Mexico is, technically speaking, a developing country, a country still in the process of construction, as the President said. But this terminology really just refers to technological, scientific and economic progress, the economic infrastructure of the country. The President spoke with pride about all the highways that have been built, the creation of telephone, television and internet services in places that formerly had none, the number of new jobs that have been created. These are important achievements for Mexico, but they don't really address the narrow way that the modern world measures wealth. In terms of culture, tradition, history, creativity, resourcefulness, and plain old-fashioned good manners and human kindness, Mexico is one of the richest countries in the world. If we measure achievement in terms of what Mexico offers the imagination, the mind, and the heart, it's probably more "developed" than we are in the U.S.
When the first English settlers were building their log cabins on the eastern shores of what would later become the U.S., Mexico was already an empire. The first successful British colony was in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. The Pilgrims arrived in 1620. Spain was way ahead in terms of colonizing and settling the new world, including many territories that today are part of the U.S. They settled St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565, and New Mexico in 1598. Before the U.S. gained its independence from Great Britain, Spain had settled California. But the most significant difference between the Spanish and British colonies in the "New World"is not what the European settlers did, but what was there before? U.S. territory was made up of indigenous tribes that were mainly hunters, gatherers, or farmers, living in small villages or living a nomadic lifestyle. While they had developed enough technology to help them carry out their daily chores, they weren't interested in creating a huge empire and all the infrastructure required to govern it. In Mexico, however, there were cities and empires that could rival major European powers. When Europe was in the Dark Ages, there was a thriving civilization in Mexico that's known today as Teotihuacán, the city of the Gods. This is the famous archeology site outside Mexico City that millions of tourists visit today, known for the impressive pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. When Rome was fighting off Barbarians and struggling to keep its culture alive, Teotihuacán had around 200,000 inhabitants, making it one of the most important cities in the world at that time.
Other important civilizations grew up in Tula, Monte Alban, Chichen Itza, and Tenochtitlán, to name only some of the more well-known ones. Before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, Mexico had seen the rise and fall of some of the greatest civilizations in the world, the Toltecs, the Maya, the Aztecs. Built into the collective memory of the Mexican people is the knowledge that life goes in cycles, that nothing lasts forever, and change will always come. There will be good times and bad times, and while we can all hope that life will become better and better for all, there will be setbacks and disappointments, and many problems to face. When the Spaniards conquered Tenochtitlán in the mid 1520s and the mightly Aztecs were brought to their knees, it was part of a broader cycle. The construction of the new capital, today Mexico City, on the ruins of the old Aztec capital, was visible proof to many that the new civilization was rising out of the ashes of the old, and that despite the radical changes going on around them, life for the survivors settled into a pattern after a while, and life went on.
Without going into the past 500 years of history, it's clear that Mexico has seen a lot of ups and downs and even in this modern age, most Mexicans know that the world doesn't stand still. You don't create a country and then stand back and say, "Ok, it's done, now our job is to conserve it as it is and not let it change." Change is scary, it's hard, it's sometimes destructive, it can bring both good and bad to people. But it's inevitable. Most Mexicans, at least the ones I know, don't think that the country is finished with its own construction. Instead, they see more things that need to be done, and problems from the past that have to be corrected, and they go through their day to day life with the knowledge that things aren't going to be perfect. This makes them realistic, practical and patient, but also very creative, willing and able to resolve problems themselves, and it brings out an ironic humor in them that lets them laugh at themselves, their politicians, their own country, without losing an ounce of pride in being Mexican.
This past week, someone in the US posted a cartoon on a blog showing the Mexican flag dripping blood. The national symbol, the eagle, had been shot and knocked off his perch on the cactus, destroying one of the most beloved images in Mexico. While no doubt the cartoon's author thought this was a witty commentary about Mexico's drug violence, it's hard to explain to someone who's not Mexican how sacred the Mexican flag is. People here love the flag, it means something to them, and despite all the problems that exist in the country, they would never think about treating the flag with disrespect. For a foreigner to do it is nothing short of a major insult. It made me wonder: what right does this person have to make fun of another country's flag? Where is this attitude coming from? I think it goes back to what I was saying earlier, that people who live in the "developed world" think they can tell everyone else what's wrong with their countries. It's a kind of arrogance that comes from living in a place where so many people enjoy material wealth and privilege. Personally, I'd like to see a little more respect for countries like Mexico that have a rich history, an amazing and complex culture, and a healthy dose of humility, where respect for others is a way of life for the majority of the people.
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