MULTICULTURALISM IN MEXICO

Itzel Cardenas Yañez

Universidad Latina de México

Summary

At a conceptual level, the category of cultural citizenship, referring to the collective identities as
a right to difference, identify city and selfgovernment of indigenous peoples, is gaining more and
more strength and ground, thanks to the indigenous movement and to a certain extent, from
another angle, to the debate between liberals and multiculturalists, who have opened up a
democratic vision of societies. and more pluralistic and of justicia. The international recognition
of cultural rights, and the legislative reforms in each nation, show the construction of this citizen
dimension, based on the social movements -among them indigenous- that are claiming political
rights as cultural rights and collective rights. Thus, it is said that socio-cultural democracy is
above all a project that is becoming a reality, making progress in the debate on the concept of
citizenship concomitant with the problems derived from cultural identities and diferences in
multicultural contexts. This trend raises a horizon of possibilities for the concept of cultural
citizenship that enhances the more global democratic construction of society.

Keywords: Multiculturalism, Cultural Diversity, Equality, Citizenship, Cultural Citizenship.

Introduction

In this paper we proposed to analyze the multiculturalism of our nation and how democracy is
representative in a plural and diverse society such as the Mexican society a n d how it
accommodates indigenous peoples. The aim was to learn how the democratic regime considers
the integration into the legal and political space of indigenous peoples, who as ethnic identities
differentiated from the rest of the majority of the nation have been historically marginalized,
discriminated against and excluded by the State. The aspect that stands out in reference to
inclusion is how democracy, through its institutions, mechanisms and procedures, can make it
possible (not only theoretically but practice the recognition of the diversity and plurality of its
society, on the basis of the creation of conditions for tolerance, tolerance, tolerance and pluralism
Theoretical perspective he point of departure was to consider different theoretical approaches or
perspectives (Liberalism/Multiculturalism) on the relationship between democracy and plural
societies, in order to highlight the state of democratic theory in the treatment of the inclusion of
ethnic cultural diversity in democratic regimes and systems. Thus, from this review, we can have
a conceptual approach with which to look at the existing and possible democracy, where there is
room for the inclusion of social identities such as the indigenous, who demand a parti- cipative
incorporation in democracy. The objective was to achieve conceptual references with which to
visualize a multicultural Mexico, something to look at ourselves. It is an approach to the theory
of democratic libertarianism, in which modern democracies are fundamentally the result of the
articulation of two traditions: the liberal (defender of individual freedom, the rule of law and
individual human rights) and the liberal (defender of the rule of law and individual human
rights). equality and justice towards ethnic groups that are part of a nation-state and that
legitimately demand rights and participation in decision-making that have historically been
denied to them.

The concept of cultural diversity

In order to approach the analysis posed by the multiculturality of nations, cultural pluralism,
plurinational democracies or democracies in plural societies, it is necessary to distinguish
between the different forms of cultural diversity that exist. Will Kymlicka summarizes them in
two: national minorities and immigrant groups (1996:26-46). The first case refers to the
coexistence within the same State of more than one nation, understanding nation as a historical
community, more or less complete institutionally, that occupies a given territory or ancestral land
and that shares a differentiated language and culture. Such diversity is the result of the
incorporation of cultures that were previously self-governing and territorially concentrated (e.g.,
national minorities, indigenous peoples). This union may be in- voluntary (because of invasion
or conquest, as happened in Canada, the USA, Latin America, Finland or Australia) or voluntary
(through the formation of a federation by benefit, for example Belgium or Switzerland). This
form of diversi- ty forms what Kymlicka calls multinational states. In the second case, cultural
diversity arises from individual and family immigration, and constitutes poly-ethnic states,
according to the terminology used by the Canadian au- thor. This characterization is not
exclusive: nowadays in the Today most states are a combination of both (USA, Canada, Spain...).
Making this distinction is important because it is the best way to ensure that no group remains
invisible, and because the demands of each group may be different and, therefore, the response
must also be distinct. In general, national minorities wish to remain distinct societies from the
majority society of which they are a part and demand forms of autonomy and self-governance to
ensure their survival as distinct cultures. For their part, ethnic groups (derived from migratory
processes) wish to be integrated into the host society and to be accepted as full members of it.
They want the insitutions and laws of that society to be more receptive to cultural differences,
but they do not ask for powers of self-government. The principle of equality Another common
thread that is a guiding principle in our review is the principle of equality, which is at the heart of
the theoretical debate between the different traditions. Equality (equality as identical) is the
fundamental basis of the liberal democratic tradition and has served as the organizing axis of our
societies, which in fact have followed a line of unifying and assimilationist equality, equality on
the basis of which the construction of the public sphere, the demos and citizenship has been
articulated. All of this within the same culture, as if in reality there were only one culture and not
many that coexist in our multi-cultural societies, which signifies a debate between those who
conceive of a society with the same culture and those who conceive of it as culturally diverse.
What other traditions argue is that equality as difference or what differentiates people in terms of
culture matters as much as what makes them equal, so they raise questions related to the equality
of cultures in terms of being subjects of this principle of equality, how to apply the principle of
equality not only to values but to cultural diversity, or also how to include cultural difference in
the category of equality.

Conclusions

Discussed as a conceptual framework democratic liberalism and multiculturalism, which offer

theoretical ways to integrate the divercultural diversity to the nation state and democracy. In the
context of our analysis, we can argue It is important to bear in mind that the principles of liberty
and equality are vindicated in the current liberal theories from plural perspectives, but in essence
conceived individually and that they consider the political inclusion of cultural diversity from the
principles, values, and institutions established by democratic liberalism. Interculturality and
democratic dialogue are presented as the appropriate system, both for the participation of the
different cultures of a society in the conguration of a normave and shared rights system, as well
as for the resolution of controversies referring to the tension between collective and individual
rights and in the relationship of that group with the rest of society.

References

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