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THE MEXICO
OF CARLOS
FUENTES:
NOTES ON
THE
BURIED
MIRROR |
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The mirror
has power
and it
harnesses
the sun and
it also
allows us to
see
ourselves. |
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Fuentes
questions
what there
is to
celebrate
500 years
after the
Spaniards
“discovered”
the New
World. |
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He argues
that we can
celebrate
the cultural
heritage
created as a
result of
it. |
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Fuentes
grandparents
lived in
Veracruz,
the first
Spanish
settlement
in Mexico. |
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Fuentes is
part
European and
yaqui
Sonoran
Indian. |
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He argues
that we are
all
immigrants
and that we
exist as a
result of
the
geographical
origin, the
language,
and the
dreams of
our
ancestors. |
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America and
Mexico are
mestizo: a
mixture of
different
races and
cultures. |
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The Mexican
heritage is
rich and
complex. |
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Spain itself
is a product
of many
cultures and
races that
they brought
with them to
Mexico. |
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Christianity
enriched the
personage of
the
Spaniard,
who was
already
quite a
byproduct of
a rich
cultural
heritage. |
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The church
offered an
institution,
the power to
assist with
living an
uncertain
daily life,
and also
protection. |
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Mexico is
part of
Mesoamerica.
Mesoamerica
was full of
Indian
civilizations
1000 years
before the
Spanish
came. There
were
Mixtecs,
Toltecs,
Olmecs,
Zapotecs,
Mayas,
Chichimecs,
Tlaxcalans,
Teotihuacans,
etc. |
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A
significant
part of
Mexico’s
history
began with
those people
who migrated
from Aztlán,
where today
we might
find Texas,
or Arizona
located.
The family
of Tenoch
and the
descendents
of the
Nahuatl
ended up in
the valley
of Mexico.
They founded
Tenochtitlán.
They were
also known
as the
Mexica of
Mexico (the
Navel of the
Moon). What
was to later
become
Mexico City
and the
oldest
living city
of the
Americas,
was founded
in 1325. |
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The “señal”
was
discovered
by the
Aztecs in
the middle
of lake
Texcoco.
That sign
was foretold
in a dream
delivered to
the priest,
Tenoch, that
he would
eventually
build a city
for his
nomadic
tribe where
he would
find an
eagle
perched on a
prickly pear
cactus, and
devouring a
serpent.
And so they
did in 1325,
a little
over 200
years after
they left
Aztlán. |
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The Aztecs
achieved
great power
in the
valley of
Mexico
through
force and
cunning.
Their
civilization
was based on
war,
tribute,
tyranny and
“la Guerra
Florida”, a
war against
their
neighbors in
order to
gain an
endless
supply of
live
prisoners
for the
purpose of
sacrifice.
It was a
daily
sacrifice
necessary to
appease the
gods of the
sun and moon
in order to
assure the
return of
the sun each
and every
day to their
world. |
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The Aztecs
were now
living in
their 5th
world of the
sun’s
return.
Continual
sacrifice
allowed it
to continue. |
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Quetzalcoatl,
the god of
the sun, was
the
protector of
the Aztecs.
He was the
plumed
serpent, the
bearer of
the gift of
maize, the
giver of
light, and
their god of
creation. |
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Quetzalcoatl
and his
family of
gods lived
in Tula.
The glory
that he
attained in
the eyes of
the Aztecs
caused envy
in the
lesser
gods. Out
of envy,
they were
led by the
god of the
smoking
mirror to
play a cruel
joke on
Quetzalcoatl.
They brought
him a gift.
This gift
was wrapped
in cotton.
And when
Quetzalcoatl
removed the
cotton he
saw a
mirror. In
the mirror
he saw his
reflection,
a reflection
that was
human and
not divine.
Quetzalcoatl
went into a
drunken rage
and the next
day on board
a vessel of
serpents, he
left Tula in
the
direction of
the East,
vowing that
he would one
day return
to see if
man had
taken good
care of the
world he had
created for
them, or if
they had
destroyed
it. |
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His return
was
prophesized
to be in the
year of the
Reed, or on
the modern
calendar,
1519. |
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By total
coincidence,
the Spanish
explorer,
Hernán
Cortés,
showed up on
the shores
of Eastern
Mexico at
precisely
the same
time. Like
Quetzalcoatl,
he was fair
skinned and
bearded and
was seen
arriving by
the natives
there to be
riding
inside
floating
mountains on
the sea (his
12 ships). |
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Cortés came
ashore at
modern day
Veracruz,
the city he
founded for
Spain as the
city of the
true cross,
or cruz, as
in Artemio
Cruz. By
this time
the city of
Teotihuacán
was turned
into a
religious
city for the
Aztec
priests to
worship the
deities of
the 5th
world. |
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As Cortés
encountered
Indian
tribes
there, he
was offered
a tribute of
20 slave
girls at one
point, some
of which
were Indian
princesses.
He chose
only one as
a gift. She
was
Malintzín,
or la
Malinche.
He had her
baptized as
Doña Marina,
or the “girl
from the
sea”. |
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She would
soon learn
Spanish and
Cortés used
her as his
interpreter
to talk to
the Indian
tribes.
Eventually
they became
lovers and
she bore him
a son. |
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Cortes had
liberated a
Spaniard who
had been
captured by
the Maya in
an earlier
Spanish
expedition
some10 years
earlier.
His name was
Gerónimo de
Aguilar. He
could speak
Maya and
Nahuatl. He
joined la
Malinche as
interpreter
for Cortés
as he
marched his
troops
inland in
search for
“the Aztec
city made of
gold and
riches”,
Tenochtitlán. |
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Moctezuma
II, emperor
of the
Aztecs,
assumed that
Cortés was
the
returning
Quetzalcoatl
and out of
fear and
ignorance
welcomed the
Spaniards
into
Tenochtitlán.
Thus two
religions
and cultures
were now on
a collision
course. |
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The
first-born
child of
Cortés and
la Malinche
symbolizes
the first
Mestizo, or
mixed blood
of European
and Indian.
La Malinche
to this day
symbolizes
the
traitoress
of her
Indian
peoples.
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The
Spaniards
conquer the
Aztecs, and
Moctezuma
and his
successor,
Cuahtemoc,
both die at
the hands of
the
Spaniards.
The Aztec
empire comes
to an end,
but the
birth of
Mexico is
achieved out
of the
violent
clash of two
ruthless and
warring
cultures. |
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The 5th
world comes
to an end in
1521 with
the conquest
of Mexico by
Cortés. |
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Today Mexico
is a mixture
of cultures
and
religions.
Mexico is
Christian,
but their
Christianity
is mixed
with many
religious
practices
handed down
from the
Indian
cultures
before the
arrival of
the
Spaniards. |
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The
Spanish-Americans
were all
born out of
conquests by
someone at
some time. |
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In Mexico,
the
conquistadors
discovered
gold and
silver in
the earth.
The Indians
would be
their source
of labor to
mine it.
The Indians
began dying
of overwork,
starvation,
and European
diseases. |
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In order to
work the
long hours
in the
mines, the
Indians
learned to
harvest and
chew coca
leaves.
They could
go for two
days without
eating food,
just by
chewing
coca. |
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Inside of
Mexico,
distances
and natural
obstacles,
separate
people and
their
ability to
meld into
the
mainstream.
They develop
their Patria
Chica, or
little
fatherland.
From this,
they gain a
separate
identity and
isolation
from the
power and
the wealth
of other
Mexicans. |
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Carlos
Fuentes
wants
Mexicans to
examine
themselves
just like
Cervantes
wanted
Spaniards to
do with
Don Quixote,
just like
Diego
Velázquez
wants us to
do with “Las
Meninas”. |
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The
indigenous
peoples of
Mexico began
to meld into
the
mainstream
European
colonial
society.
The blood
and culture
of the
Indians
enter the
blood and
culture of
the
Europeans. |
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The Mexican
today
belongs to
the New
World, which
is a
byproduct of
two old
ones. |
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The New
World
offered
wealth from
nature:
silver,
gold,
flowers,
fruits,
chocolate,
sugar,
tobacco. |
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At the
beginning of
the 19th
century the
French
revolution
occurs.
Napoleon
invades
Spain in
1808. |
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Spanish
Americans
now saw an
opportunity
to demand
more
representation
and they
wanted to
see less of
their
products
going back
to Spain.
The
Spaniards
born in
Mexico began
to identify
more and
more with
their new
land and
less with
Spain. |
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The
Spaniards of
Spain lost
their own
independence
when France
invaded
Spain, so
Mexicans
were now
ready to
throw off
their
Spanish
yoke. |
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The Mexicans
celebrate
“el grito”
on the
evening of
September
15. El
grito was
the cry of
freedom
delivered by
Father
Miguel
Hidalgo in
the town of
Dolores on
September
16. All
Mexicans
gather in
the zócalo
of Mexico
City on that
evening to
recite the
grito with
the
president as
he rings the
bell of
independence. |
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In the past,
Spain with
its port
fortresses
could keep
out armies
and navies,
but not the
ideas
brought by
books, books
about
freedom. |
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The
liberated
gentry after
the
revolution
and the
battles for
independence,
wanted only
freedom for
themselves
and not
equal
footing with
the Indians
and
mestizos. |
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Liberated
countries
try to
establish
democracies
by copying
successful
ones like
England and
the U.S.,
but they
fail because
they lack
institutions
that ensure
that the
democracies
work. Voids
then are
created that
are filled
quickly by
opportunistic
strong men,
mostly
military
leaders who
then grab
more power. |
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The military
leaders then
support the
landowners
who have the
money and
power to
support the
military
leaders. |
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Once in
power, the
military
leaders kill
or imprison
the liberal
opposition. |
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Mexican
democracy
fails
because of
their lack
of
experience
using it. |
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In the mid
1800’s,
General
Santa Ana
lost much of
the Mexican
northern
territory to
the U.S. and
Benito
Juarez, a
zapotec
Indian from
Oaxaca, led
a revolt. |
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Juarez
wanted to
separate the
church from
the State,
and as he
liberated
lands, he
offered them
for sale to
the public.
He abolished
privileges
of the
aristocracy
and the
army. What
followed
were 3 years
of civil war
in Mexico. |
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Juarez won
this
revolution
and the
Mexican
aristocracy
went to
Europe to
gain support
there. They
found it
with
Napoleon
III, who
installed
Maximilian
of Austria
as emperor
of Mexico.
French
troops
arrived and
installed
Maximilian
in
Chapultepec
Castle of
Mexico City. |
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Juarez
raised a
volunteer
public army
and captured
Maximilian
and executed
him at the
town of
Querétaro. |
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After the
French,
reforms and
institutions
began to
grow within
Mexico,
along with a
middle
class. |
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However, the
ruling upper
classes with
real
political
power were
only intent
upon the
consumption
of the
wealth of
Mexico and
not with the
production
of wealth.
Thus,
progress was
stifled and
as a result
so was true
democracy in
Mexico. |
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Liberated
Mexico began
to be a
country of
injustices,
crime,
corruption,
and
repression. |
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Wealth never
trickled
down from
the top to
the masses
below. |
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President
Porfirio
Diaz,
dictator of
Mexico for
over 30
years,
opened up
Mexico to
foreign
investments
such as oil,
railroads,
mining, and
other
industries. |
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He never let
power get
too far away
from his own
hands. |
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The masses
began to
turn to
people such
as Emiliano
Zapata and
Pancho Villa
to lead them
in
overturning
authoritarianism.
Zapata said,
“It is
better to
die on your
feet than to
live on your
knees”. |
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Porfirio
Diaz was
forced to
resign and
Francisco
Madero was
chosen to be
president of
Mexico by
popular
acclamation. |
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Democracy
grew under
Madero,
however the
peasants
never got
land
ownership
and Zapata
fought on
now against
Madero. |
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Madero was
assassinated
by a
political
opponent,
Victoriano
de la
Huerta. |
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In the
revolution
of 1910 that
followed,
the forces
under Zapata
and Villa
won. They
used the
opportunity
now to
destroy the
old
haciendas of
the landed
gentry and
then to
distribute
their lands
to the
peasants. |
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Emiliano
Zapata was
killed in an
ambush by an
army colonel
who tricked
Zapata into
believing
that the
colonel was
defecting. |
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Meanwhile in
Spain, the
Spanish
people was
fighting a
civil war of
their own in
1936. The
Spaniards on
the losing
side fled to
places like
Mexico
seeking
asylum. |
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In Mexico
the middle
class grew
along with a
combative
working
class. |
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Mexico has
viewed the
U.S. as a
democracy
from within,
and an
empire
outside. |
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Who are the
Mexicans:
They are
people with
an Indian
past, a
Spanish
heritage
which is
Christian,
Jewish, and
Islamic, a
people with
the vitality
of the
Africans of
the
Caribbean, a
people who
speak, eat,
dress,
desire, see,
laugh,
paint, and
sing
differently
by means of
this
culture,
differently
than we. |
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Fuentes
questions if
the modern
Mexican has
the culture,
the ability,
and the
organizational
capacity, to
construct
his own
institutions
that will
complement
who they
have
become. Can
they put
their own
house in
order
through
their own
efforts
without
imitating
the outside
world? |
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Fuentes says
that the
original
Mexicans
left their
native
homeland of
Aztlán and
then the
U.S. took it
under
manifest
destiny.
Now the
Mexicans in
their
migration
across the
U.S. border
are taking
back that
homeland
after 700
years
departed. |
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President
Lázaro
Cárdenas
nationalized
the U.S. oil
interests in
1938 as part
of national
reforms.
FDR and
Mexico began
for the
first time
to resolve
differences
diplomatically,
instead of
fighting for
a solution. |
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Carlos
Fuentes
states that
the U.S. and
Mexico are
both buried
mirrors of
cultural
diversity
that have
now been
revealed.
Fuentes
questions
what we now
see in the
mirror and
what do we
do with and
about what
we see?
What parts
do we want
to keep of
ourselves
and what
parts do we
now want to
let meld
into the
melting pot
of the new
world? How
do we all
fit together
now that we
know where
we have
been, what
caused us to
be what we
are, and now
that we know
who we are? |
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Carlos
Fuentes was
born on
November 11,
1928 in
Panama. |
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La Muerte de
Artemio Cruz
was
published in
1962 in
Spanish. |
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Artemio Cruz
has no
paternal
name. Cruz
is the name
of his
mother, an
Indian girl
his father
raped. He
is the cross
she bears. |
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What has
been the
life of
Artemio
Cruz? How
does his
life mirror
Mexico?
Describe his
death. What
will remain
behind of
Artemio
after he
dies? The
system in
Mexico that
nurtured the
likes of
Artemio is
also dying
by the end
of the 20th
century.
What has
that death
brought now
to Mexico?
What remains
behind after
its death? |
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At
Tlatelolco
in present
day Mexico
City is the
Plaza de las
Tres
Culturas.
This site
was
important in
that from
there Cortés
fled
Tenochtitlán
with the
remains of
his army
during the
Noche Triste
in 1520, and
also the
site where
the
successor of
Moctezuma,
Cuauhtémoc,
was killed
by Cortés in
1521, ending
the Aztec
civilization
once and for
all. A
plaque is
there today: |
