Mexico: Executive Summary

Average Score: 4

This assessment was completed in 2024.

Mexico has been known as an inclusive and multicultural nation since the early days of the Mexican Revolution. Constitutional reforms, affirmative action policies and the discourses of political parties all speak to the value of recognizing Mexico’s diverse peoples. However, the continued subjugation of Indigenous, Afro-descendant and migrant populations reveals an implementation gap where these treaties and national policies do not result in better outcomes for these populations. In fact, significant poverty rates and wealth gaps, organized crime and violence from state and non-state actors continue to worsen across the country, severely impacting all three groups.

The Global Pluralism Monitor: Mexico report examines the unequal experiences of Indigenous, Afro-descendant and migrant populations in Mexico, focusing on structural racial and ethnic discrimination in Mexico’s courts, economies and in daily social life. Afro-descendant and migrant populations share experiences of anti-Black racism and invisibilization, which add layers to their journey of belonging in Mexico. The Global Pluralism Monitor: Mexico report explores the dynamics of and among these groups and their collective and distinct journeys to recognition.

Legal commitments

Mexico has a long history of signing international and regional agreements recognizing diverse human rights related to Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendant peoples and migrants. Mexico has adopted a number of international human rights treaties into its Constitution and in recent years, has moved towards the recognition of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples as collective rights-holders and decision-makers. However, constitutional reforms to this effect have not been implemented, leaving significant gaps in the effective protection of Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples.

Despite these setbacks, institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission and the National Council to Prevent Discrimination have been increasingly proactive in their calls for justice and for the protection of the rights of marginalized groups, signaling a level of commitment to pluralism.

Practices and leadership

Existing policies and legislation recognize Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples as key parts of Mexico’s demographic makeup and history and the government has invested in infrastructure and social programs for these communities. However, implementation gaps and recent budget cuts to government institutions across the country have meant that programs designed to support these groups are failing. Likewise, the lack of culturally relevant approaches to policy implementation has resulted in experiences of discrimination and structural racism for Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples. While affirmative action policies in the private sector exist, Indigenous peoples remain poorly represented and Afro-Mexicans and migrants are almost invisible in these spaces. In contrast, these groups, and particularly women, are disproportionately overrepresented in the informal sector, or unskilled and precarious work.

The right of peaceful assembly is formally guaranteed in Mexico and it is frequently exercised by its citizens who are supported by a strong civil society. However, Mexicans and migrants face violence from state and non-state actors, especially concerning the defense of natural resources from extractive projects or migrant caravans and movement across borders. Political parties’ discourse recognizes and supports Indigenous peoples and Afro-Mexican communities in principle, though this is rarely translated into action and typically ignores migrant populations entirely. News media also contributed to this harm, as it is a polarized space which often propels harmful stereotypes. On the other hand, social media and local radio stations have increasingly played an important role in celebrating and protecting Indigenous art and culture.

Group-based inequalities and intergroup relations and belonging

Mexico’s cultural and political landscape recognizes the influence and role that Indigenous and Afro-Mexicans have played in the country, and they are slowly working towards increasing the visibility and recognition of Afro-Mexicans specifically. However, these groups continue to experience persistent social, economic and political inequalities. Up to 78 percent of Indigenous peoples live in poverty, particularly due to the over-extraction and under-resourcing of their lands and territories, often leading to their own internal displacement. Likewise, historical policies that punished Indigenous peoples for speaking their languages have resulted in some of these languages being lost, or with Indigenous people who do not speak Spanish unable to obtain any form of government or legal support.

As a result of affirmative action related to elections, there has been modest progress in the representation of women, Indigenous peoples and Afro-Mexicans in the legislature. However, falsified identity claims regarding gender identity or ethnic/cultural background threaten the integrity and success of these initiatives. Representation of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican women in the government is still minimal, as political parties have no real obligations to ensure diverse representation on their candidate ballots.

Historical policies that punished Indigenous peoples for speaking their languages have resulted in some of these languages being lost.

Mexican and Central American migrants face precarity in their journeys across borders which is exacerbated by their limited ability to obtain employment, limited access social and healthcare services and repeated violence from state and non-state actors. Migrants also face xenophobia and discrimination from Mexicans. Despite claims of inclusivity, findings from the Pluralism Perceptions Survey show that most Mexican respondents distrust migrant populations.

Takeaways

The Global Pluralism Monitor: Mexico report presents a paradox between the legislation and government initiative on issues related to pluralism and the lived experience of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican groups.

Despite the government legislating the recognition of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican identities, these communities remain vastly underrepresented in Mexico’s history, legislature and most other sectors of society. Their status as second-class citizens are both the result of and reinforced by cycles of intergenerational poverty, marginalization, structural violence and exclusion from decision-making processes. For migrants, whether they are passing through Mexico as a transit country or looking to settle there, they are faced with numerous economic challenges, xenophobia and racism, and a militarized approach to immigration as opposed to a human rights-based approach.

Contributing to this paradox is the contrast between official discourse and political practice. Regional realities play a distinct role in Mexico, and States like Oaxaca and Guerrero, or cities like Veracruz and Mexico have local legislation recognizing Indigenous and Afro-Mexicans. Despite this, most political parties are reluctant to include Indigenous and Afro-descendant candidates in their slates. Indigenous culture in Mexico has historically been commercialized and commodified by the country, while Indigenous peoples are subject to discrimination and state neglect. Official discourse also points to the detention and treatment of migrants as humanitarian policy, meant to protect from further abuse and endangerment. The reality, however, shows that Mexican migrants emigrating to the United States and migrants from Central America using Mexico as a transit country are effectively ‘invisibilized’ and subject to extreme violence from state and non-state actors. Migrants live in economic and social precarity, with access to services limited by their migration status and little data collected on their experiences.

The Monitor report underscores, however, the similarities in the violences experienced by Indigenous, Afro-Mexican and migrant women. Similar social outcomes, including poor access to maternal healthcare, social services, education and paid labour exist against the backdrop of the crisis of violence against women that Mexico is currently facing. Despite the vast mobilization, protests and advocacy movements against gender-based violence and femicides, Indigenous, Afro-Mexican and migrant women’s low socioeconomic status and the racialization of poverty makes them more vulnerable to these types of crimes. This crisis of violence has also extended to the LGBTQ+ community, with the rise of the femicide of transgender women, or transfemicides being increasingly concerning. Impunity, when it comes to violence against women, runs rampant across the country.

• Harmonize national commitments with human rights obligations set out in international treaties.
• Continue to pursue constitutional and legal recognition for Indigenous peoples to support moves to self-determination.
• Strengthen legal and administrative mechanisms to ensure non-discrimination.
• Reduce structural discrimination of Indigenous peoples and Afro-Mexicans and treat them as subjects of public policies as opposed to objects.
• Shift away from militarized migration policy and guarantee human rights of all migrants and asylum seekers.
• Protect the labour rights of migrants and particularly the rights of children and youth.
• Empower media and artistic communities to facilitate intercultural and interracial understanding to build acceptance and celebration of the country’s diversity.
• Coordinate public and private sector actors and the whole of society to demand justice and truth.