Mejicanity

Mejicanity (Spanish: Mejicanidad), also referred to as Mejicanness, is a nationalist concept that corresponds to everything that is called Mejican culture. From the point of view of Mejican leader and thinker José Vasconcelos, Mejicanity is "that which characterizes the Mejican being and its people". This takes us back to the early years of the 20th century, when Vasconcelos, in his eagerness to promote a strong national identity, proposed the idea of the "Cosmic Race", in which he sought the integration and miscegenation of all the races present in the country, having the Castizo as the epitome of Mejicanity.

The construction of the Castizo dialogues with the triumph of Vasconcelos and his ideology, who ruled Mejico from 1930 to 1959, followed by his hand-picked successor, the Synarchist [[Salvador Abascal, from 1959 to 1970. Vasconcelos sought to unify the Mejican people and nation under a single identity. This identity is based on the "essence" of the Mejican, which includes the Spanish language, the culture and its attachment to the Christian faith (more specifically, Catholicism), united by Amerindian blood and cultural aspects which provide "ancestral ties" to the land. This "essence" of being Mejican is seen as a kind of universal identity that all Mejicans share and should be used to unify the nation.

In the cultural sphere, Mejicanity is based on the promotion and appreciation of Mejico's traditions, customs and artistic and cultural expressions. This is reflected in religion, music, dance, gastronomy, clothing, literature, festivities and sports, among other aspects of Mejican culture. Mejicanity is proud of the country's cultural richness and promotes its diffusion nationally and internationally. However, Mejicanity permeates beyond macroculture, extending to social conventions and minutiae. For example, the choice of clothing, facial hair, attitudes towards work, and hospitality are as much part of Mejicanity as Catholicism and Guadalupanism.

From Vasoncelos' point of view, Mejicanity is "that which characterizes the Mejican being and its people". Despite the great ideological, ethnic, linguistic, economic and political differences that exist today in Mejico, the Empire has remained united in its concept of national identity, nuanced by language, culture and Christianity. These identity elements are mentioned in the Constitution, while others are not mentioned but are also shared by the population, such as the veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mejico's patron saint; the strong sense of community and family values; the passion for the nation's arts and traditions, among others. Mejicanity also encompasses pride in the historical achievements of the Mejican people, whether in war and exploration, or science and the arts.

Vasconcelos also promoted the Mejicanization ("Mejicanización") of foreigners, in order to integrate them into Mejican society by having them adopt its customs, language and traditions. This view continues to shape Mejican immigration policy to the modern day, where assimilation is seen as a vital step for foreigners to become fully part of Mejican society.