Latino American Experience - The Latino American Experience

Blog: En Mi Opinion

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Looking at it from an eagle’s perspective our nation’s calendar is an exercise in memory. Days, weekends, and even entire months are turned into occasions for all sorts of diverse eulogies, including those to religious figures (Christmas), love and family (Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day), defining political events (Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Presidents’ Day, Holocaust Day), and even civic duties (Voting Day). In the last several decades, ethnicity has also become a feature (St. Patrick’s Day, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, Black History Month). And so, unfailing in its punctuality, Hispanic Heritage Month is upon us again.

Mexican Independence

Mexico’s independence from Spain, which began in the early 19th century, was not revolutionary. The process reflected the conservative interests of the landed elite and their response to European events rather than specific actions in Mexico; in other words, the process of breaking away from Spain was more reactionary than proactive. The royal Spanish government’s enactment of the Bourbon reforms in the second half of the 18th century exacerbated social, economic, and political conditions within Mexico. With the French seizure of Spain in 1808, the imposition of Joseph Bonaparte on the throne, and the creation of the Cádiz junta, Mexico exploded into crisis. The instability revealed acute social divisions within Mexico. The upper classes sought to establish an autonomous government that would represent their interests, and the lower classes struggled against the dominance of the local elites.

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