Discussion Paper #1: Mexican people. Based upon this week's readings and other work thus far, how would you characterize a Mexican experience?

i. What major factors can you identify that have contributed to a sense of 'being Mexican'? These might include political events, social experiences, economic experiences, etc. Explore how one or more of these have contributed to a Mexican national identity. How, in turn, does that identity shape the way Mexican's approach contemporary problems?

how does the Mexican experience differ from that of US citizens? How is our US-based experience linked to Mexico's? What did Porfirio Díaz mean when he said, 'poor Mexico, so far from God, so close to the United States'?

ii. Choose one of the Rulfo short stories and discuss the sense of Mexico's people and places expressed within it

iii. Mestizaje: What is mestizaje, and how is the notion of Mestizaje different from the US conception of race? What are the origins of mestizaje, how is it conceptualized and depicted in popular culture, and what interest might the Mexican state have in promoting mestizaje as a national ideology? What was/is the role of the educational system in promoting a sense of mestizaje and/or Mexicaness (Mexicanidad)?