The Historical meaning of the term "Malinchismo"

Upon the arrival of the Spaniards, people like the Tlaxcaltec were confronting the Aztec dominion, a situation that contributed, among many others, to the conquest of the territory. Also, it is clear there was an important role performed by Malinalli Ténepal, named Malina in Spanish and finally turned into Malintzin in nahuatl, pronounced by the Spaniards as Malinche, although there are versions that associates the name to other meanings.

During the long conquest process, translators like Marina or La Malinche had a fundamental role in bringing the Spaniards closer to the indigenous world, their habits and rites. However, the historical and cultural interpretation now given to La Malinche is necessarily associated to the betrayal of her people.

In Mexico, the latest cultural development has been linked to foreign intervention and influence, we are a multicultural and multiethnic country, where sometimes there are disagreements between the things considered loyal to the nationality and the preference for foreign ideas, tastes, attitudes or ideologies, commonly called “malinchismo”.

The taste for music, language and fashion representing lifestyles different from the national are sometimes called malinchistas. This suggests an attitude of rejection or disdain for everything that represents the own and has been historically constructed. However, through time, the adjective can stop being used due to the current relations in science, technology and economy, in which Mexicans are necessarily in contact with diverse cultures languages and ideas coming from all over the world.

There is also an understanding of history, people’s rights, that allows forgetting old myths, like the one about pure races or cultural independence. What’s true is that Mexicans, as well as most of the world’s people, are a product of a series of ethnic mixes that occurred during their own history.

It is precisely the national values stemming from that mix: family, fraternity, solidarity, work, among many others, that allow sharing with many other people and ideologies, based on respect to differences and the learning ability of Mexicans.

Artículo Producido por el Equipo Editorial Explorando México.
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