Camila Vega
What Is Dia de la Raza in Mexico?
Día de la Raza is, officially, the day that commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus to America in 1492. According to History, this is celebrated on October 12 in Mexico and was unofficially celebrated as far back as the 18th century.
Although it was initially taken as a day to highlight the discoveries of Columbus, the indigenous and decolonization movements have criticized it, so in many countries the name and even the motif have been changed towards the recognition of indigenous and pre-Columbian peoples.
Thus, this day has not only one meaning, but many. In Latin America, it is even called in different ways, some of which are Día de la Hispanidad (Spain), Día de la Resistencia Indígena, Negra y Popular (Nicaragua) and Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (Argentina).
How Is Día de la Raza Celebrated in Mexico?
Regarding Mexico, at the beginning of the 20th century, José Vasconcelos, a Mexican lawyer, politician and writer, promoted this celebration under the name of the Ibero-American race. However, the current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador changed the name of this date to Día de la Nación Pluricultural in 2020.
The values that are currently associated with Día de la Raza in Mexico are focused on indigenous resistance. Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission mentions that indigenous peoples “claim their territorial and agrarian rights, defend their natural resources, lands, identities, languages and self-determination.”
Among the most recognized celebrations for this date are conversations, spaces for the recognition of communities, traditional and indigenous peoples, listening and even cultural exchanges with gastronomy, art, literature and handicrafts.
Thus, the celebration becomes a space for reflection and community contribution around a date that symbolically represents a lot, both for Latin Americans and for indigenous groups. In Mexico, in particular, there are 68 indigenous peoples with their own languages. The International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs identifies a total of 16,933,283 indigenous people, comprising 15.1 % of the Mexican population.
Well, from JefeBet we will be reviewing how this important date is celebrated in different parts of the United States, so if you are interested, here we will tell you more. Don’t miss it!
