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Not So Ancient Empires

Writer: Jeremy Gutierrez

Editor: Aashmika Leekha

Graphic Designer: Maylea Moua


You know, as a Latine, I have a lot of anger inside me - at society, at history, at the government. At the lies that we are told every day, influencing our young minds. They tell us the story of Christopher Columbus and the first Thanksgiving but glaze over the history of massacre, rape, plundering, and war. They praise him as a hero, an innovator, and as someone who changed the world.


The actions of one man motivated by money, as most cruelty is, led to the downfall of hundreds of civilizations. Natives across the Americas were slaughtered and the slave trade grew to unimaginable heights. My people lost their homes, their language, and their religion. We were completely colonized, and so, much culture was lost.


When someone hears the Spanish dialect being spoken, their first thoughts are of Mexico, rather than Spain. I had never even heard the word Nahuatl (the native language of the Mexica people) until this year. Our Native populations are small and our ancient texts were destroyed. During the Conquest, the Conquistadors destroyed our codices, leaving us with only 2 pre-hispanic books. For years my people were painted as savages who couldn't even read or write. That is a common belief to this day.


It's a prevailing idea that the Europeans were innovative geniuses. The Mexicas (Meh-shi-cuhs, also known as the Aztec) were so much more than that. They had advanced irrigation and sewage systems, while the English threw their defecate in the Thames. They practiced astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and engineering. While the Europeans couldn't be bothered to bathe more than once a month, the Mexica bathed daily, which often included a steam bath known as a temazcalli. All of that was nearly lost during colonization.


In fact, the effects of our colonization stand strong even today. Colorism runs rampant throughout Mexico, and European beauty standards are highly valued. In telenovelas (Mexican dramas), for example, Spanish men and women are often cast as the good guys, while Mexicans, usually darker, are cast as villains or servants. Stereotypes of our natives as savages have left a lasting mark on us, leaving behind the image of us as criminals.


So yes, I am angry, and I should be. My people have been oppressed for years, in our own country as well as places like the United States. Our empires were toppled and years of knowledge lost in conquest in the name of Christ. We lost our culture, our religions, and our identities. We were forced into capitalism too, leading Mexico to its current state of corruption. As of 2017, only 21.5% of the population was indigenous. To all my fellow American Latines, why aren't you angry? Why is the oppression of your ancestors and your people unimportant to you? Do you find comfort in neutrality? Why aren't you angry?


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