Carl Jones’ research into racism in Mexican advertising is featured by the Zapatista

University of Westminster Senior Lecturer, and CAMRI Scholar, Carl W. Jones has written an article for the Mexican Zapatista freedom movement ‘Camino al Andar’ exploring the causes of racism and classism in Mexico. The article form part of Camino al Andar’s response to the  Mexican government’s refusal to provide passports to some members of the Zapatista delegation who aimed to travel to Europe to attend meetings that mark the 500th anniversary of the 1519-1521 conquest of Mexico. The refusal of passports is seen by many as being an attack on the individuals indigenous status.

In his article, which is available in full on the Camino al Andar website (in Spanish) Carl traces a brief history of racism and classism as reflected in Mexican advertising.  From the time of the Spanish conquest to present day, Carl examines the way in which advertising features mostly white people in a country where they represent approximately 10% of the total population. Carls article is informed by, and informs his current PhD research into Decolonising Advertising.

The ‘Camino Al Andar’ website supports The National Indigenous Congress-Indigenous Governing Council [CNI-CIG] and the Zapatista National Liberation Army [EZLN], and publishes “socially responsible” news that defends “life, with peace, justice and dignity” for indigenous peoples, while fighting for a “world that opposes dehumanizing capitalism, patriarchy and racism.”

Picture: Members of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation wave goodbye as they set sail for Europe from Isla Mujeres, Mexico, on Saturday. Photograph: Lourdes Cruz/EPA

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Photo by Iván Díaz on Unsplash