The World: Racism?

Mexico's in Denial

Vocabulary and Questions

Shrouded
deeply ingrained
bigotry
inequities
taking on shades of...
degree of
undertones
by Mexican standards
maitre'd
acknowledged
patrons
lack discretion
discriminatory
overcome
devaluation
flare
bias
drilled on...
affirmative action
Commission of Human Rights
(page 2)
degree of Indianess
status
Cabinet of President...
insensitivity
expertise
heirarchy
slavery was abolished
beneath an initial friendliness
unaddressed
perpetuation
status quo
as if I had been beamed down from the Enterprise
pending


Pre-reading questions:
1. What does the title of the article tell you?
2. How long is the article?
3. How is it divided?
4. Are the paragraphs long or short? What does this tell you?
5. How long will it take you to read this and understand it?

As you read:

1. What is the function of this sentence:
But the living descendants of Moctezuma are not allow to eat in some fo Mexico City's best restaurants.
2. Who feels intolerance in Mexico?
3. Who did Henry McDonald invite to dinner with his family?
4. What happened?
5. What does this example show us?
6. What does Sergio Aguayo mean by a sharp increase in social tensions?
7. Why does Sergio Aguayo believe there will be a sharp increase in social tensions?
8. What percentage of Indians are unemployed?
9. What percentage of Mexicans are considered Indian?
10. Why does DePalma share that information with us?
11. Explain the two examples of advertisements in Mexico. Why are they racist?
12. How do the advertisement examples connect with the information in the article?
13. Why did Mr. Waller have a difficult time doing business in Mexico?
14. Where did he move his business and why?

After you read:

1. What is the main idea of this article? Write it in one sentence.
2. Why did DePalma use the example of Mr. McDonald?
3. How did this example support his main idea?
4. Why did DePalma include the anecdote of Mr. Waller?
5. How did this example support his main idea?
6. Read this pargraph:
But most Mexicans say bigotry does not exist here. Schoolchildren are drilled on the life of Benito Juarez, a Zapotec Indian
who was President of Mexico in the 19th century, and told that his election proves all Mexicans are equal. Mexico has no
affirmative action laws. The National Commission of Human Rights has never received a discrimination
complaint and does not even have a process to handle one.
How can the bold sentence be used to show evidence that there is no bigotry in Mexico?
7. How can the same information be used to show the opposite?
8. What role does skin color play in determining status?