Racial discrimination can be referred to a process of dividing various groups of humans on the basis of various factors and elements. The racial discrimination was a huge factor till the end of the 18th century in almost all the countries. Some countries divide the people on the basis of reality and some on the color while some on the money factor.
People were provided various classes on the basis of racial differences. Some were categorized in upper class, some in lower while some in middle. The superior class possessed all the rights and authorities while the inferior one possessed no or little rights and powers. The racism in Mexico had a long story. The following are the major levels of the racial hierarchy in Mexico:
- White Mexicans
- Mestizos
- Amerindians
Even the racial hierarchy in Mexico was categorized according to the color system along with the area of the birth system. People with white skin and born in Spain were considered superior than other people who possessed black or brown or even slightly lighter skin tones, especially when not born in Spain. The racial hierarchy in Mexico was an outcome of Spanish colonial caste system’s structure and it greatly influenced the Mexico for many centuries. The racial hierarchy in Mexico is described below in this article in the ladder format of starting with the highest rank of the hierarchy and then proceeding forward in a descending mode.
White Mexicans
This is the highest level in the racial hierarchy in Mexico. White Mexicans made up the majority of Mexico’s upper class and so this is the highest rank in the racial hierarchy in Mexico. They possess the absolute control over the country as well as over the lives of Amerindians and the Mestizos with darker skin. As the name implies these are people with fair skin tone and so they enjoy all the power, rights and authority being superior to all and belonged to the royal upper class.
Mestizos
These are the people who do not belong to any non-Mexican heritage or any indigenous culture but rather identify as having heritage and cultural traits similar to European and indigenous traditions. They were further classified in two parts as:
Mestizos with lighter skin tones – As the name implies these were Mestizos having lighter skin tones but darker than the white Mexicans. So this group was provided with some rights and authorities lower than the white Mexicans yet higher than others.
Mestizos with darker skin – These were the Mestizos with darker skin tone and so they enjoyed lower rights along with authorities than the Mestizos with lighter skin tone.
Amerindians
These are considered as the lowest level of the racial hierarchy in Mexico and are the indigenous descendants making up the majority of the working class in the Mexico. These possess lower rights, power and even low wages.
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