life.
Sergio Goyri used the term “fucking Indian” towards Yalitza Aparicio
because he holds, in his mind, through his education and prejudices,
the idea that an indigenous Mexican woman is inferior.
At work,
when we buy from an indigenous person, we often try to haggle over the price
and we devalue their work.
But in a convenience store, we buy and even round up.
At school, the fat kid is always the goalie.
These microaggresions
are because of ignorance,
fear, entrenched beliefs.
While the color of our skin doesn’t define who we are,
it does mark where we’re from.
And from here emerges, in order to move up or be accepted,
something as terrible as self-denigration or denying one’s self.
Denying our roots is also a form of micro aggressions.
Mexicans discriminate against Mexicans.
It’s so important to recognize it exists, and that it starts at an early age.
They teach us, and we teach others to discriminate,
to divide, to be classist and racist.
Parents
can channel the right way through art.
Because to create, we all use the same pencil and crayons.
Or in sport, where we use the same ball,
and it doesn’t matter who we are or where we come from.
Therefore,
it’s important that public schools use a multicultural approach.
Any sort of education or lesson
that incorporates histories,
texts, values,
beliefs and perspectives
of people from different cultures.
To come in contact with all sorts of traditions and cultures.
Culture is defined in the broadest sense,
including race, ethnicity, nationality,
language, religion, class, gender,
sexual orientation and uniqueness.
A term applied to students with special needs
or disabilities.
Connection and love for our roots.
This term is very important
because we love what we know
and reject what we ignore.
To feel proud to be Mexican.
Not through words but through actions.
Shine a light
on incidents of racism, and not be complicit.
Foster a sense of identity, civic spirit and respect for each other.
Today
I see Max’s kids
and Toño’s.
They don’t discriminate against their classmates
for being different, for thinking differently,
for expressing themselves differently.
Without violence.
As respectful, tolerant and inclusive Mexicans.
Today, I call the children and grandchildren of Max
of the Maxes and Toños;
I invite them,
that from a place of respect,
we build a just society, with love for who we are.
And with my boots, I conclude my talk.
Thank you very much.