Mexico: Social Class


Figure 1.-- This photograph was taken about 1910 at the time of the Mexican Revolution. We are not sure though if it was taken in Mexico or the American Southwest. We think it was probably Mexico. One boy wears the characteristic Mexican campesino clothing: white-brimmed straw hate, white shirt, and white pants. The other boy wears a blouse, a popular boy's garment at the time. Source: Library of Congress LC-USZ62-99677.

Mexico has a highly skewed social structure. As a result of the Conquest, nost of the land was given to the Spanish Conquistadores and the indigenous population conerted into landless serfs. Over time Mexico's population became largely mestizo (60 percent) with a small European population (10 percent) wghich comntinues to dominate society. There is also a substantial indigenous (Native American) population that does not fully participate in national life. This ethnic distribution has traditionally played a major role in social class. At the time of the Revolution (1910), large land owners dominated the economy and land ownership. As a result of the Revolution. Mexican leaders introduced a variety of scocialist reforms including state ownership of major sectors. The result was inefficenties which prevented Mexcico from developing a modern economy which could have addressed social inquities. As a result, a century after the Revolution, Mexico's society continues to exhibit huge discrepancies in wealth destribution among the different social classes and ethnic groups. This is particularly notable in rural Mexico. The Mexican ecomomy has expanded during the late-20th century, in large measure because of trade with the United States as well as Mexicans working there. This has permitted the growth of the private sector in Mexico and an expanding middle class. Mexican boys clothes have traditionally varied greatly by social class. Rich boys from largely European families wore the same clothes styles as worn in Europe. I assume that the most influential European country was of course Spain as Mexico was a Spanish colony until the early 19th Century. Other European countries by the mid 19th Century, such as France and England, were also influential. Thus little boys wore dresses and older boys wore tunics, Fauntleroy suits, sailor suits, knickers, Eton collars, and other popular styles of the day. I know of no popular indigenous Mexican garment or style worn by the wealthy boys. Poor Mexican boys have traditionally worn a white shirt and white pants, often at calf length and simple sandals without socks. I am not sure just when this dress became common place, but it was widely worn in the 19th Century and probably earlier. Poor Mexican boys have traditionally worn a white shirt and white pants, often at ankel/calf length and simple sandals without socks. Many children went barefoot. I am not sure just when this dress became common place, but it was widely worn in the 19th Century and probably earlier.

Spanish Colony

Mexico has a highly skewed social structure. As a result of the Conquest, nost of the land was given to the Spanish Conquistadores. This was the encomienda system. The indigenous population conerted into landless serfs. Over time Mexico's population became largely mestizo (60 percent) with a small European population (10 percent) wghich comntinues to dominate society. There is also a subsdtantial indigenous (Native American) population that does not fully participate in national life. This ethnic distribution has traditionally played a major role in social class.

Independent Mexico

The colonial social pattern was not significantly changed after indeopendence. Porfirio Diaz and the Cientificos made some progress in moderizing the country infrastructure, but did nmot address the social inequities.

PRI Era

At the time of the Revolution (1910), large land owners and industriaslists dominated the economy. Land ownership was highly concentrated in a very small mumner of families. The Revolution transferred power to the Partido Recoluciaraio Institucional (PRI). PRI leaders introduced a variety of scocialist reforms including state ownership of major sectors. At the time, with the creation of the Soviet Unionm, many in Mexico thought that statist solutions were the way of rapidly developing the economy. Some limited progress was made and important steops were taken like creating a public education system. The large landed estates were broken up. The result of the PRI's statetist approach were inefficenties among state companies. Arrangements with major sectors also introfuced a degree of inflexibility in the ecoomy which inhibited the function of the private sector and the development of a culture of corruption. These and other factors prevented Mexcico from developing a modern economy like the United States and Europe which could have addressed social inquities indemic in Mexico. The impact of these policies inevitably fell most heavily on poor Mexicans. Denied opportunity in Mexico, large numbers of Mexicans began seeking jobs in America by crossing the border illegally.

Modern Mexico

A century after the Revolution, Mexico's society continues to exhibit huge discrepancies in wealth destribution among the different social classes and ethnic groups. Large numbers of Mexicans to ovtain jobs have been fiorced to cross the northern border and work in the United states. This is particularly notable in rural Mexico. The Mexican ecomomy has expanded during the late-20th century, in large measure because of trade with the United States as well as Mexicans working there. This has permitted the growth of the private sector in Mexico and an expanding middle class.

Clothing

Mexican boys clothes have traditionally varied greatly by social class. Here chronolgical change is also important. Rich boys from largely European families wore the same clothes styles as worn in Europe. I assume that the most influential European country was of course Spain as Mexico was a Spanish colony until the early 19th Century. Other European countries by the mid 19th Century, such as France and England, were also influential. Thus little boys wore dresses and older boys wore tunics, Fauntleroy suits, sailor suits, knickers, Eton collars, and other popular styles of the day. I know of no popular indigenous Mexican garment or style worn by the wealthy boys. Poor Mexican boys have traditionally worn a white shirt and white pants, often at calf length and simple sandals without socks. I am not sure just when this dress became common place, but it was widely worn in the 19th Century and probably earlier. Poor Mexican boys have traditionally worn a white shirt and white pants, often at ankel/calf length and simple sandals without socks. Many children went barefoot. I am not sure just when this dress became common place, but it was widely worn in the 19th Century and probably earlier. Poor Mexican boys have traditionally worn a white shirt and white pants, often at ankel/calf length and simple sandals without socks. This was not a specifically boy's outfit. Adult men in rural areas also dressed this way. Many children went barefoot. I am not sure just when this dress became common place, but it was widely worn in the 19th Century and probably earlier. The photographic record shows large numbers of boys wearing this outfit with considerable variation. Wide brimmed straw hats were also common. I thin this was common because it was the most inexpensive clothes available. We are not sure what this outfit is called in Mexico. But something like peon or compansino clothing might be a reasonable term. After the mid-20th century as the Mexicans began emigrating north and the economy became increasingly intergrated with the American ecomomy, Am,erican styles became more dominant. The largely classless Ameruican styles have gradually erased the obvious differences in clothing between the different classes. The growth in thev middle-class has been another factor.








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Created: 8:35 PM 11/20/2008
Last updated: 8:55 PM 3/20/2010